Group Demands Investigation of Indonesian Mass Killing

By Ainur RohmahYOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - Human rights group Amnesty International Indonesia, Saturday, called on the government to reopen the investigation into mass killings in 1965 after dozens of documents were published by the United States.


"Amnesty International Indonesia encourages similar (truth-seeking) disclosure by the Indonesian authorities to ensure accountability and sense of justice to the survivors," Amnesty International Indonesia Director Usman Hamid told Anadolu Agency.


Usman said the documents explain how human rights violations occurred systematically in Indonesia after the killing of six generals that led to the mass killings.


For example, it was revealed through a telegram dated October 28, 1965, that those who were considered part of the Indonesian Communist Party were taken to a quiet place before being killed and their bodies buried.

According to Usman, the newly revealed document needs to be compared to other findings from the Indonesian government, civil society and academic.

"We encourage state institutions, especially army that in the recently opened archive, to open its archives to complement the developing discourse," said Usman.

The thousands of files from the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta contain the picture of a devastating reign of terror in 1965-66 by the Indonesian army and Muslim groups. It also included an estimate that 100,000 people had been slaughtered.

The contents are among others the tension between the military and the Indonesian Communist Party, including the further effect of mass killings.


The data reveals the veils that have been hermetically sealed in the history of Indonesia, in which the state, especially the army, dodge to discuss or review the dark history.