On the evening of 7 May 2026, students and civil society organisations gathered at the Student Activity Centre (Pusat Kegiatan Mahasiswa/PKM) of the University of Mataram to hold a public screening of the documentary Pesta Babi – Colonialism in Our Time, followed by a public discussion. The event was organised by student groups together with the Mataram Legal Aid Institute (LBH Mataram), the Indonesian Student Union (SMI), the Student Executive Board (BEM Unram) and other local organisations.
According to participants, preparations for the screening were underway when Vice Rector III Sujita, accompanied by dozens of campus security personnel, arrived at the venue and instructed organisers to cancel the event. University representatives stated that the cancellation was necessary to maintain security and public order on campus and argued that the documentary was not appropriate for screening within the university environment. Witnesses also reported the presence of police intelligence officers and members of the TNI monitoring the gathering. Negotiations between organisers and university officials failed to resolve the dispute, and at approximately 8:50 pm, organisers were ordered to disperse before the documentary had been screened.
According to eyewitness accounts, one uniformed TNI member warned participants that activities perceived as supporting separatism would not be tolerated. Rather than cancelling the event altogether, organisers relocated the screening approximately 50 metres outside the university campus to a nearby cafe, where hundreds of students and members of the public reportedly attended the screening and subsequent discussion without further disruption.
The Mataram incident followed an earlier disruption of a screening at Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika in Lombok and occurred amid a series of similar incidents across Indonesia. According to WatchDoc, the documentary's producers, at least 21 incidents of intimidation against screenings had been documented by mid-May 2026, including surveillance by intelligence officers, demands to disclose organisers' identities, threats against organisers and the forced dispersal of audiences.
Responses
On 23 May 2026, Amnesty International Indonesia condemned the repeated intimidation and cancellation of Pesta Babiscreenings as an attempt to silence critical discussion concerning alleged human rights violations and environmental destruction in West Papua. Executive Director Usman Hamid stated that the pattern of intimidation demonstrated the state's failure to protect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and reflected broader restrictions on access to information concerning West Papua.
The Indonesian authorities rejected allegations of a nationwide ban. Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that the cancellation of screenings at the University of Mataram and the State Islamic University of Mataram resulted from administrative issues rather than government policy. Separately, the XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command argued that the documentary presented a one-sided narrative capable of disrupting social harmony in Papua and urged that discussions concerning Papua take place through "educational, legal and constructive forums."
In contrast, Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai stated that any prohibition on screening a film should only occur pursuant to a court decision. Human rights lawyer Gustaf R. Kawer, Chairperson of the Papua Human Rights Lawyers Association, criticised the cancellation at the University of Mataram as a violation of academic freedom and freedom of expression.
Human rights analysis
The cancellation of the documentary screening and the reported presence of security personnel raise concerns regarding Indonesia's compliance with its obligations under international human rights law. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) protects the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, while Article 21 guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. Universities have a particular responsibility to safeguard academic freedom and provide space for the open exchange of ideas, including discussion of controversial public issues.
The reported involvement of military personnel in monitoring and disrupting a peaceful university event also raises concerns regarding the increasing role of the TNI in civilian affairs. Restrictions on peaceful assemblies and academic discussions must be prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate aim and be necessary and proportionate. The repeated disruption of documentary screenings across Indonesia suggests a broader pattern of restrictions on civic space and public debate concerning West Papua.
Detailed case data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-079-2026
Location: Student Activity Centre (Pusat Kegiatan Mahasiswa/PKM) of the University of Mataram
Region: Indonesia > West Nusa Tenggara > Mataram
Total number of victims: dozens
1. Dozens, diverse unknown Student freedom of assembly
Period of incident: 07/05/2026-07/05/2026
Perpetrators:
Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI)
Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Police