Indonesia has delayed the release of a 10-volume official history project amid criticisms from historians and activists. Culture Minister Fadli Zon announced the books aimed to remove colonial bias and promote national pride. However, there are concerns that significant historical events will be omitted, particularly those related to President Prabowo Subianto. Critics argue the initiative may signify a move toward historical revisionism reminiscent of the Suharto era. The release date has been pushed from August 17 to November, with no drafts available for public review.
Historians and researchers who have seen early drafts say the new texts gloss over these events, and also appear to downplay and omit major human rights violations, including the killings of up to half a million suspected communists from 1965-6, and mass rapes targeting ethnic Chinese during the riots that led to the fall of Suharto in 1998.
The set of new books would remove colonial bias, feature updated research, promote national pride and have a positive tone, he said.
Critics say the new books are part of broader trend of historical revisionism under Prabowo, which include plans to name Suharto a national hero.
Marzuki Darusman, a former Indonesian attorney general turned rights campaigner, said the planned rewrite risked a return to the governance that characterised the Suharto era, when historical narratives were tightly controlled.
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