Upcoming West Papuan events
Description
A free World Press Freedom Day 2026 screening of the extraordinary West Papuan documentary “Pesta Babi/Pig Feast” in Magandjin (Brisbane) will be co-hosted by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Pacific Islands Council of Qld (PICQ), The Griffith Journal and QLD Pacific Climate Warriors.
“Pesta Babi (Pig Feast): Colonisation In Our Time” was made under the noses of the Indonesian military to expose the ecocide caused by mass deforestation and displacement of thousands of Indigenous people to plant palm oil, sugar and rice.
Foreign journalists are banned from West Papua and Indonesia has repeatedly denied access by the UN Human Rights Commissioner to the region to investigate abuses, including attacks on journalists and media freedom.
This documentary was filmed in South Papua, the region closest to Australia and the Torres Strait, where 2.5 million hectares (more than the size of greater Sydney and Melbourne combined) are being logged in a project with links to Queensland and Chinese companies.
It took years of secret filming by renowned West Papuan journalist Victor Mambor and filmmaker Dandhy Laksono to produce this 90-minute documentary that finally premiered in West Papua last month.
West Papuans’ decades long struggle for independence from Indonesia and the brutal armed conflict is rarely reported by foreign media.
The UN General Assembly declared 3 May as World Press Freedom Day to highlight the importance of media freedom and remind governments of their duty to respect freedom of expression under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
With this screening for World Press Freedom Day, we recognise the courage of Victor and Dandhy and their colleagues to make this documentary to tell the outside world of the struggle of West Papuans to protect their land and culture.
Pesta Babi Offical Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Buv-MC-rSA
Pacific food, kava and casual tok stori/talanoa will round off the evening.
5th May Wollongong
UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG, BUILDING 19 .2072B TUESDAY MAY 5 1:30-2:30
HEAR FROM THREE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS FROM WEST PAPUA.
TASYA, GIPSA AND RODE WORK IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE REGION ON DIVERSE ISSUES FROM LAND GRABBING, WOMEN'S SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS THROUGH TO HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE.
Pig Feast – Colonialism in Our Time: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Fri, 8 May, 3pm - 6pm AEST
Lecture Theatre 200, Social Sciences Building (A02)
Description
SSSWARM & SSEAC Film Screening & Panel Discussion
What does “development” mean when it comes at the cost of Indigenous lands, lives, and futures?
Join us for a screening of Pig Feast – Colonialism in Our Time, an investigative documentary examining contemporary colonialism, militarisation, and large‑scale development projects in West Papua. The film will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A connecting the documentary to wider academic and activist debates on development, food security, and Indigenous land rights.
8 May 2026
Time: 3:00–6:00 PM (AEST)
Location: Lecture Theatre 200, Social Sciences Building (A02), The University of Sydney
Panel speakers:
Dandhy Laksono (joining via Zoom) – Indonesian documentary filmmaker and journalist, and co‑director of Pig Feast – Colonialism in Our Time. Laksono’s work focuses on environmental justice, human rights, and investigative reporting in Indonesia.
Dr Sophie Chao – Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Sydney. Chao’s research examines ecology, capitalism, hunger, and justice in the Pacific, with a particular focus on West Papua.
Dr Cammi Webb‑Gannon – Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong. Webb-Gannon's work centres on decolonisation, Indigenous resistance movements, and political activism in West Papua and the Pacific.
Tasya Manong – A Papuan woman from the Muyu and Wambon tribes. Manon works closely with Malind and Yei Indigenous communities in Merauke affected by large‑scale plantation and development projects.
This event is co‑hosted by the Sydney Student and Staff Workshop in Anthropological Research Methods (SSSWARM) and the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC).
Internal Refugees in West Papua - at Lawson
ABOUT
Ronny Kareni - Papuan Activist & 2 Short Films at
Lawson Mechanics Institute
2pm Sat. 9 May
Internal refugees in West Papua and what drives Papuans to flee.
Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group; Blue Mountains Peace Collective; Australia West Papua Association
DATE
Saturday 9 May 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (UTC+10)
LOCATION
Lawson Mechanics Institute
284 Great Western Highway, Lawson NSW 2783
