It’s been three weeks since a series of public debates dedicated to reconciliation and remembrance of the 1965 Communist repression in Indonesia were cancelled at the Ubud writers and readers festival in Bali, following police pressure and increased scrutiny from the Indonesian authorities.
In the event, discussion of 1965 at the festival was even louder, as was concern expressed at growing censorship of the conversation surrounding the 50th anniversary of the massacres and their legacy.
The recent, critically-acclaimed documentaries, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, by US film-maker Joshua Oppenheimer, have increased international awareness of this period of history. And this week, a group of international jurists gathered in the Hague to hear the testimonies of survivors and witnesses from the 1965 atrocities. But growing numbers of Indonesians are calling for recognition from their own government.
“Indonesia is still afraid to look into a mirror and come to terms with its bloody past,” wrote Galuh Wandita in Guardian Australia. “However, the lack of official appetite for truth has not dampened the urge to seek it.”
For 50 years, Indonesians have made repeated efforts to bear witness to the events of 1965-6, with many of their stories collected in three books that were due to be launched at Ubud. What is the value of oral and written testimony of the massacres? How do memories of the mass violence continue to influence Indonesian identity today? And is there a creeping censorship of discussion?
A panel of Indonesian writers, academics and activists discussed these questions and more online on Friday 13 November. Catch up with debate in the comments.
Get in touch via nancy.groves@theguardian.com or @GdnAusCulture on Twitter
The panel
Ken Setiawan, research fellow, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
Ken’s current research concerns human rights under the presidency of Joko Widodo. Among several focuses is how the government approaches past human rights violations. In 2015, she visited the Indonesian island where her father was held as a political prisoner for 10 years. @KenMPSetiawan
Martha Bire, Eastern Indonesian Women’s Network for the Study of Women, Religion and Culture (JPIT)
Martha was a member of the research and writing team on Kupang City in Forbidden Memories. She coordinates JPIT research in the region, organises data archives, and oversees assistance for the women victims and survivors of the 1965 tragedy who live in Kupang and the surrounding area. Ata Bire
Djin Siauw, board member of the Herb Feith Foundation
Djin is the son of a political prisoner, Siauw Giok Tjhan, who was national chairman of Baperki, one of the organisations banned by Soeharto. Siauw, a parliamentarian for 20 years and member of the Supreme Advisory Council during the Soekarno period, was jailed for 12 years without trial. Djin has written books about Siauw and Baperki. He lives in Melbourne.
Indria Fernida, program co-ordinator for Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)
Indria is an Indonesian human rights lawyer managing the project, Promoting Accountability and Preventing Torture by Strengthening Survivors of Torture in Asia. She also co-ordinated The Act of Living, a photo exhibition also cancelled at the Ubud writers and readers festival @indriafernida
Vannessa Hearman, lecturer in Indonesian Studies at the University of Sydney
Born in Indonesia, Vannessa’s research focuses on the anti-communist violence in Indonesia @vanhearman
Jemma Purdey is research fellow at Monash University (@JemmaPurdey), a member of the Herb Feith Foundation Board and co-convenor of the Herb Feith Translation Series with Katharine McGregor, historian of Indonesia and associate professor at the University of Melbourne.
