Kar Yen Leong | Tamkang University (original) (raw)
Papers by Kar Yen Leong
Death Studies , 2024
This paper examines the aftermath of the Philippine government's anti-drug campaign under Preside... more This paper examines the aftermath of the Philippine government's anti-drug campaign under President Rodrigo Duterte, focusing on the impact on families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs). Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Manila, the research explores how these families navigate loss and attempt to reclaim dignity and humanity for their loved ones. The study reveals the formation of a community of "necro-activists" comprising journalists, religious figures, and medical professionals who support victims' families in seeking justice and remembrance. Through interviews with photojournalists and victims' families. This paper highlights the transformative role of human remains in asserting the victims' agency beyond death. The research shows how forensic processes and religious rituals contribute to the reclamation of individual identities and challenge the state's dehumanizing narratives. By examining the evolving meanings of EJK victims' remains, this study sheds light on the broader socio-political implications of state violence and memory-making in the Philippines. The analysis situates this research within a global context of human rights and memory studies, drawing parallels with other regions affected by state-sponsored violence. Ultimately, this paper argues that the remains of EJK victims serve as powerful symbols that challenge state impunity and embody the resilience of communities seeking accountability and dignity amid pervasive violence.
Indonesia , 2023
Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia provi... more Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia provides scholars and researchers with insights into the lives of the victims and the so-called perpetrators. Several publications and academic volumes have sprung forth from this but remain still ham-strung as that their analysis remains tied to that of Oppenheimer's production. I propose to build on these discussions by asking: how do these perpetrators remember the killings of 1965? From a preliminary analysis of data available, I posit that there is a certain level of 'ambivalence' over the roles they have played in the killings. As such, I posit that these supposedly 'evil-doers' suffer from a form of trauma and therefore complicates our categories of perpetrator, victim and bystander. In my paper, I also state that we can also glean from investigating perpetrator narratives, Indonesia's troubled path in dealing with a violent past. This paper will rely on oral interviews as well as media clippings from various sources in Indonesian. Perpetrators of the 1965 killings in Indonesia violated fundamental religious and social norms. In this article I explore their memories of those events, as revealed in their narratives and oral statements many years later.
Wendy Smith. 2日 13.Managing EthnlC DIVe「Sity in a 3apaneseJOintventu「e lnNalaγ刮目﹒ Siri K巴rtas Kaj... more Wendy Smith. 2日 13.Managing EthnlC DIVe「Sity in a 3apaneseJOintventu「e lnNalaγ刮目﹒ Siri K巴rtas Kajian Etnlk UKM BllZB(Apnl)IS5N ZlBDH1193 Denison Jayasooria (ed.). 2日 13. Building an Inclusive Society on th 巴 Foundatlorlof Human Rights and VIII R巴sponsibiliti 巴s. Siri Kertas Kajian Etnik UKM Bi l. 29 (April).
Kritika Kultura, 2021
In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated ... more In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated a series of policies and ideological programs that sought to turn the Southeast Asian nation into an "integral state". The family unit then became institutionalized and idealized as an object providing the state with the necessary discursive language to maintain then-president Suharto's three-decade long rule. His regime, however, continued to demonize hundreds of thousands of former political detainees, denying their families access to basic rights. Branded as having come from "unclean environments, " the descendants of the Suharto regime's political detainees continue to face discrimination even after the New Order's end in 1. Nevertheless, in the years following reformasi ("reformation"), Indonesia's increased democratic space provided an opportunity for the voices of former political detainees and their children to emerge. is paper will utilize biographies and oral historical records to understand how the family provided a cocoon-like environment, allowing alternative or discordant narratives to form and coalesce. e author aims to show how the New Order's repressive policies affected these families with one generation passing onto the next its "tainted DNA. " e author posits that given the lack of a public sphere in discussing the most momentous event in Indonesia, it is the private sphere of the family instead that would serve as an outpost of memory, reminding Indonesia of its "original sin. " It is hoped that this paper would be able to showcase the ability of the narratives from below to sow the seeds of historical and generational reconciliation.
