New book Blaming Communists

By Barrie | May 6th, 2007 | No Comments

The nation’s younger generations will be offered a new perspective on the abortive 1965 coup allegedly committed by the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in a recently-launched book. The new account of the event is being provided by Hendro Subroto, who launched his book titled PKI Revolution Council: Revealing its Failure to Make Indonesia Communist. The book is based on the author’s experiences as a journalist for state-owned television station TVRI.

“I collected the material for this book from my experiences as an eyewitness embedded with the troops mobilized for the extermination operation against communists after the abortive 1965 coup, as well as from my interviews of the members of the state apparatus who conducted the operation back then,” Hendro said.

Commenting on the methodological approach taken by the book’s author, social observer Benny Susetyo said, “As long as people use critical thinking in reading it, it’s ok to read this book and to contrast it with other books on the same subject.”

He said little new information is brought to light in the book, which is a compilation of old news articles, insisting that “its historical methodology is still in question”.

Hendro insists, however, that he wrote the book independently and of his own accord, while acknowledging that he interviewed only state officials. “My side was from the government’s point of view. I didn’t interview those of the PKI side.”

Political observer Daniel Dhakidae said a proper historical account must involve the examination of first-hand documents and the interviewing of witnesses from opposing historical vantage points.

“People may try to get as close as possible to so-called objectivity, but it won’t be achieved. There is almost no objectivity in history. It always depends on whose mouth is saying what,” Daniel said.

“If he said it was his memoir, he would be more honest because readers would know how to place their opinions. To claim that he has written a history is just too much.”

Hendro responded, saying: “I’m not trying to write a memoir or a history. I’m just writing facts I witnessed during my reporting days.”

Daniel also pointed out that the term “PKI Revolution Council” used in the book’s title is inaccurate.

“What was announced on the radio back in 1965 was only the ‘Revolution Council’. That term is already misleading,” he said, adding that 40 percent of the council’s members had military connections.

Hendro retorted, insisting that most of those with military connections listed as members of the council had denied being aware they were on the list.

Commenting on communism at large, Benny said it was no longer relevant in the current era of globalization and free trade.

“What’s important is that we educate our younger generations on how to develop open minds and critical thinking.”

Alfian Tanjung of the Indonesian National Patriot Movement and Brig. Gen. (ret.) Nurhadi Purwosaputro from the Indonesian Army both concurred that the contemporary resurgence of communism should be considered a serious matter.

“This book emphasizes that the PKI was the real puppeteer and perpetrator of the 1965 coup,” Alfian said.

Benny maintained, however, that communism should not be feared. “Yes, it is true that we must learn from our dark history, but we also need to have the ability to reconcile and move on to handle our real issue: welfare for the people.”

Source: Jakarta Post