Yusril Deems Criticism in 'Pig Feast' Film Reasonable, Public Allowed to Watch

Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra has emphasised that the criticisms conveyed in the documentary film titled ‘Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time’ remain reasonable. Yusril did not deny that the term “Pig Feast” in the film’s title could provoke various interpretations among the public. Therefore, he urged the public not to be provoked by the title, which he believes was deliberately crafted to attract public attention. “Such criticisms are perfectly reasonable, even though they contain provocative narratives. The documentary film’s title itself is indeed controversial,” he explained in a written statement on Thursday (14/5). “Let the public watch it, and afterwards, feel free to hold discussions and debates. In this way, the public becomes critical, and pro and contra views can emerge,” he added. According to him, the government can also draw lessons from the criticisms of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) in South Papua, which are seen as disrupting environmental conservation, the customary rights of the Papuan people, and the living environment. “The government can glean wisdom from the film to evaluate if there are any on-the-ground steps that need improvement,” he stated. Regarding these criticisms, Yusril explained that land clearing had begun in 2022 during the administration of President Joko Widodo, coinciding with the regional expansion in Papua. The project was then continued by the current administration as part of national food and energy security initiatives. He stressed that all national strategic projects are built based on thorough studies to improve public welfare. Nevertheless, the government remains open to criticisms to evaluate their implementation on the ground. “PSN are constructed with careful studies for the people’s welfare, although the Government does not turn a blind eye to any shortcomings and weaknesses in their on-the-ground execution,” he said. On the other hand, Yusril affirmed that the government has never issued a ban on collective viewing events (nobar) for the documentary film ‘Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time’. Yusril cited examples from other campuses where nobar events proceeded without any hindrance. Therefore, he emphasised that the disbanding of the nobar for the film was not an instruction from the Government or law enforcement authorities on a centralised basis. “Given such patterns, the disbanding of the ‘Pig Feast’ film nobar was not an instruction from the Government or law enforcement authorities, which are usually centralised,” he concluded.