Oral History in Southeast Asia, 2013
Page 1. 227 Body Of Mine, Body of State: 'Scarred Memoirs' and the unravelling of South... more Page 1. 227 Body Of Mine, Body of State: 'Scarred Memoirs' and the unravelling of Southeast Asian History Kar Yen Leong PhD Candidate, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore I. Introduction II. Body of My Own III. The Integral State IV. ...
Hatene kona ba Compreender Understanding …, 2010
341 56 Ninjas in the night: fear, the state and the Catholic church in Timor Leste Leong Kar Yen1... more 341 56 Ninjas in the night: fear, the state and the Catholic church in Timor Leste Leong Kar Yen1 Timorese dreams, visions and reality When I arrived in the month of March 2006, I was expecting to see a country, a society well on the path to reconciling with itself and with its violent ...
Indonesia
: Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia... more : Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia provides scholars and researchers with insights into the lives of the victims and the so-called perpetrators. Several publications and academic volumes have sprung forth from this but remain still ham-strung as that their analysis remains tied to that of Oppenheimer's production. I propose to build on these discussions by asking: how do these perpetrators remember the killings of 1965? From a preliminary analysis of data available, I posit that there is a certain level of 'ambivalence' over the roles they have played in the killings. As such, I posit that these supposedly 'evil-doers' suffer from a form of trauma and therefore complicates our categories of perpetrator, victim and bystander. In my paper, I also state that we can also glean from investigating perpetrator narratives, Indonesia's troubled path in dealing with a violent past. This paper will rely on oral interviews as well as media clippings from various sources in Indonesian. Perpetrators of the 1965 killings in Indonesia violated fundamental religious and social norms. In this article I explore their memories of those events, as revealed in their narratives and oral statements many years later.
Bringing in the Body: Personhood in the Shadow of the Death Penalty, 2023
In certain countries, the death penalty is used to punish individual criminals or those society d... more In certain countries, the death penalty is used to punish individual criminals or those society deems to be undesirable. However, I state all individuals are 'storied' carrying with them complex narratives which go beyond simple labels. Thus, I state in this paper that there is a need to 'humanise' those on death row and to bring to light an acknowledgement of their personhood. I rely on an interview conducted with a photographer who specialises in images of death-row inmates as well as research from an organisation which emphasises on the need for a 'biopsychosocial' approach. Doing so allows us to ponder deeper questions as to the efficacy of capital punishment and whether its constant use is an indication of the failure of the state and of society to protect its most vulnerable members.
Taiwan Human Rights Journal , 2022
Southeast Asia has some of the harshest anti-drug laws in the world. In this article I will be di... more Southeast Asia has some of the harshest anti-drug laws in the world. In this article I will be discussing the human toll of the so-called drug wars by looking at two specific states namely, Singapore and the Philippines. By highlighting the use of the death penalty in the former and extra judicial killings in the latter, I aim to bring to the fore issues of governmentality and the use of values in the pursuit of a 'clean' drug free environment. I will then contrast this with the plight of those most affected by this through the works of groups documenting the human face of these wars. By doing this I state that the power of witnessing and of the individual narrative will blunt the force of statist violence perpetrated in the name of its citizens.
Memory Studies, 2021
The nation is often ‘imagined’ through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies,... more The nation is often ‘imagined’ through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies, each providing the necessary ‘boundaries’ for its existence. It is also a space where the landscape is constructed and utilised to shape its citizens’ perception. However, the idea of a nation is not just circumscribed by what is celebrated or visible but also by what is ‘silenced’. During the transitional period between the Sukarno and Suharto administrations in the mid 60’s, approximately 500,000–1 million suspected leftists, communists and dissidents were incarcerated and disappeared. Thus even 20 years after the downfall of Suharto’s authoritarian regime, the incident continues to be an unspeakable ‘open secret’. This paper posits that beneath Indonesia’s modern veneer lies ‘pockets’ of spaces that physically mark this hidden history. I ask how Indonesians conceive and tell of this ‘unmentionable’ history through narratives that surround places of death and violence. I will be looki...
Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights, Jun 20, 2021
Space and Culture
The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500... more The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500,000 to one million alleged members of the Indonesian Communist Party. This article concentrates on several suspected mass graves in Central Java reputed to have supernatural energy emanating from the violent deaths of the individuals buried there. These sites also have gatekeepers or juru kunci bridging the living and the spirits inhabiting these spaces. This research asks, How do these sites, through their juru kunci, elucidate a past which continues to be silenced? I posit that through contact with the souls of the executed, these gatekeepers utilize an ethereal connection to subvert the state’s enforced silence. These sites also provide a ritual space transforming these ghosts into ancestors worthy of remembrance. By reclaiming the identities of those murdered, the living and the dead can achieve a kind of localized spiritual reconciliation.
Space and Culture , 2021
The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500... more The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500,000 to one million alleged members of the Indonesian Communist Party. This article concentrates on several suspected mass graves in Central Java reputed to have supernatural energy emanating from the violent deaths of the individuals buried there. These sites also have gatekeepers or juru kunci bridging the living and the spirits inhabiting these spaces. This research asks, How do these sites, through their juru kunci, elucidate a past which continues to be silenced? I posit that through contact with the souls of the executed, these gatekeepers utilize an ethereal connection to subvert the state's enforced silence. These sites also provide a ritual space transforming these ghosts into ancestors worthy of remembrance. By reclaiming the identities of those murdered, the living and the dead can achieve a kind of localized spiritual reconciliation.
Kritika Kultura , 2021
In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated a series... more In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated a series of policies and ideological programs that sought to turn the Southeast Asian nation into an "integral state". The family unit then became institutionalized and idealized as an object providing the state with the necessary discursive language to maintain then-president Suharto's three-decade long rule. His regime, however, continued to demonize hundreds of thousands of former political detainees, denying their families access to basic rights. Branded as having come from "unclean environments, " the descendants of the Suharto regime's political detainees continue to face discrimination even after the New Order's end in 1. Nevertheless, in the years following reformasi ("reformation"), Indonesia's increased democratic space provided an opportunity for the voices of former political detainees and their children to emerge. is paper will utilize biographies and oral historical records to understand how the family provided a cocoon-like environment, allowing alternative or discordant narratives to form and coalesce. e author aims to show how the New Order's repressive policies affected these families with one generation passing onto the next its "tainted DNA. " e author posits that given the lack of a public sphere in discussing the most momentous event in Indonesia, it is the private sphere of the family instead that would serve as an outpost of memory, reminding Indonesia of its "original sin. " It is hoped that this paper would be able to showcase the ability of the narratives from below to sow the seeds of historical and generational reconciliation.
Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights , 2021
In the aftermath of the attempted 1965 coup, many dissidents, leftists, and suspected Communists ... more In the aftermath of the attempted 1965 coup, many dissidents, leftists, and suspected Communists were either 'eradicated' or incarcerated in prisons all over Indonesia. Since their release, these political prisoners continue to face state-enforced discrimination and stigmatisation. The marginalization of ex-political prisoners by both the state and local communities has continued through Indonesia's democratic transition following President Suharto's downfall in 1998. This is compounded by the presence of right-wing groups who continue to harass them, labelling them as neo-Communists inimical to the Indonesian body politic. Through direct engagement with former political prisoners, I aim to understand rehabilitative efforts through support groups. In preliminary interviews, many eks-tapol refer to the need to 'straighten' history. This discourse highlights their need to be recognized as 'whole' citizens of Indonesia. I explore the state's struggle to address this dark chapter in Indonesian history, what it means to 'straighten' history and how eks-tapol engage with support groups to redefine their position within the community, denoting a strengthened sense of dignity and humanity. It is hoped that this research will contribute to efforts to understand and protect the rights of eks-tapol and other victims of political persecution in Southeast Asia.
