Reconsidering Revolutionary ‘Heroes’ and Histories of Violence in Indonesia

Abstract

How can Indonesians benefit from a publication about Dutch violence? Can a report about Dutch ‘extreme violence’ during the Indonesian Revolution ignite further conversations amongst Indonesians about their own historiography? This forum contribution tries to link the publication of Beyond the Pale with the future of writing histories of violence in Indonesia. Inheriting the state- and military-centric historiography since the New Order era (1966-1998), Indonesians are struggling to move away from a nationalistic historiography that tends to either silence violent histories, or to justify them under the banner of safeguarding the nation’s unity. The publication of Beyond the Pale adds to the growing effort by Indonesian historians and others to recognise violence as part of Indonesian history. At the same time, the publication also leaves tasks that scholars can continue in the future.