History book rewrite to focus on Soeharto issues

A. Junaidi and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya

A team of 80 historians tasked with revising the national history book, are gathering new data and information on former president Soeharto's roles in a number of crucial events.

Controversial issues linked to Soeharto's past, which is to be included in the new history book, include the abduction and murder of six military generals on Sept. 30, 1965, the Supersemar letter that led to Soeharto's rise to power and the invasion of East Timor.

The book is also to clarify Soeharto's role in the March 1949 battle against the return of Dutch occupation forces to Yogyakarta.

Anhar Gonggong of the University of Indonesia, who is a member of the team, said the rewriting of the book -- which started two years ago and expected to be completed next year -- would be based on new data and accounts from people, including eyewitnesses.

He said the book, which would consist of eight volumes, is to replace the five-volume Sejarah Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian National History) book written by a team led by historian and ex- minister of education and culture Nugroho Notosusanto, one of Soeharto's former aides.

The existing history book, which is still taught in schools, blames the Sept. 30 incident on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Anhar said the new book would reveal hitherto undisclosed facts behind the tragedy, which has been the cause of life-long trauma among many Indonesians.

"Is it only the PKI that should be blamed, or also elements within the Army? The book will discuss it," he said, but declined to go in details.

He said the account of the Sept. 30 incident, when six Army generals were abducted, killed and their bodies thrown into a well in Lubang Buaya, East Jakarta, would be rewritten.

However, Anhar said reports by military-backed newspapers and also Nugroho's book, which said the generals were tortured, their eyes cut out and sexual organs severed, before their bodies were thrown into the well would be reviewed, because these "facts" were not verified by the post-mortem examinations.

About one million supporters and sympathizers of the PKI were killed after the incident, and their children, grandchildren and other relatives denied entry to politics during Soeharto's 32- year rule.

Any suspected PKI supporters, sympathizers and their families were also banned from civil service and suffered discriminatory treatment from the Soeharto administration, as well as from the general public.

Another team member, professor of Indonesian history Aminuddin Kasdi at the State University of Surabaya, suggested that the alleged PKI victims of the Sept. 30 incident "demand compensation from the government and reconcile with other elements of the nation".

With regard to the March 1949 incident, Anhar said the war against the Dutch re-occupation was not initiated by Soeharto, but Yogyakarta's then-Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX.

"Of course, Lt. Col. Soeharto played an important role in the attack, but he just followed the orders of his commander Col. Bambang," he said.

However, Soeharto claimed the success of the battle as an individual achievement to qualify him for the presidential seat.

Anhar also said the book would replace the term "integration" used in Nugroho's book with "annexation" in regards Indonesia's invasion of East Timor in 1976.

"The 'integration' was conducted unilaterally. Our Constitution has excluded East Timor from the very beginning," he argued.

The new book is expected to draw strong opposition from Soeharto's loyalists, military officials and civilians, many of whom are still in power.

"I will resign if they (the loyalists) -- or even President Megawati Soekarnoputri -- intervenes in the rewriting of history," Anhar vowed.

Some controversial issues in RI's history:

---------------------------------------------------------------- Issues: Controversies ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Founder of State Ideology M. Yamin, Soepomo or Sukarno?

Pancasila on June 1, 1945

2. Initiator of the battle of Soeharto or Hamengkubuwono IX?

Yogyakarta on March 1, 1949

3. G30S/PKI 'abortive coup' Only PKI or military elements?

on Sept. 30, 1965

4. Supersemar Power transfer or mere

presidential order?

5. East Timor Integration or annexation?