Kritika Kultura
After more than fifty years, Indonesia remains muted in its acknowledgement of the killings and d... more After more than fifty years, Indonesia remains muted in its acknowledgement of the killings and disappearances of nearly one million suspected leftists in the anti-Communist pogroms of 1965. While the downfall of Indonesian strongman Suharto had opened up a larger space for democracy, the Indonesian state remains reticent in facing accusations of mass human rights violations that have taken place during his rule. Although many former dissidents and political detainees have come forward with their stories in an effort to "straighten history, " they continue to face harassment from right wing groups as well as the state's intelligence apparatus. Nevertheless, with the advent of the Internet, human rights activists as well as historical "revisionists" have begun to use the cyber sphere as way to fill in the "gaps" in terms of Indonesia's narrative concerning the killings of 1965. This paper investigates the dynamics behind the use of this medium in transmitting this dark episode to a younger generation of Indonesians. It looks specifically at Ingat 1965, a website that utilizes "private memory" as a way to "resist" as well as reinvent the narrative, which has so long been dominated by the state. This paper also includes an investigation into how Indonesia is beginning to deal with its past.
Memory Studies , 2021
The nation is often 'imagined' through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies,... more The nation is often 'imagined' through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies, each providing the necessary 'boundaries' for its existence. It is also a space where the landscape is constructed and utilised to shape its citizens' perception. However, the idea of a nation is not just circumscribed by what is celebrated or visible but also by what is 'silenced'. During the transitional period between the Sukarno and Suharto administrations in the mid 60's, approximately 500,000-1 million suspected leftists, communists and dissidents were incarcerated and disappeared. Thus even 20 years after the downfall of Suharto's authoritarian regime, the incident continues to be an unspeakable 'open secret'. This paper posits that beneath Indonesia's modern veneer lies 'pockets' of spaces that physically mark this hidden history. I ask how Indonesians conceive and tell of this 'unmentionable' history through narratives that surround places of death and violence. I will be looking specifically at sites where dissidents have either been interrogated, imprisoned as well as executed. This research looks at how Indonesians utilise tales of the ghostly and the spectral as a way to bypass the taboo which surrounds the event and at the same time 'narrativise' it. I state that these tales of ghosts, hauntings and the supernatural are attempts by Indonesians to comprehend better what was otherwise an 'incomprehensible' event. Also, despite the state's best efforts in creating a vacuum on the event, I state that these sites of violence, the landscapes which they inhabit and the tales they carry, are part of an invisible landscape where a counter 'imagined community' exists linking these sites as well as the past and present. With each of the sites, a hidden history is thus revealed despite efforts in suppressing this knowledge.
Taiwan Human Rights Journal , 2019
When entering a home objects such pictures, photographs, memorabilia often reveal 'traces' of a p... more When entering a home objects such pictures, photographs, memorabilia often reveal 'traces' of a person, made up of his or her past. As a reflection of the owner, these objects project not only what has passed but what could have been, bearing on the possibilities of paths chosen or unchosen. If we were to enlarge this house, expand it to a grander scale to mimic that of a nation, we could then perhaps think about how these objects could then be placed into documents, archives and museums to showcase the importance of the past to the present as well as the future of any particular nation. But as many scholars would point out-the case being made most effectively by Haitian historian, Michel R. Trouillot-history is made of several layers, with some being made more apparent and visible than others. History in other words is malleable and therefore can be made to serve certain interests through emphasis or by silencing certain events. 2 As such the struggle over the soul of a nation often lies in the tension between revelation and oblivion. In many Southeast Asian countries, the past is indeed a foreign country, with many of its citizens only having access to the state's narrative which has been engineered to fill the needs of "national development＂
Oral History in Southeast Asia , 2013
Death Studies , 2024
This paper examines the aftermath of the Philippine government's anti-drug campaign under Preside... more This paper examines the aftermath of the Philippine government's anti-drug campaign under President Rodrigo Duterte, focusing on the impact on families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs). Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Manila, the research explores how these families navigate loss and attempt to reclaim dignity and humanity for their loved ones. The study reveals the formation of a community of "necro-activists" comprising journalists, religious figures, and medical professionals who support victims' families in seeking justice and remembrance. Through interviews with photojournalists and victims' families. This paper highlights the transformative role of human remains in asserting the victims' agency beyond death. The research shows how forensic processes and religious rituals contribute to the reclamation of individual identities and challenge the state's dehumanizing narratives. By examining the evolving meanings of EJK victims' remains, this study sheds light on the broader socio-political implications of state violence and memory-making in the Philippines. The analysis situates this research within a global context of human rights and memory studies, drawing parallels with other regions affected by state-sponsored violence. Ultimately, this paper argues that the remains of EJK victims serve as powerful symbols that challenge state impunity and embody the resilience of communities seeking accountability and dignity amid pervasive violence.
