PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/handle/2066/234441 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-09-30 and may be subject to change. Dealing with the Dark Past: The Prospect of the Settlement of the 1965-1966 Events in Indonesia Manunggal Kusuma Wardaya DEALING WITH THE DARK PAST: THE PROSPECT OF THE SETTLEMENT OF THE 1965-1966 EVENTS IN INDONESIA Dealing with the Dark Past: The Prospect of the Settlement of the 1965-1966 Events in Indonesia Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. dr. J.H.J.M. van Krieken, volgens besluit van het college van decanen in het openbaar ter verdedigen op woensdag 23 juni 2021 om 10:30 uur precies door Manunggal Kusuma Wardaya geboren op 24 maart 1975 te Surakarta, Indonesië Promotor: Prof. mr. P.H.P.H.M.C. van Kempen Copromotor: Dr. L.G.H. Bakker (Universiteit van Amsterdam) Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. mr. C.J.H. Jansen (voorzitter) Prof. mr. dr. A.W. Bedner (Universiteit Leiden) Prof. mr. Y. Buruma All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced in any ma- terial form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner(s). Appli- cations for the copyright owner’s permission to reproduce any part of this pub- lication should be addressed to the publisher. Disclaimer: Whilst the author(s) and publisher have tried to ensure the accu- racy of this publication, the publisher and author(s) cannot accept responsibil- ity for any errors, omissions, misstatements, or mistakes and accept no respon- sibility for the use of the information presented in this work. © Manunggal Kusuma Wardaya 2021 Layout: Jeske Jansen Acknowledgements As an Indonesian who was born and raised during the authoritarian New Or- der era, I grew up without any knowledge of the tragedies that drastically changed the landscape of Indonesian politics since 1965. In school I had learned that the Partai Komunis Indonesia (Indonesian Communist Party, PKI) had masterminded the failed coup that took the lives of six senior army generals in Jakarta on 30 September 1965. However, I did not learn about the bloody actions taken by the Suharto regime to disband the PKI; the killings, the forced disappearances, the slavery and the many other crimes that targeted individuals who were deemed to be members or sympathizers of the PKI. It was Nyanyi Sunyi Seorang Bisu (The Mute’s Soliloquy), a book written by the prominent Indonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer that I read in the early 2000’s, that brought my attention to a very serious problem that my country had in dealing with its past. Pramoedya is the first person I wish to thank amongst the people who brought me to the study of transitional justice, especially related to the 1965- 1966 events which are the central theme of my PhD research. Without his book ‘The Mute’s Soliloquy’, I would be like the many Indonesians who will never know about these tragedies, which urgently need attention from academics, like myself, who work in the field of human rights. However, there are many other people in addition to Pramoedya who have also contributed to the completion of my research. Although it is almost impossible for me to list all of them one by one, I should mention some of them, including the organisations that have made precious contributions to the completion of this dissertation. First of all, I would like to express my respect, deepest gratitude and ap- preciation to my promotor Prof. Piet Hein van Kempen, the Dean of the Fac- ulty of Law of the Radboud University Nijmegen for his kindness and patience in helping me to finish this dissertation. Piet Hein has always sup- ported me and never tired of ensuring me that I would be able finish this research. Remembering the support I received throughout the hardships that I encountered as a student in Nijmegen, makes me realise that this dis- sertation would not have reached the finish line without his enormous support and trust. Thank you so very much from the very bottom of my heart. I would also like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to my co- promotor Dr. Laurens Bakker of the University of Amsterdam for his help and assistance both inside and outside of the academic field. Doing a PhD has certainly been one of the toughest challenges of my life, especially because I had to spend most of my time away from my family in Indonesia. VI ――― I am very grateful to have had Laurens who was not only a promotor but, together with his wife Judith, also a very good friend since the very first day of my arrival in Nijmegen in late 2011. In addition to my promotors, I want to extend my sincerest thanks and appreciation to Prof. Adriaan Bedner and Prof. dr. Jan Michiel Otto of the Van Vollenhoven Institute (VVI) of Leiden University. Adriaan and Jan Michiel are very well-known in the field of Indonesian studies