"The government never instructed officers in regions to dismiss or prohibit (film screening) for university students or the general public," Mahendra stated during his visit to Surabaya State University (Unesa) on Tuesday.
The top minister responded to cases of forced shutdowns by law enforcers in many regions of public screenings of the investigative documentary.
The documentary was created by Dandhy Laksono and Cypri Dale to examine the impact of development projects in Papua on the region’s environment and indigenous social order.
According to Mahendra, the government respected the freedom of expression and creativity of the filmmakers, and criticisms conveyed in the film are valuable inputs for the government to evaluate their policies.
"The government views positive criticisms in the documentary positively, which we can use to evaluate our work," he noted.
He also admitted that food estate and new rice field projects since 2022 potentially cause friction among residents and raise questions about environmental sustainability in regions.
Meanwhile, the coordinating minister said the title of the film itself, Pesta Babi, could provoke cultural sensitivities in several regions, even though “pig feast" is common in Papua, where pigs are traditionally consumed.
The filmmakers must clarify the misunderstanding. "Creators cannot sit idly without providing an explanation under the guise of freedom of creativity," Mahendra said.
He also highlighted the need to clarify the "colonialism" narrative displayed in the documentary to prevent historical misunderstanding that can disrupt national unity.
Papua is an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia according to a referendum recognized by the United Nations, and food resilience programs as implemented in Papua are also being carried out in other regions such as Kalimantan.
"The government will not do anything harmful to the Papuans because they are an integral part of our nation," he remarked.
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Translator: Willi Irawan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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