Religious Problems in Finding the Fact of the Killing of 1965-66 by Faqihuddin Abdul Kodir

Beside the technical problems in the historiography of Indonesian massacre in 1965, Robert Cribb accounts also the problems of philosophy from which Indonesian as well as Western historians see the facts and interpret them. For Indonesians, I think, the major factors behind the historiography are the state’s factor and religious factor. For more than thirty years the regime of New Order under Suharto monopolized the historiography of Indonesia for the favor of its own ‘nationalism’. The only interpretation of historical facts and events accepted by the regime is its own. Moreover, in this case the massacre of 1965, the regime easily gained supports from the majority of diverse organizations of Indonesian Muslims, including Nahdlatul Ulama which had been the supporter of communism politically in the era of ‘guided democracy’. The part of religion in the notion “NASAKOM” (Nasionalisme, Agama, dan Komunisme/Nationalism, religion, and communism) was the Nahdlatul Ulama.
However, the military regime of New Order gained political benefits more than religious element from the state’s interpretation of the killings. From the case of PKI of 65, the regime controlled and restricted any political activities in order not to have the same case like the PKI. Not only Islamic parties were restricted, but also women’s activities which assumed to be politics. Any political movement of women was associated with the most dangerous women’s organizations, Gerwani, female wing of PKI the Indonesian Communist Party, in the eye of the regime. The ‘historical myth’ was circulated around the country that members of Gerwani tortured sexual organs of military generals in the story 65’s coup (G 30 S PKI). The message of the story, according to Ayu Ratih, was very clear that “women who are actively in politics will threaten the safety and the integrity of the nation” (Ayu Ratih, 2009: 128). Accordingly women's organizations were subject to heavy restrictions in the New Order regime.
From the shadows of the 65’s coup, the New Order regime dictated its own concept of nationalism and the unity of Indonesia by restricting all kinds of political activities, including what relates to Muslims and women. In the Reformation era of Gus Dur, the state opened political access widely to Muslims, women, and those who joined the PKI. However, many Muslims criticized the state of Gus Dur for his open policy to ex-members of PKI. Religious people in Indonesia, especially Muslims, still step behind any effort to restrict PKI and not to open gate for their political activities. This is the reason, I think, that religion also is the main problems of writing the history of the killings.

Readings:
1. Robert Cribb, “Problems in the Historiography of the Killings in Indonesia”, in Robert CribbHoward ed., The Indonesian Killings of 1965-66, pp. 1-43.
2. Ayu Ratih, I Gusti Agung. (2009). “Perempuan, Sejarah, dan Keindonesiaan”. Jurnal Perempuan. No. 61. Pp. 121-135.