Indonesia , 2023
Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia provi... more Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia provides scholars and researchers with insights into the lives of the victims and the so-called perpetrators. Several publications and academic volumes have sprung forth from this but remain still ham-strung as that their analysis remains tied to that of Oppenheimer's production. I propose to build on these discussions by asking: how do these perpetrators remember the killings of 1965? From a preliminary analysis of data available, I posit that there is a certain level of 'ambivalence' over the roles they have played in the killings. As such, I posit that these supposedly 'evil-doers' suffer from a form of trauma and therefore complicates our categories of perpetrator, victim and bystander. In my paper, I also state that we can also glean from investigating perpetrator narratives, Indonesia's troubled path in dealing with a violent past. This paper will rely on oral interviews as well as media clippings from various sources in Indonesian. Perpetrators of the 1965 killings in Indonesia violated fundamental religious and social norms. In this article I explore their memories of those events, as revealed in their narratives and oral statements many years later.
Wendy Smith. 2日 13.Managing EthnlC DIVe「Sity in a 3apaneseJOintventu「e lnNalaγ刮目﹒ Siri K巴rtas Kaj... more Wendy Smith. 2日 13.Managing EthnlC DIVe「Sity in a 3apaneseJOintventu「e lnNalaγ刮目﹒ Siri K巴rtas Kajian Etnlk UKM BllZB(Apnl)IS5N ZlBDH1193 Denison Jayasooria (ed.). 2日 13. Building an Inclusive Society on th 巴 Foundatlorlof Human Rights and VIII R巴sponsibiliti 巴s. Siri Kertas Kajian Etnik UKM Bi l. 29 (April).
Kritika Kultura, 2021
In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated ... more In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated a series of policies and ideological programs that sought to turn the Southeast Asian nation into an "integral state". The family unit then became institutionalized and idealized as an object providing the state with the necessary discursive language to maintain then-president Suharto's three-decade long rule. His regime, however, continued to demonize hundreds of thousands of former political detainees, denying their families access to basic rights. Branded as having come from "unclean environments, " the descendants of the Suharto regime's political detainees continue to face discrimination even after the New Order's end in 1. Nevertheless, in the years following reformasi ("reformation"), Indonesia's increased democratic space provided an opportunity for the voices of former political detainees and their children to emerge. is paper will utilize biographies and oral historical records to understand how the family provided a cocoon-like environment, allowing alternative or discordant narratives to form and coalesce. e author aims to show how the New Order's repressive policies affected these families with one generation passing onto the next its "tainted DNA. " e author posits that given the lack of a public sphere in discussing the most momentous event in Indonesia, it is the private sphere of the family instead that would serve as an outpost of memory, reminding Indonesia of its "original sin. " It is hoped that this paper would be able to showcase the ability of the narratives from below to sow the seeds of historical and generational reconciliation.
