3) Papua governors meet to review special autonomy funds
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - “Pesta Babi: Kolonialisme di Zaman Kita” (“The Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time”) is a documentary on the rapid deforestation in South Papua caused by the expansion of large-scale agribusiness, including sugarcane plantations for bioethanol production.
The documentary, the work of two young filmmakers – Cypri Paju Dale and Dandhy Laksono – is becoming a source of embarrassment for the Indonesian government of President Prabowo Subianto, as it exposes the reality faced by Papuan indigenous communities struggling to protect their ancestral lands from massive projects promoted under slogans such as “food security” and “energy transition”, amidst militarisation and a long history of exploitation.
The film shows how these projects are encroaching on 2.5 million hectares of forest on which indigenous Papuan communities depend for their daily lives. It also highlights the role of the military in supporting and protecting these projects.
Through the testimonies of indigenous Papuans, the documentary reveals how many have rejected this type of development on their customary lands and wish to continue living with intact forests, clean rivers and traditional food sources.
For this reason, the film has sparked controversy in public debate as it is considered provocative and seen as discrediting the Indonesian government under President Prabowo, particularly regarding the National Strategic Project (PSN) known as the ‘Food Estate’ programme in Papua.
Unmasking the reality behind the slogans
The conversion of Papuan forests into industrial plantations is one of the largest deforestation projects in modern world history. As their customary lands fall within the concessions granted to companies, local communities have erected large crosses and traditional barricades as symbols of resistance. Across South Papua, it is said that at least 1,800 crosses have been erected to block companies and military forces, both physically and spiritually.
The documentary Pesta Babi tells this story and chronicles the Papuans’ struggle to defend their ancestral lands amidst accusations of separatism and the shadow of 60 years of Indonesian military operations linked to their exploitation.
“There is an ongoing practice of territorial control that the filmmakers describe as the new face of colonialism in the modern era,” writes human rights activist Sandyawan in a discussion group for former seminary students.
The film runs for 95 minutes and is based on events that took place in the most heavily damaged forest areas near Merauke, Boven Digoel and Mappi. Its main focus is on the lives and traditions of the indigenous Papuans, including the Marind, Awyu, Yei and Muyu sub-ethnic communities, who, according to the film, have lost thousands of hectares of land and living space due to the expansion of sugarcane plantations, oil palm plantations and food estate projects.
The documentary shows how customary forests have been massively deforested to make way for large-scale bioethanol production and food security projects. Meanwhile, local communities feel driven from their lands.
The title Pig Feast derives from a Muyu cultural tradition called Awon Atatbon, an important customary ritual involving pigs as fundamental social and cultural symbols. The tradition depends on the survival of Papua’s forests and natural environment. It is a metaphor for how the destruction of forests also threatens the cultural identity of indigenous communities.
Screenings and debates forcibly broken up
Discussions about the documentary have continued in university cafés and corridors, but intimidation is also on the rise. Several public screenings and debates have been forcibly broken up. Last week, at Mataram University in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, the disruption is said to have been carried out by the university authorities themselves. For many Indonesians, this is the result of government orders or pressure.
A similar incident is also said to have occurred in Yogyakarta, where, according to a Jesuit priest, a public screening of Pesta Babi was cancelled following pressure from the authorities. A screening and discussion event in Fort Oranje, in the North Moluccas, on Friday evening was also reportedly broken up by local security forces.
For environmentalists and those concerned about the survival of Papua’s indigenous communities, the film is now much more than a simple cinematic work on environmental destruction in Papua. It is seen as a satire, a symbol and a mirror for those who do not want to face reality.
“Art is a mirror. When that mirror reflects the ugly face of power, it is not the mirror that gets angry, but those who fear being seen,” wrote one commentator on social media.
“The logic behind these acts of prohibition is difficult to understand. The ban on social analysis and critical studies through cinema by intellectuals and academics seems to confirm Louis Althusser’s argument that educational institutions have the potential to position themselves as state ideological apparatuses operating in favour of those in power,” interfaith activist Indro Suprobo told AsiaNews.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A coalition of Papuan students under the Front Against Militarism and Investment has accused Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai of failing to address a series of human rights violations in Papua.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Human Rights in Jakarta on Monday, May 11, 2026, urging Pigai to meet them and listen to their demands directly.
The group said it was disappointed by what they described as Pigai’s lack of support for Indigenous Papuan interests since taking office. They argued that Pigai had previously been more outspoken in defending human rights in Papua during his tenure as a commissioner at the National Commission on Human Rights from 2012 to 2017.
