A police complaint against one of Indonesia ’s best-known comedians has reignited debate over satire, blasphemy and free expression in the world’s third-largest democracy.
The case involves 46-year-old stand-up comic and actor Pandji Pragiwaksono, whose Netflix special Mens Rea – an unfiltered performance touching on politics, law and democracy – was recorded in Jakarta before an audience of around 10,000 people on December 30.
However, it was his jokes about Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the country’s two largest Muslim organisations, that triggered the backlash.
On January 8, groups claiming to represent the youth wings of NU and Muhammadiyah filed police complaints accusing Pandji of public incitement and blasphemy.