Oral History in Southeast Asia, 2013
Page 1. 227 Body Of Mine, Body of State: 'Scarred Memoirs' and the unravelling of South... more Page 1. 227 Body Of Mine, Body of State: 'Scarred Memoirs' and the unravelling of Southeast Asian History Kar Yen Leong PhD Candidate, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore I. Introduction II. Body of My Own III. The Integral State IV. ...
Hatene kona ba Compreender Understanding …, 2010
341 56 Ninjas in the night: fear, the state and the Catholic church in Timor Leste Leong Kar Yen1... more 341 56 Ninjas in the night: fear, the state and the Catholic church in Timor Leste Leong Kar Yen1 Timorese dreams, visions and reality When I arrived in the month of March 2006, I was expecting to see a country, a society well on the path to reconciling with itself and with its violent ...
Indonesia
: Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia... more : Joshua Oppenheimer's diptych on the legacy of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia provides scholars and researchers with insights into the lives of the victims and the so-called perpetrators. Several publications and academic volumes have sprung forth from this but remain still ham-strung as that their analysis remains tied to that of Oppenheimer's production. I propose to build on these discussions by asking: how do these perpetrators remember the killings of 1965? From a preliminary analysis of data available, I posit that there is a certain level of 'ambivalence' over the roles they have played in the killings. As such, I posit that these supposedly 'evil-doers' suffer from a form of trauma and therefore complicates our categories of perpetrator, victim and bystander. In my paper, I also state that we can also glean from investigating perpetrator narratives, Indonesia's troubled path in dealing with a violent past. This paper will rely on oral interviews as well as media clippings from various sources in Indonesian. Perpetrators of the 1965 killings in Indonesia violated fundamental religious and social norms. In this article I explore their memories of those events, as revealed in their narratives and oral statements many years later.
Bringing in the Body: Personhood in the Shadow of the Death Penalty, 2023
In certain countries, the death penalty is used to punish individual criminals or those society d... more In certain countries, the death penalty is used to punish individual criminals or those society deems to be undesirable. However, I state all individuals are 'storied' carrying with them complex narratives which go beyond simple labels. Thus, I state in this paper that there is a need to 'humanise' those on death row and to bring to light an acknowledgement of their personhood. I rely on an interview conducted with a photographer who specialises in images of death-row inmates as well as research from an organisation which emphasises on the need for a 'biopsychosocial' approach. Doing so allows us to ponder deeper questions as to the efficacy of capital punishment and whether its constant use is an indication of the failure of the state and of society to protect its most vulnerable members.
Taiwan Human Rights Journal , 2022
Southeast Asia has some of the harshest anti-drug laws in the world. In this article I will be di... more Southeast Asia has some of the harshest anti-drug laws in the world. In this article I will be discussing the human toll of the so-called drug wars by looking at two specific states namely, Singapore and the Philippines. By highlighting the use of the death penalty in the former and extra judicial killings in the latter, I aim to bring to the fore issues of governmentality and the use of values in the pursuit of a 'clean' drug free environment. I will then contrast this with the plight of those most affected by this through the works of groups documenting the human face of these wars. By doing this I state that the power of witnessing and of the individual narrative will blunt the force of statist violence perpetrated in the name of its citizens.
Memory Studies, 2021
The nation is often ‘imagined’ through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies,... more The nation is often ‘imagined’ through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies, each providing the necessary ‘boundaries’ for its existence. It is also a space where the landscape is constructed and utilised to shape its citizens’ perception. However, the idea of a nation is not just circumscribed by what is celebrated or visible but also by what is ‘silenced’. During the transitional period between the Sukarno and Suharto administrations in the mid 60’s, approximately 500,000–1 million suspected leftists, communists and dissidents were incarcerated and disappeared. Thus even 20 years after the downfall of Suharto’s authoritarian regime, the incident continues to be an unspeakable ‘open secret’. This paper posits that beneath Indonesia’s modern veneer lies ‘pockets’ of spaces that physically mark this hidden history. I ask how Indonesians conceive and tell of this ‘unmentionable’ history through narratives that surround places of death and violence. I will be looki...
Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights, Jun 20, 2021
Space and Culture
The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500... more The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500,000 to one million alleged members of the Indonesian Communist Party. This article concentrates on several suspected mass graves in Central Java reputed to have supernatural energy emanating from the violent deaths of the individuals buried there. These sites also have gatekeepers or juru kunci bridging the living and the spirits inhabiting these spaces. This research asks, How do these sites, through their juru kunci, elucidate a past which continues to be silenced? I posit that through contact with the souls of the executed, these gatekeepers utilize an ethereal connection to subvert the state’s enforced silence. These sites also provide a ritual space transforming these ghosts into ancestors worthy of remembrance. By reclaiming the identities of those murdered, the living and the dead can achieve a kind of localized spiritual reconciliation.
Space and Culture , 2021
The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500... more The 1965 killings in Indonesia brought about the incarceration, disappearances, and deaths of 500,000 to one million alleged members of the Indonesian Communist Party. This article concentrates on several suspected mass graves in Central Java reputed to have supernatural energy emanating from the violent deaths of the individuals buried there. These sites also have gatekeepers or juru kunci bridging the living and the spirits inhabiting these spaces. This research asks, How do these sites, through their juru kunci, elucidate a past which continues to be silenced? I posit that through contact with the souls of the executed, these gatekeepers utilize an ethereal connection to subvert the state's enforced silence. These sites also provide a ritual space transforming these ghosts into ancestors worthy of remembrance. By reclaiming the identities of those murdered, the living and the dead can achieve a kind of localized spiritual reconciliation.
Kritika Kultura , 2021
In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated a series... more In the aftermath of the 1 killings, Suharto's New Order regime in Indonesia initiated a series of policies and ideological programs that sought to turn the Southeast Asian nation into an "integral state". The family unit then became institutionalized and idealized as an object providing the state with the necessary discursive language to maintain then-president Suharto's three-decade long rule. His regime, however, continued to demonize hundreds of thousands of former political detainees, denying their families access to basic rights. Branded as having come from "unclean environments, " the descendants of the Suharto regime's political detainees continue to face discrimination even after the New Order's end in 1. Nevertheless, in the years following reformasi ("reformation"), Indonesia's increased democratic space provided an opportunity for the voices of former political detainees and their children to emerge. is paper will utilize biographies and oral historical records to understand how the family provided a cocoon-like environment, allowing alternative or discordant narratives to form and coalesce. e author aims to show how the New Order's repressive policies affected these families with one generation passing onto the next its "tainted DNA. " e author posits that given the lack of a public sphere in discussing the most momentous event in Indonesia, it is the private sphere of the family instead that would serve as an outpost of memory, reminding Indonesia of its "original sin. " It is hoped that this paper would be able to showcase the ability of the narratives from below to sow the seeds of historical and generational reconciliation.
Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights , 2021
In the aftermath of the attempted 1965 coup, many dissidents, leftists, and suspected Communists ... more In the aftermath of the attempted 1965 coup, many dissidents, leftists, and suspected Communists were either 'eradicated' or incarcerated in prisons all over Indonesia. Since their release, these political prisoners continue to face state-enforced discrimination and stigmatisation. The marginalization of ex-political prisoners by both the state and local communities has continued through Indonesia's democratic transition following President Suharto's downfall in 1998. This is compounded by the presence of right-wing groups who continue to harass them, labelling them as neo-Communists inimical to the Indonesian body politic. Through direct engagement with former political prisoners, I aim to understand rehabilitative efforts through support groups. In preliminary interviews, many eks-tapol refer to the need to 'straighten' history. This discourse highlights their need to be recognized as 'whole' citizens of Indonesia. I explore the state's struggle to address this dark chapter in Indonesian history, what it means to 'straighten' history and how eks-tapol engage with support groups to redefine their position within the community, denoting a strengthened sense of dignity and humanity. It is hoped that this research will contribute to efforts to understand and protect the rights of eks-tapol and other victims of political persecution in Southeast Asia.
