Indonesia's military has forcibly shut down multiple screenings of a documentary examining land rights and development in Papua, raising serious concerns about press freedom and democratic backsliding under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.
The documentary "Pesta Babi: Kolonialisme di Zaman Kita" (Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time) examines how indigenous communities in Papua Selatan—including the Marind, Awyu, Yei, and Muyu peoples—have lost ancestral lands to large-scale agricultural projects including sugarcane, palm oil plantations, and food estate developments. The 95-minute film, directed by Dhandy Dwi Laksono and produced in collaboration with Greenpeace Indonesia, WatchDoc, and other advocacy organizations, focuses on the Merauke, Boven Digoel, and Mappi regions.
According to Kompas, Lieutenant Colonel Jani Setiadi, Commander of Military District Command 1501 in Ternate, personally intervened to stop a public screening organized by the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists and the Alliance of Independent Journalists on May 8. In a video that subsequently went viral, Jani claimed the military had monitored the event and received complaints that the film was "provocative" based on social media reactions.
"We've seen on social media that many consider this provocative based on the title," Jani stated while ordering the screening halted. He cited concerns about SARA (ethnic, religious, racial, and inter-group) sensitivities in Maluku Utara, claiming such issues are easily politicized in the region. The screening was disbanded, though organizers were permitted to continue with a planned discussion—effectively allowing talk about the film while prohibiting anyone from actually seeing it.


