The pristine islands of Raja Ampat are set to become Indonesia's next top tourist destinations.However, the locals fear that in the push for the white sandy beaches, colorful coral reefs, and turquoise water, the government may be failing both them and the environment.

These picture-perfect Islands are vast, stretching over 67,000 square kilometers and are considered by many to be the nearest thing to paradise that one can get.

The name Raja Ampat means Four Kings.It is made up of 1,500 islands and is home to almost 1,400 varieties of fish and 600 species of coral, making it one of the most biodiverse habitats in the world.As one visiting Canadian tourist, Angelika Redweik-Leung, put it while gazing from a lookout above the Pianemo Island group, "It's amazing.We've been to millions of islands, and I would say it's the most beautiful one."

To take advantage of these islands as tourist destinations Indonesia's government intends to create buildings, restaurants and invest in new harbors.

However, on a palm-fringed island roughly two hours away by boat from Waisai, the capital of Raja Ampat, villagers still live in simple huts that do not have either electricity or clean water.The nearest high school for the villagers is miles away.

The chief of the Island's Byak Betew tribe explained that the government had hurt the indigenous people living there, taking their land, water, and forest.He said that though their land has not become a world-class tourist destination, they have not gained anything from the large number of visitors.According to data estimates given by the government, the islands now have almost 15,000 tourists who come to the area every year.This is a dramatic increase from the 5,000  visitors they had in 2010.

Another cause for criticism is the destruction that has occurred to the unique ecosystem in the area.The Chief Mayor blamed the authorities for not protecting the area sufficiently, pointing to the disastrous cruise ship accident that occurred in March.The accident destroyed 13,500 square meters of pristine coral reef.The Caledonian Sky, a 4,200-ton cruise ship carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew, ran aground close to the Island of Kri.Half a year later, there have been no actions taken to hold anyone accountable.

A team of researchers from the University of Papua assessed the impact of the accident and reported that to restore the affected reef could require as much as 16.2 million dollars.

Yusdi Lamatenggo, the head of tourism for Raja Ampat, had claimed that the company operating the boat called Noble Caledonia would be summoned to court.However, the company has so far not accepted responsibility or paid any damages.

Yusdi explained that in the meantime, steps were being taken to prevent any future accidents by establishing demarcated cruise ship routes and world-class harbors.

However, the accident has had other repercussions, fueling feelings of mistrust and exclusion in the Melanesian population.The resource-rich regions were annexed by Jakarta in 1969.However, most Papuans feel they have not been given an even share of its natural riches.

The military presence in the region remains substantial, regularly stifling any dissent.Joko Widodo, the president who took office in 2014, had promised to speed up development in Papua.However, many locals still insist that they have been completely forgotten.

Ariel Fakdawer, the head of Saukabu village in Raja Ampat had this to say: "There has been no change.The yearly Raja Ampat festival, for example, attracts thousands of tourists but we gain nothing from that.We are still poor, but the organizers of such festivals, outsiders, they have made a fortune."

Some of the demands that the indigenous group says they need include communication satellites, electricity, better infrastructure, and the right to be able to govern themselves by customary law.

The Chief Mayor expounded on the requirement for the customary law by saying the government never fulfills the indigenous people's needs since they do not understand what it is that the indigenous people want.He believes that the government has to approach the people bearing in mind their cultural needs.To do this, he believes that the government has to talk to the indigenous population at the very least.

However, even among the indigenous people, not all are against the government's decision to open up Raja Ampat to the rest of the globe.

Medzke Karoswaf, a villager, was keen to stress that we live in a modern world which is becoming increasingly connected.He said that it is impossible to continue living in isolation from the rest of the world, like residing in a cave forever.He believes that the people have to be more open-minded, saying that whether they like it or not, they do not live in the world alone.