Badui Community Mourns Loss of Renowned Indonesian Photojournalist
Indigenous Badui villagers honor ANTARA photographer M. Bagus Khoirunas, who went missing during the Anak Krakatau volcanic eruption coverage.
LEBAK, Indonesia — The indigenous Badui community in the remote mountains of Banten is mourning the loss of M. Bagus Khoirunas, a dedicated photojournalist who vanished during a maritime tragedy while covering volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait on Sept. 7, 2026.
Khoirunas, a photographer for the national news agency ANTARA, is one of five journalists reported missing after the incident. For the Badui people, who live in strict adherence to traditional customs, his disappearance is felt as the loss of a close friend and a powerful chronicler of their ancestral way of life.
Over his eight-year tenure at ANTARA’s Banten bureau, Khoirunas documented the nuances of Badui society, from traditional weaving and honey production to harvest rituals. His photography did more than record history; it transformed the local economy. By capturing the daily lives of the Badui, his images attracted a surge of cultural tourism that boosted sales of local handicrafts and agricultural goods, including durian harvests that frequently drew visitors to the region.
Sarti, a Badui resident whose traditional dance was captured by Khoirunas in 2024, expressed the community's sorrow. "We feel a profound sense of loss hearing that M. Bagus was involved in the accident in the Sunda Strait and has yet to be found," she said.
Beyond his lens, Khoirunas earned the trust of tribal elders by respecting local cultural boundaries. Jaro Oom, a prominent Badui customary leader, distinguished him from transient content creators. "Bagus was not a sensation-seeking content creator, but a sincere journalist who came to document our activities," Oom said, adding that he would often personally notify the photographer of important tribal ceremonies.
The journalist's impact extended into the private homes of the villagers. Jamal, a resident of Kadu Ketug 3, recalled that Khoirunas was often welcomed as family, frequently staying in his home during long-term assignments. "I sent a WhatsApp message when I heard the terrible news, but there was no answer," Jamal said, noting that he had also met other missing journalists through Khoirunas.
Born in 1998 in Bogor, Khoirunas was known for his tenacity in hazardous environments. His mother, Tini Suprihatini, recounted his career of bravery, which included descending 200-meter-deep opal mines and documenting the 2018 Pandeglang tsunami and the 2020 Lebak flash floods. A former student of psychology and law, his work was widely recognized, earning him an award from the Indonesian Photojournalist Association (PFI) in 2025. Notably, his final photos depicting the volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau were shared on the official social media account of President Prabowo Subianto.
Search and rescue operations continue in the waters of the Sunda Strait, as the Badui community and the journalist's family remain in constant vigil, hoping for his recovery.
