Communism - Indonesia at Melbourne

Talking Indonesia: transnational human rights activism

History, Human Rights, Talking Indonesia

In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Dirk Tomsa chats to Dr Vannessa Hearman about the letter-writing friendships that political prisoners under Soeharto developed with supporters and human rights activists overseas.

The Australian left is known for backing Papuan independence – but it wasn’t always this way

Analysis, Foreign Policy, History, Human Rights, Politics

Dominique Tasevski examines the history of the Australian Communist Party’s problematic and inconsistent position on Indonesian control over West Papua.

Talking Indonesia: China, Indonesia and the Cold War

Foreign Policy, History, Society, Talking Indonesia

What was Chinas role, if any, in the events of 1965? How did transnational ethnic ties and the daily practices of the ethnic Chinese influence state-to-state diplomacy at the time? Dr Charlotte Setijadi discusses these issues and more with Dr Taomo Zhou in Talking Indonesia.

The presidential election: communism vs caliphate?

2019 Indonesian Elections, Analysis, Elections, Politics, Religion

Over recent weeks, supporters of both President Joko Widodo and his opponent, Prabowo Subianto, have attempted to frame the contest as an ideological battle between communism and a caliphate. This is far too simplistic, writes Dr Nadirsyah Hosen.

There’s now proof that Soeharto orchestrated the 1965 killings

Analysis, Human Rights, Security

According to official government narratives, the military was forced to step in to save the nation from a coup on 1 October 1965. Drawing on her remarkable new book, Dr Jess Melvin explains how rather than reluctantly stepping in, Soeharto and the military used existing military chains of command to actively seize power.

The biggest hoax of all: the 30 September Movement

Analysis, Human Rights, Media

Many Indonesians are concerned about the damage that hoaxes and so-called "fake news" are doing to social cohesion. Professor Ariel Heryanto writes that it is difficult to find a more powerful hoax than the story of the 30 September Movement, which has provided the basis for numerous other nonsensical and dangerous hoaxes.

Telegrams confirm scale of US complicity in 1965 genocide

Analysis, History, Human Rights

On 17 October, dozens of declassified files confirmed that the United States had detailed knowledge of and actively supported Indonesian military efforts to destroy the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and its alleged sympathisers. Dr Jess Melvin, who was involved in the declassification project, looks at the most significant revelations.

Is Indonesia sliding towards a 'Neo-New Order'?

Analysis, Human Rights, Politics

President Joko Widodo has offered little support to the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) since the shocking attack on its offices two weeks ago. Professor Tim Lindsey writes that civil society should not expect much from Jokowi, who is in the unenviable position of having to keep the oligarchs happy and Islamist agitators at bay.

Posts with tag: Communism