In 2012, Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights concluded that the atrocities of 1965-1966 may amount to crimes against humanity, filing its dossier with the Attorney General for prosecution. However, to date, there has been no follow-up on this case. This stalling of the judicial process has blocked victims’ access to truth, justice, and reparations.
Between 1965 and 1979 in Indonesia, hundreds of thousands of civilians were detained without trial and became victims of torture and ill-treatment. Many detainees were disappeared or killed, some perished in detention centers. Those who survived were released by 1979. However, they faced continued stigmatization and discrimination, reinforced by state policy and social norms.
To mark 51 years since the mass atrocities against Indonesia’s “victims of 1965”, AJAR and partners in Indonesia documented both the past experiences of survivors and their current circumstances, illustrating the significant and ongoing impact of the torture and other violence they endured.