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)