ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the events of 1965–66 in an effort to understand how and why they happened, why so little has been said or done about them, and what the long-term ramifications have been. It explores a number of analytical puzzles about the violence that have remained elusive. Indonesian authorities, and many other commentators, have insisted that the violence of 1965–66 was the inevitable result of popular anger against the Partai Komunis Indonesia, a kind of spontaneous frenzy – a collective “running amok” – fueled by deeply rooted cultural and religious tensions. In Bali, for instance, the governor and the regional military commander balked at central army directives, resulting in a two-month delay in the onset of killings. The long and continuing dominance of the army and its allies in political life has also allowed them to obstruct any moves toward truth or justice.
