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Indonesia’s textbook rewrite can’t erase a dark history
Moving forward requires grappling with difficult parts of the country’s past.
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Indonesian students falling as riot policemen charge during an anti-government protest that turned violent at the gate of the Sahid University in Jakarta, on April 29, 1998.
PHOTO: AFP
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JAKARTA - Since January, more than 100 Indonesian historians and archaeologists have been working on a new 10-volume national history series to be taught in schools. The project, which is backed by the Ministry of Culture, is scheduled for release before Indonesia marks its 80th Independence Day on Aug 17.
In theory, such an effort is overdue. Much of Indonesia’s official historical narrative has not been updated in decades. A clear, honest and inclusive account of Indonesia’s past is essential for educating the next generation.