Kritika Kultura
After more than fifty years, Indonesia remains muted in its acknowledgement of the killings and d... more After more than fifty years, Indonesia remains muted in its acknowledgement of the killings and disappearances of nearly one million suspected leftists in the anti-Communist pogroms of 1965. While the downfall of Indonesian strongman Suharto had opened up a larger space for democracy, the Indonesian state remains reticent in facing accusations of mass human rights violations that have taken place during his rule. Although many former dissidents and political detainees have come forward with their stories in an effort to "straighten history, " they continue to face harassment from right wing groups as well as the state's intelligence apparatus. Nevertheless, with the advent of the Internet, human rights activists as well as historical "revisionists" have begun to use the cyber sphere as way to fill in the "gaps" in terms of Indonesia's narrative concerning the killings of 1965. This paper investigates the dynamics behind the use of this medium in transmitting this dark episode to a younger generation of Indonesians. It looks specifically at Ingat 1965, a website that utilizes "private memory" as a way to "resist" as well as reinvent the narrative, which has so long been dominated by the state. This paper also includes an investigation into how Indonesia is beginning to deal with its past.
Memory Studies , 2021
The nation is often 'imagined' through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies,... more The nation is often 'imagined' through various elements such as the media, education, ideologies, each providing the necessary 'boundaries' for its existence. It is also a space where the landscape is constructed and utilised to shape its citizens' perception. However, the idea of a nation is not just circumscribed by what is celebrated or visible but also by what is 'silenced'. During the transitional period between the Sukarno and Suharto administrations in the mid 60's, approximately 500,000-1 million suspected leftists, communists and dissidents were incarcerated and disappeared. Thus even 20 years after the downfall of Suharto's authoritarian regime, the incident continues to be an unspeakable 'open secret'. This paper posits that beneath Indonesia's modern veneer lies 'pockets' of spaces that physically mark this hidden history. I ask how Indonesians conceive and tell of this 'unmentionable' history through narratives that surround places of death and violence. I will be looking specifically at sites where dissidents have either been interrogated, imprisoned as well as executed. This research looks at how Indonesians utilise tales of the ghostly and the spectral as a way to bypass the taboo which surrounds the event and at the same time 'narrativise' it. I state that these tales of ghosts, hauntings and the supernatural are attempts by Indonesians to comprehend better what was otherwise an 'incomprehensible' event. Also, despite the state's best efforts in creating a vacuum on the event, I state that these sites of violence, the landscapes which they inhabit and the tales they carry, are part of an invisible landscape where a counter 'imagined community' exists linking these sites as well as the past and present. With each of the sites, a hidden history is thus revealed despite efforts in suppressing this knowledge.
Taiwan Human Rights Journal , 2019
When entering a home objects such pictures, photographs, memorabilia often reveal 'traces' of a p... more When entering a home objects such pictures, photographs, memorabilia often reveal 'traces' of a person, made up of his or her past. As a reflection of the owner, these objects project not only what has passed but what could have been, bearing on the possibilities of paths chosen or unchosen. If we were to enlarge this house, expand it to a grander scale to mimic that of a nation, we could then perhaps think about how these objects could then be placed into documents, archives and museums to showcase the importance of the past to the present as well as the future of any particular nation. But as many scholars would point out-the case being made most effectively by Haitian historian, Michel R. Trouillot-history is made of several layers, with some being made more apparent and visible than others. History in other words is malleable and therefore can be made to serve certain interests through emphasis or by silencing certain events. 2 As such the struggle over the soul of a nation often lies in the tension between revelation and oblivion. In many Southeast Asian countries, the past is indeed a foreign country, with many of its citizens only having access to the state's narrative which has been engineered to fill the needs of "national development＂
Oral History in Southeast Asia , 2013