Books

Can the descendants of both sides of 1965 come together to help the nation achieve reconciliation?

Marcus Mietzner argues that when seen in the context of other new democracies, Indonesia’s political parties are not so bad

Bob Lowry reviews the memoir of the current Jakarta governor and likely frontrunner for the 2014 presidential elections

Pulang'sauthor reflects on writing the stories of those unseen and unheard

Leila S. Chudori’s novel Pulang is an important addition to a growing literature examining the events of 1965-66 and its aftermath

The provocative Julia Suryakusuma on the rampage

Robbie Peters' new book brings the poor urban kampungs of Surabaya to life

Lia Kent’s study of East Timor’s attempts at transitional justice is an important contribution  

Margaret Kartomi’s life-long devotion to bringing Sumatran music to the world is revealed in her major contribution to analysing and preserving this musical heritage

A new publication tells the story of the first graduates of the joint Indonesian Armed Forces Military Academy

Editor’s note: For Indonesia-watchers the activities of the military and its leaders remain largely opaque and perhaps even menacing. In recent years the steady stream of memoirs and biographies by and about military leaders has, in some cases, assuaged some of this mystery and in others, added to the intrigue. As the public and judicial gaze has increasingly turned to the actions of military leaders with connections to the New Order, the memoir has been engaged by some as a form of testimony in an effort to ‘clear their name’. Whatever the motivation, with each new addition to this genre, we are offered new insights into the fractious and often treacherous ‘interior’ world of the Indonesian Armed Forces.

Suparman holds the line but reveals some new insights into the transition of power after the fall of the New Order

A new book opens up debate about the power of the journalist and media organisations reporting conflict in Indonesia

Tickamyer and Kusujiarti’s new book is essential reading

This Indian film’s popularity reveals a popular critique of the US

Jusuf Wanandi’s memoir allows glimpses into the mindset of Suharto-era officialdom

Recent ground-breaking publications, an internationally award-winning film and a major conference are opening up new truths about Indonesia’s past

Joshua Oppenheimer’s groundbreaking new film raises disturbing questions about why perpetrators of the 1965-66 mass killings still enjoy impunity for their actions

Dan Lev explains how an outsider became a national hero

Eben Kiksey invites the world to wake up to a crucial struggle unfolding in the Pacific

Essays, reflections and poetry on East Timor, 1999-2010