Cooking Sago Sep at Merauke Solidarity Event

Indigenous people of the Marind Tribe in Merauke, South Papua, prepared sagu sep during the closing ceremony of the Merauke Solidarity Consolidation event on March 14, 2025. Sagu sep is a traditional dish of the Marind Tribe made primarily from sago.

Before cooking, they first heat stones using firewood. These hot stones are then arranged to form a large platform and covered with banana leaves.

They then pour sago along with grated coconut, fish, chicken, and spices onto the banana leaves. Afterward, the sago mixture is covered with more banana leaves, topped with additional hot stones, and left for several hours until it is cooked.

Cooking sagu sep in large quantities is typically done during traditional ceremonies or to welcome guests, as was the case at the Merauke Solidarity Consolidation event on March 14. The event was held in Merauke from March 11 to 14, 2025.

The Merauke Solidarity Consolidation event was attended by more than 250 participants, including representatives from NGOs and indigenous communities affected by National Strategic Projects (PSN) across Indonesia. Participating NGOs included Bentala Pusaka, YLBHI, Walhi, the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), Trend Asia, KPA, and LBH.

Community representatives present at the event included those affected by the food estate project in North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, Keerom - Papua, Merauke, and Mappi in South Papua. Other attendees included those impacted by the Rempang Eco City project in the Riau Islands and the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) project in East Kalimantan.

Additionally, the event included communities affected by the Poco Leok geothermal project in East Nusa Tenggara and the extractive industry projects related to energy plantations and bioenergy in Jambi. Representatives from areas affected by PSN in Fakfak and Bintuni Bay, West Papua, and the expansion of oil palm plantations across Papua also participated.

Merauke, the host of the consolidation event, is currently facing the expansion of a PSN project involving the clearing of 2 million hectares of land. This project, initiated under President Joko Widodo, is now being continued by President Prabowo Subianto. The large-scale land clearing has far-reaching impacts on indigenous communities and poses a serious threat to the preservation of Papua's forests.

PSN projects have been implemented across various regions in Indonesia since 2016. Since their inception, these projects have led to numerous issues, including the displacement of indigenous communities from their ancestral lands and widespread environmental degradation.

A report from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) indicates that PSN projects have resulted in various forms of human rights violations. These projects have also bypassed many legal norms and regulations, resulting in the obstruction and violation of human rights.

PSN implementation has occurred without involving local communities, ultimately triggering agrarian conflicts. The use of repressive approaches in contested PSN areas continues to increase the record of human rights violations in Indonesia.

Memasak Sagu Sep di Acara Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke

Masyarakat adat dari Suku Marind di Merauke, Papua Selatan memasak sagu sep di acara penutupan Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke pada 14 Maret 2025. Sagu sep adalah salah satu makan tradisional Suku Marind yang berbahan utama sagu. 

Sebelum memasak, mereka terlebih dahulu membakar batu menggunakan kayu. Batu-batu panas tersebut lantas disusun membentuk tatakan besar. Selanjutnya, batu-batu tersebut ditutup menggunakan daun pisang. 

Mereka lantas menuangkan sagu beserta parutan kelapa, ikan, daging ayam, serta bumbu di atas daun pisang tersebut. Setelah itu, sagu tersebut ditutup dengan daun pisang dan ditumpuk dengan beberapa batu panas serta dibiarkan selama beberapa jam hingga sagu matang.

Kegiatan memasak sagu sep dalam jumlah besar biasanya dilakukan saat ada acara adat atau untuk menjamu tamu. Seperti yang dilakukan di acara Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke pada 14 Maret lalu. Acara Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke diadakan di Merauke pada 11-14 Maret 2025.

Acara Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke dihadiri lebih dari 250 orang dari perwakilan NGO dan masyarakat adat korban PSN dari seluruh Indonesia. NGO yang hadir antara lain Bentala Pusaka, YLBHI, Walhi, Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, Trend Asia, KPA dan LBH.

Sedangkan perwakilan masyarakat yang hadir di acara tersebut adalah masyarakat terdampak proyek food estate di Sumatera Utara, Kalimantan Tengah, Keerom - Papua, Merauke dan Mappi, Papua Selatan. Kemudian masyarakat terdampak PSN proyek Rempang Eco City di Kepulauan Riau dan proyek Ibu Kota Negara (IKN) Nusantara di Kalimantan Timur. 

Juga ada masyarakat korban PSN proyek geothermal Poco Leok di Nusa Tenggara Timur dan proyek industri ekstraktif hutan tanaman energi dan bioenergi di Jambi. Kemudian masyarakat korban PSN di Fakfak dan Teluk Bintuni, Papua Barat, serta ekspansi perkebunan sawit di seluruh tanah Papua. 

Merauke yang menjadi tuan rumah konsolidasi tersebut saat ini sedang menghadapi ekspansi PSN berupa pembukaan lahan seluas 2 juta hektare. Proyek tersebut adalah warisan Presiden Joko Widodo yang kini diteruskan oleh Presiden Prabowo Subianto. Pembukaan lahan secara masif itu berdampak luas terhadap masyarakat adat sekaligus mengancam kelestarian hutan Papua.

PSN mulai dijalankan di berbagai daerah di Indonesia sejak 2016. Sejak saat itu berbagai persoalan muncul karena proyek ini menyebabkan masyarakat adat terusir dari tanah ulayat mereka. Selain itu, PSN juga menyebabkan kerusakan hutan dan lingkungan secara masif.

Laporan Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia (Komnas HAM) menyebutkan PSN menimbulkan pelbagai bentuk pelanggaran hak asasi manusia. PSN juga telah menerabas banyak norma dan ketentuan perundang-undangan, hingga berimbas pada penghalangan dan pelanggaran hak asasi manusia.

Pelaksanaan PSN juga dilakukan tanpa pelibatan rakyat yang pada akhirnya memicu konflik agraria. Pendekatan represif di wilayah PSN yang berkonflik terus menambah catatan pelanggaran hak asasi manusia di Indonesia.