“Natalius Pigai, when he was a commissioner at the National Commission on Human Rights, was very vocal about human rights issues in Papua and across Indonesia. But over time, it seems he has lost his edge,” said Veronica, one of the protesters, speaking from atop a command vehicle.
Veronica said Papua’s long-standing problems are rooted in economic inequality and the lack of political self-determination. She stressed that a security-based approach involving military and police deployment has failed to resolve the situation and has instead escalated tensions with Indigenous communities, leading to armed conflict and displacement from ancestral lands.
The protesters also urged President Prabowo Subianto to withdraw military and police forces from Papua, arguing that their presence has not resolved the conflict and has instead created conditions for further human rights violations. The Papua representative office of the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) recorded four major violent incidents in early 2026, resulting in around 14 deaths.
Veronica said the state has repeatedly failed to protect communities from cycles of violence in Papua. She also criticized Pigai, an Indigenous Papuan, for what she described as aligning more closely with the Prabowo administration, which she called authoritarian.
She further pointed out that Pigai declined to meet the protesters, despite their attempts to engage him as part of their democratic rights. She also criticized his earlier statement claiming to have understood human rights since the age of five, without providing concrete evidence.
“The Prabowo-Gibran regime is now continuing an approach similar to the Suharto era, with military involvement spilling into civilian affairs, including PSN, Koperasi Merah Putih, and MBG spending public funds. He is a sycophant, a flatterer! Natalius is a flatterer!” said a representative of Papuan students studying in Malang, East Java.
The protesters rejected the idea of holding an audience inside the ministry, calling it ineffective. They continued their attempts to demand Pigai’s presence throughout the day.
3) Papua governors meet to review special autonomy funds
- May 11, 2026 18:03 GMT+700
The two-day forum, titled the Strategic Coordination Forum for the Acceleration of Papua Development, brought together governors, mayors and district heads from across Papua, organizers said.
Central Papua Governor Meki Frits Nawipa, who chairs the Association of Regional Heads in Papua, said the special autonomy program had provided major financial support for the region's development.
"We must be grateful because the government has provided special autonomy funds for six provinces so we can accelerate development in our respective regions," Nawipa said in his opening remarks.
The meeting was attended by Papua Governor Mathius Fakhiri, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan, Southwest Papua Governor Elisa Kambu, Highland Papua Governor John Tabo, South Papua Governor Apolo Safanpo and Nawipa as host.
Nawipa said Papua's special autonomy framework had been in place for 26 years since its introduction in 2000.
He said the forum should serve as a platform for regional leaders to align policies and strengthen cooperation to improve development outcomes and public welfare across Papua.
"We must honestly acknowledge that implementation on the ground still faces many challenges," Nawipa said, citing shortcomings in education, healthcare, and infrastructure services.
Related news: Human rights minister seeks comprehensive solution to Papua conflicts
He said special autonomy funds should directly support schools, healthcare access and infrastructure projects aimed at reducing isolation and boosting Papua's local economy.
The former Paniai district head also praised President Prabowo Subianto's support for increasing Papua's special autonomy allocation in 2026.
Nawipa urged local governments to ensure every rupiah transferred by the central government produced measurable benefits for Papuan communities.
"Papua should not remain rich in natural resources while its people are left behind. That has happened for too long," he said.
Acting Central Papua Provincial Secretary Silwanus Sumule said ministries, regional legislatures, the Papuan People's Assembly and other policymakers also joined the discussions.
Sumule said Papua's special autonomy allocation for 2026 would reach Rp12.69 trillion (US$728.7 million), distributed across the region's six provinces.
The forum's first day focused on evaluating autonomy policies under the 2021 revised Papua autonomy law and reviewing long-term development strategies.
The second day will discuss technical coordination, including budgeting consistency, monitoring systems and accountable management of special autonomy funds across Papua's 42 districts and municipalities.
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Translator: M.Nara, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
"The revision of the Human Rights Law is currently in the public consultation phase, involving regulation drafters, ministry officials, national human rights institutions, and civil society groups," he said during a public consultation event in Jakarta on Monday.
Pigai said the draft revision had been made public to ensure transparency and allow the substance to be openly reviewed.
"This law serves as an umbrella for all aspects of human rights in Indonesia. This stage is part of public oversight to ensure the final product is truly of high quality and accepted by the public as a good law," he said.
According to Pigai, the revision of Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights is more progressive than the previous regulation because it strengthens national human rights institutions.
These include the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), and the National Commission on Disabilities.
He added that the revision would provide broader investigative authority, including plans for national human rights institutions to have their own investigators.
