Yerica Lai, Jakarta – A group of historians and human rights activists have raised concern over a draft of the government's "updated" national history books, which they say selectively omit some of the country's most painful and politically sensitive chapters, risking a distorted narrative shaped by political interests.
The project, led by Culture Minister Fadli Zon, a longtime loyalist of President Prabowo Subianto and vice chairman of his Gerindra Party, is intended to serve as the primary historical reference for educational institutions nationwide.
Framed as a means of strengthening national unity and confronting contemporary challenges, the 10-volume series is slated for release by the country's 80th Independence Day on August 17. At least 100 historians are contributing to the project, which will chronicle the history of humankind in the country from homo erectus to Dutch colonization to Prabowo's early period.
To this end, Minister Fadli said the work has reached 60 to 70 percent completion and is expected to enter the "public test" phase by late June or July.
Despite the pledge of public involvement, many doubt it will meaningfully impact the final content, given that the circulating draft omits major human rights violations, especially those committed during Soeharto's authoritarian rule, Prabowo's former father-in-law.
Among the events left out from the "conceptual framework" draft are the mysterious killings known as Petrus, between 1982 and 1985, as well as the 1998 Trisakti student shootings, and the abductions of pro-democracy activists, all of which occurred during Soeharto's more than three decades in power.
The omissions have prompted backlash from a coalition of historians, human rights activists and academics called the Aliansi Keterbukaan Sejarah Indonesia or AKSI (the Alliance for Historical Transparency in Indonesia), who argue that the government's efforts to codify an "official history" risks turning history into a political tool.
Historian Andi Achdian, a member of AKSI, criticized the draft's overwhelmingly positive portrayal of Soeharto, while downplaying the corruption, repression and brutality that characterized his 32-year rule.
In contrast, pivotal reform-era figures such as Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri and B.J. Habibie received minimal coverage, despite their efforts to democratize the country after Soeharto's fall.
"This is a clear case of whitewashing," Andi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. "The draft highlights what serves those in power and conveniently leaves out what doesn't fit their preferred narrative."
Soeharto, he went on to say, is portrayed almost exclusively as a nation-builder, with little acknowledgment of the atrocities committed under his regime. In contrast, the leaders who helped steer Indonesia out of dictatorship receive minimal recognition.
"Gus Dur's efforts to stop the cycle of military violence in Aceh and Papua, for example, are nowhere to be found," he added.
The draft also appears to marginalize the role of Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno. Notably absent are his major contributions to the Global South, such as the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung and the GANEFO sporting initiative, both of which were seen as key efforts to challenge Western hegemony.
AKSI member and feminist historian Ita F. Nadia also flagged the glaring omission of the crucial role of the women's movement in Indonesian history, including the 1928 Women's Congress, which she described as a key milestone in the fight for emancipation during the anti-colonial struggle.
"Historical writing should be egalitarian. It must give equal space to voices that have been marginalized," Ita said in a press release. "In the patriarchal context of the colonial era, women were clearly sidelined. Leaving this out of the historical narrative only reinforces that exclusion today."
Fadli did not immediately respond to the Post's request for comment, but he has previously denied any political bias, attributing some omissions to space constraints.
In a meeting with the House of Representatives last month, the minister noted the new books would adopt a "more positive tone" toward each president, saying "If we focused on their flaws and shortcomings, the work would never be finished".
– Radhiyya Indra contributed to the story