How the Marind Tribe Cooks Sago Sep
This is how the indigenous people of Merauke cook sago sep. Sago sep is a traditional dish of the Marind tribe in Merauke, South Papua.
Before cooking, they first heat stones using firewood. The hot stones are then arranged to form a large base. Next, the stones are 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 banana leaves and layered with several hot stones, leaving it to cook for several hours until the sago is done.
Cooking sago sep in large quantities is usually done during traditional ceremonies or to welcome guests. This practice was also carried out during the Merauke Solidarity Consolidation event on March 14. The Merauke Solidarity Consolidation event took place 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) from across Indonesia. NGOs present included Bentala Pusaka, YLBHI, Walhi, the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), Trend Asia, KPA, and LBH.
Community representatives attending the event included those affected by the food estate project in North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, Keerom - Papua, Merauke, and Mappi in South Papua. Also present were communities impacted by the Rempang Eco City project in the Riau Islands and the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) project in East Kalimantan.
Other affected communities included those from the Poco Leok geothermal project in East Nusa Tenggara, the extractive industry for energy plantations and bioenergy in Jambi, and communities affected by PSN in Fakfak and Teluk Bintuni, West Papua, as well as the expansion of palm oil plantations throughout Papua.
Merauke, as the host of the consolidation event, is currently facing the expansion of a PSN involving the clearing of 2 million hectares of land. This project, initiated during President Joko Widodo's administration, is now being continued by President Prabowo Subianto. The massive land clearing has had widespread impacts on indigenous communities and poses a serious threat to the preservation of Papua's forests.
PSN has been implemented in various regions of Indonesia since 2016. Since then, numerous problems have arisen as these projects displace indigenous communities from their ancestral lands. Additionally, PSN has caused widespread deforestation and environmental degradation.
A report by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) states that PSN has resulted in various human rights violations. The projects have also breached many legal norms and regulations, leading to the obstruction and violation of human rights.
The implementation of PSN has proceeded without involving local communities, ultimately triggering agrarian conflicts. The repressive approach taken in PSN-affected areas has further exacerbated the record of human rights violations in Indonesia.
Memasak Sagu Sep Ala Suku Marind
Begini cara masyarakat adat Merauke memasak sagu sep. Sagu sep adalah makan tradisional Suku Marind di Merauke, Papua Selatan.
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.
