Editorial
A series of crackdowns on public screenings and discussions of the documentary film Pesta Babi (Pig Feast) serves as a grim reminder that the nation’s democratic progress is not only stalling but effectively backsliding.
Students hold a rally on Feb. 17, 2025, for "Indonesia Gelap" (Dark Indonesia) in front of the East Java Regional House of Representatives building in Surabaya.
(AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
Every May, we pause to commemorate the Reform Era movement of 1998, a pivotal moment when the tide of student-led protests finally broke the 32-year authoritarian grip of the New Order. It was a rebirth of civil liberties, promising a future where the right to speak, assemble and critique the state would be sacrosanct. However, 28 years later, the air of celebration is increasingly stifled by a familiar, chilling draft. The recent series of crackdowns on public screenings and discussions of the documentary film Pesta Babi (Pig Feast) serves as a grim reminder that the nation’s democratic progress is not only stalling but effectively backsliding.
