Yusril Agrees to Criticisms in ‘Pesta Babi’ Documentary
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, emphasized that criticisms conveyed in the documentary film entitled ‘Pesta Babi: Colonialism in Our Era’ are still reasonable. Yusril does not deny that the term “Pesta Babi” in the movie title can lead to various interpretations in society. Therefore, he encourages the public not to be provoked by the deliberately attention-grabbing film title.
“Such criticisms are only natural, even though there are indeed provocative narratives. The title of the documentary film itself is controversial,” he explained in a written statement on Thursday (5/14).
He further added, “Let the public watch it, then afterwards, they can engage in discussions and debates. This way, the public becomes critical, and pros and cons can arise.”
Evaluating National Strategic Projects in South Papua
Yusril also mentioned that the government can learn from criticisms of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) in South Papua, which are considered to disrupt environmental sustainability, the customary rights of Papuan communities, and the environment.
“The government can take lessons from the film to evaluate whether there are actions in the field that need to be improved,” he said.
Regarding the criticisms, Yusril explained that land clearing has started since 2022 during the administration of President Joko Widodo, in conjunction with the regional expansion in Papua. This project was then continued by the current administration as part of the national food and energy security project.
He emphasized that all national strategic projects are built based on thorough studies to enhance the welfare of the people. However, the government remains open to criticisms to evaluate the implementation in the field.
No Ban on ‘Pesta Babi’ Film Screening Events
On the other hand, Yusril asserted that the government has never issued a ban on public screenings of the documentary film ‘Pesta Babi: Colonialism in Our Era.’ Yusril cited that film screening events at other campuses continue without any obstacles. Therefore, he states that the dissolution of the film screening event is not an instruction from the government or law enforcement agencies.
With such a pattern, the dissolution of the ‘Pesta Babi’ film screening event is not an instruction from the government or law enforcement agencies that are usually centralized,” he concluded.
