Mass Violence against Communists and Others for a “New Order” in Indonesia, 1965–68

In the mid-1960s, Indonesia experienced one of the bloodiest anti-communist purges of the twentieth century. The number of persons killed is often estimated at 500,000. The bulk of them were murdered within three months. This was not only a government affair. The presentation highlights the forces that drove and carried out this violence (state agents, political organizations and popular groups), their interaction, their motives and the complex social crisis that led to these events. This background also explains why violence spread against several population groups that were not communists and, on the other hand, what limited the killings. The events contributed to the emergence of a new political regime in Indonesia, but were also accompanied by significant social shifts. In the conclusion, the presentation also touches upon the question in how far certain features of this wave of violence were characteristic for anti-communist purges in other countries as well and why.