Correct my books, Pramoedya urges

Correct my books, Pramoedya urges

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's most internationally acclaimed
writer has, in an unusual request to readers, invited his
compatriots to inform him of any mistakes they may find in his
latest books.

"It is my hope that all elements of society will correct the
less accurate data or facts in my books. This is for the interest
of all of us (as a nation)," Pramoedya Ananta Toer said at a book
launching at Teater Utan Kayu on Wednesday.

Pramoedya, who was jailed for 11 years without a trial by the
New Order government following the 1965 coup blamed on
communists, launched the first and second volume of Kronik
Revolusi Indonesia (Chronicle of the Indonesian Revolution).
The books, encompassing the 1945 and 1946 revolutionary days
respectively, were coauthored by Koesalah Soebagyo Toer and
Ediati Kamil.

The first volume of the book, did contain some "errors"
according to Daniel Dhakidae of the Kompas daily. "The Indonesian
Communist Party was reported to have been born three times, and
Hatta, the first vice president, was married twice."

But Pramoedya and Koesalah said a chronicle was based on
printed sources like books, magazines or newspapers.

"If a book used as a source is inaccurate, the chronicle will
not be accurate, either. Hence, it is important to have comments
from people who really know the accurate version (of a given
subject)," Pramoedya said in the discussion attended by about 80
people, mostly students.

Writing a chronicle, he said, is different from writing a
history book as the author can insert his interpretations and
views.

Citing the 1948 long march from Yogyakarta, Pramoedya said he
knew that it occurred after the Indonesian Army surrendered West
Java to the Dutch colonial forces, and to mask this the army
launched an "extermination" drive in Central and East Java.

"This kind of thing I can't put in a chronicle or even
visualize as something happening," he said.

Koesalah said readers should draw their own conclusions from
the conflicting data, such as why the birth of the communist
party had three different dates.

Despite its shortcomings, Dhakidae hailed the publication of
the books. The official history of a nation is always written in
the interest of the powers that be; hence, it is important to
have many versions of history written by historians, he said.

Critics have charged the New Order government of producing
distorted history textbooks for school and university
students. (hbk)