Discussion Space: A Forum for Critical Intellectual Movement

(Film Screening of "Pesta Babi" with Kokomas of GKJ Mergangsan)

By: Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta.          

The joint viewing (nobar) of the investigative documentary Pesta Babi by Dandhy Laksono and Cypri Paju Dale, held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, was more than just a film screening; it became a collective experience that fostered reflection, solidarity, and critical expression regarding development policies affecting indigenous communities. Issues concerning Papua are rarely highlighted in mainstream media. This event also functioned as an educational forum initiated by Kokomas GKJ Mergangsan to broaden public understanding of Papua and its challenges, including agrarian conflicts, militarization, and the struggles of indigenous Papuans—particularly in South Papua among the Marind, Awyu, Yei, and Muyu communities. The film’s title is drawn from the Muyu community’s pig feast tradition, symbolizing the contrast between local culture and land-grabbing practices.

The opening scene of the film depicts the arrival of large ships carrying hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment in South Papua, marking the beginning of a national strategic project (PSN) in the food and energy sector, based on Presidential Decree No. 19 of 2025 and Presidential Instruction No. 14 of 2025. The planned clearing of 451.000 hectares of forest in the South Papua region has caused deep anxiety among indigenous communities, who depend on the forest for their living space, ancestral lands, and cultural identity.

A wave of protests broke out as communities visited the project site, expressing their rejection and asserting that the land is their ancestral heritage, which must not be disturbed—because Papua is not empty land. One form of data-driven investigation supporting the film is interviews with local residents, who recount the direct impacts of the project on their daily lives, such as the loss of natural food sources and threats to cultural traditions. At present, indigenous communities in South Papua have erected 1.800 red crosses and traditional crosses as symbols of protection for their forests and ancestral lands. This movement continues to spread, particularly in the regencies of Boven Digoel, Mappi, and Merauke. Meanwhile, the presence of armed forces securing the project places residents under constant threat; their resistance exposes them to the risk of violence, raising fears of a new colonialism.

Held in the church’s back hall, this film screening brought together the Stube HEMAT student community, activists, and civil society in one space, making distant issues feel closer. Seeing the Marind, Awyu, Yei, and Muyu indigenous peoples on screen made geographical distances seem to vanish. They were no longer “people far away in the east,” but fellow human beings whose living space has been taken away for illegitimate reasons. Participants shared their reflections on what is happening and condemned acts of exploitation and all violations of human rights. The hope is that this event will foster collective awareness that genuine development respects both people and nature, rather than sacrificing them.***