Esti Utami – The Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity has condemned the launch of the latest edition of the Indonesian National History book, which was released on Sunday December 14.
In a statement, the Coalition said that the Indonesian National History book was the result of a history rewriting project initiated by the government through the Ministry of Culture since early 2025.
Although it is claimed to have been written with a "positive tone", this approach in fact accentuates the successes of previous regimes while omitting facts about repression, oppression and human rights violations resulting from state policies.
The Coalition views this rewriting of history as part of the state's effort to whitewash and erase the responsibility of the New Order regime – particularly former president Suharto – for the various abuses of power during his administration from the public's collective memory.
"This is apparent from the absence of the voices of victims of state violence during the New Order era as well as the omission of historical facts regarding Suharto's involvement in corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN)", the Coalition stated in the statement.
Instead of presenting a balanced assessment, the latest version of Indonesia's National History glorifies state policies and actions, particularly during the New Order era, without being accompanied by an appropriate critical evaluation or correction.
Yet history should function as a means of collective learning to prevent past mistakes and crimes from being repeated in the future.
During his 32 years in power, Suharto was responsible for violence against civilians, human rights violations, including gross human rights violations, abuse of authority, and systematic corruption, collusion and nepotism.
Under the New Order, the state was transformed into a machine of violence through mass extermination, the plundering of natural resources, environmental destruction, the control and homogenisation of society and the manipulation of horizontal conflicts.
The regime also witnessed numerous cases of violence against women, restrictions on freedom of the press and political parties, and the suppression of trade unions, often accompanied by violence.
The lengthy reign of the New Order left a legacy of trauma and socio-political damage, the effects of which are still felt today.
The failure to recovery from this collective trauma is inextricably linked to the absence of truth-telling about the repression and abuse of state power during the New Order.
Yet, rewriting history should be an opportunity for the state to dismantle hegemonic narratives and present a history that favours justice and the victims' perspective.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Koalisi Masyarakat Sipil Kecam Peluncuran Buku Sejarah Nasional Indonesia".]