and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to discuss my plans with them at the very early stages of my research. At the end of my study, I feel lucky and honoured to have had Adriaan as one of the examiners of my dissertation. My gratitude also to Prof. Asvi Warman Adam of Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (the Indonesian Institute of Sciences), a leading expert in the 1965-1966 issues, for his willingness to be an external examiner in my PhD defense. My PhD study at Radboud University Nijmegen was funded by the Indo- nesian government through the Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi (Direc- torate General of Higher Education, DIKT) scholarship. In the year 2009, my old friend Nanang Bagus Subekti of Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa informed me about this scholarship and encouraged me to apply for it, a sug- gestion which I followed up on. If I had not met Nanang, then perhaps I would never have applied for the scholarship and this research would never have been undertaken. I am very grateful to DIKTI for selecting me as one of the awardees and, of course, I thank Nanang for his encour- agement. The scholarship that I got required me to do a full-time PhD study, which means that I had to leave my post at Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UN- SOED) Purwokerto for several years. The completion of this study therefore would not have been possible without the great moral and administrative support from the officials of the institution where I work. Here, I would like to thank Ms. Rochani Urip Salami, former Dean of Faculty of Law Universitas Jenderal Soedirman for her support and for permitting me to do a PhD study abroad. Also, I am grateful to Mr Angkasa Sudigdo and Mr Ademaman Suherman for their support and help, especially with ad- ministrative matters during my study leave. There are many students and friends that I met during my stay in the Netherlands to whom I am indebted for their hospitality and kindness. All of them, directly or indirectly, always supported, helped and encouraged me, especially when I was in difficult situations. Here, I would like to mention my PhD colleagues at the Department of Criminal Law and Procedure at the Faculty of Law of the Radboud University Nijmegen; Teun Eikenaar, Mikhel Timmerman, Sjarai Lestrade, and Sven. I also thank my Indonesian friends and students at the Radboud University who shared laughter and sadness with me; Agnes Nauli, Asteria Devy Kumalasari, Rahmat Yanuar, Mohamad Shohibuddin, Christantie Effendy, Ary Syamsura, Tessa Yudita, Ichsan Kaabullah, Didi Rustam, Hendi Hendian, Anglita Yantisetiasti, Ca- hyo Pamungkas, Euginia Listiani, Veronica Tammy Soputro, Tri Subagya, Acknowledgements VII ――― Alppy Valdez, Roswiyani, Ghozali, and Astri Parawita. Also, thanks to all my friends and the Indonesian students at Universi- teit Leiden; Herlambang Perdana Wiratraman, Henky Widjaja, Ricardo Simarmata, Surya Tjandra, Wijayanto, Yance Arizona, and Fachrizal Afandi for their endless support. Indonesian friends whom I met in the Nether- lands; Aksel Sondang, Siswa Santoso, Joss Wibisono, Titiek Soedarmijati, Lies Sutisnowati and her daughter Cynthia, Didik Sucahyo, Deni Ismail, Pak Wardjo of Perhimpunan Dokumentasi Indonesia (Perdoi) Amsterdam and Maman in Woerden. My deepest gratitude to Joshua Oppenheimer the di- rector of ‘The Act of Killing’ and ‘The Look of Silence’ for his support in the screening of his fabulous movies in Nijmegen. Thank you also to my Dutch friends; Dennis van Ippel, Theo van Kalleeven, Dick and Guus Rommer, Matt Kremers, and Anton van Deursen for their hospitality and kindness. They were always around when I had problems and when I just needed a companion to drink coffee with, which made me feel like I had a family in the Netherlands. Some people in Indonesia whom I wish to thank for their help and sup- port every time I needed it; Asri Oktavianty of Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia (the National Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM), Haris Azhar of Lokataru Foundation, Indria Fernida Alphasonny and Atikah Nu- raini of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), Sonya Claudia Siwu of Centre for Hu- man Rights Studies UBAYA, Al Khanif and all my friends in Serikat Pengajar Hak Asasi Manusia (the Indonesian Association of Human Rights Lecturer, SEPAHAM), Sri Lestari Wahyuningroem, Mugiyanto and Zaenal Abidin of International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Andari Yu- rikosari and Andrey Sudjatmoko of Universitas Trisakti, Muk-tiono and Milda Istiqomah of Universitas Brawijaya, all my friends at Human Rights Law Studies (HRLS) Universitas Airlangga, Oki Hajiansyah Wahab, Wicoro Anggraeni, Ripta Tri Wuryanti, Andre Marora Tiranda, David Prima, Ginanjar Saputra, Nyoman Suardhita and Gunawan Suhandi.