Furthermore, the government is reinforcing the principle of non-intervention by the state in independent human rights institutions and civil society.
The revision also strengthens protection for human rights defenders from criminalization while carrying out peaceful humanitarian work.
"We have a responsibility to deliver a law with specific articles that provide clear protection for human rights defenders," he said.
Pigai said the government aims to complete the harmonization process at the Law Ministry before submitting the draft to the president for the issuance of a presidential letter in June or July.
Related news: Indonesia bolsters right to be forgotten via Human Rights Law revision
Related news: Gov't to form human rights protection task forces in working field
Translator: Devi Nindy, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
Summary of events from May 1st to May 10th 2026:
- Five West Papuans were killed by the Indonesian military in Mimika;
- Four Papuans were killed by the Indonesian military in Puncak;
- Indonesian police killed a Papuan civilian in Dogiyai;
- Indonesian security forces shot and injured seven Papuan students in Mamberano Tengah for painting the Morning Star on their clothes.
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While the world looks away, genocide continues in West Papua.
Indonesian security forces have committed a series of new mass killings over the past ten days, executing at least ten Papuans and shooting many more.
According to on-the-ground reports from the TPNPB and humanitarian defenders, the Indonesian military conducted a sweeping operation in a gold panning area in Tembagapura, Timika Regency, spanning from the evening of May 7th to the morning of May 8th. Five civilian gold miners were shot dead during the operations, while a toddler was reportedly injured and is in critical condition. One of the victims, 17-year-old Nalince Wamang, was hoping to raise money to fund her university studies.
At the same time, military operations conducted in Omukia District, Puncak Regency between May 1st and May 6th resulted in the deaths of at least four Papuan civilians – all murdered by Indonesian troops. According to Human Rights Monitor, the victims were as follows:
- Ms Tarling Wanimbo, 20, shot whilst searching for food in her family’s garden.
- Mrs Naena Murib, 31, shot dead whilst gardening.
- Mr Bebison Murib, 19, shot dead during the operations
- Mr Amukiamen Magay, 41, shot dead during the operations.
Earlier, on May 5th, the military shot seven West Papuan students, ranging in age from 17 to 24, during a graduation parade in Kobakma, Mamberamo Tengah Regency. One, 18-year-old Yali Elabi, remains in hospital in critical condition. The only “crime” these students had committed was painting the Morning Star on their clothes. Indonesia fears our flag so much they will shoot our children for flying it.
Indonesia’s ten days of bloodshed then continued yesterday (May 10th), as the police executed yet another Papuan civilian in Dogiyai, Mr Nopison Tebai.
Massacres have become normal in West Papua. The latest killings by the Indonesian colonial occupiers occurred in the wake of recent massacres in Dogiyai and Kembru, Puncak Regency. Thirty-seven West Papuans have now been killed by Indonesian security forces in 2026 – evidence of a serious escalation in Indonesian militarisation. We must also remember that this figure doesn’t include the many civilians who will die of hunger or disease in the bush after being forcibly displaced by military operations.
Tembagapura is in the dead zone surrounding the Freeport mine, the biggest and most toxic gold mine on earth. The forests there have been destroyed, the water is poisoned, the fish are all dead, and the basin of the Ajkwa river has been transformed into a huge grey wasteland. As a result, West Papuans who once hunted there have been forced to pan for gold just to survive.
Those who were killed in Tembagapura suffered three times – first they lost their lands, then their livelihoods, and finally their lives.
This new wave of brutality is a result of Indonesia’s increased military deployment in West Papua. At least 110 new battalions have been formed in West Papua since the election of Prabowo Subianto as Indonesian President in 2024, bringing tens of thousands of additional soldiers to the highlands and villages.
These troops are not in West Papua to protect civilians or preserve Indonesia’s ‘sovereignty’. They are there to protect Indonesia’s investments: to defend the Wabu Block, the Freeport Mine, and the South Papua National Strategic Project (PSN), the biggest deforestation project in human history. The government deliberately creates violence and chaos to feed their troops and the industrial projects they serve.
On behalf of the ULMWP and the Pacific people of West Papua, I demand the immediate expulsion of Indonesia from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Indonesia currently sits as a dialogue partner in PIF and an Associate Member of the MSG. If their positions are not reviewed following these massacres, the Pacific will be complicit in the genocide of its West Papuan neighbours.
Pacific leaders must ask themselves: will you allow this to happen in your backyard? Will you close your eyes as West Papuans are slaughtered? Future generations will judge your actions at this critical moment.
Benny Wenda
Interim President
ULMWP
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