December 14, 2025 | 08:31 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, launched the book series Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global (History of Indonesia: National Dynamics in the Global Flow) at Plaza Insan Berprestasi in Jakarta, on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
Fadli mentioned that there had been a polemic regarding the plan to write a history book. Some people requested the termination of this historical writing project. However, Fadli justified the input as part of the democratic process.
"There was a polemic to stop the writing of history. But that's natural," Fadli said in his speech as observed by the Ministry of Culture's YouTube channel on Sunday.
Fadli claimed that the book series has undergone a rigorous writing process. He and the Ministry of Culture claimed to have facilitated 123 historians to write this book series.
"So this was written by experts, Indonesian historians. 123 historians from 34 Indonesian universities. So it's not written by me," said Fadli.
The History of Indonesia book series consists of 10 volumes. These ten volumes depict the journey of the Indonesian nation until 2024. Fadli explained that volumes one through three describe the early civilization of the archipelago and its interactions with nations such as India, China, Persia, and the Middle East.
Volume 4 of the book discusses the initial interaction with the West. Volume 5 describes Indonesian society and the formation of colonial states. Volume 6 discusses the national movement.
Meanwhile, volume 7 covers the struggle to maintain independence. Volume 8 discusses the consolidation of the nation-state, conflicts, integration, and national leadership. "Volume 9 discusses the development and stability of the New Order era. Volume 10 covers the Reform and the consolidation of democracy from 1998 to 2024," Fadli said.
The politician from the Gerindra Party stated that this book series serves as a reference for the public to understand the nation's history. He claimed that the book has received input from various parties and has been publicly discussed with academics from universities and historians. "We invited historians to provide input. Outside the team, we expect other contributions," said Fadli.
Previously, several academics and civil society organizations criticized this historical writing project. The Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, stated that the use of the label "official history" in the project to rewrite Indonesia's history would close the door to diverse and dynamic interpretations in society. He argued that the state's rewriting of history is an effort to reconstruct with the aim of individual cult and excessive glorification of the past.
Regarding the policy to revise historical texts, Usman said that it has the potential to eliminate events and figures deemed incompatible with the interests of power. "Actions like this are a manipulation of history. No matter how dark history is, it must be written, even if it affects humanitarian tragedies and reveals past policy mistakes," said Usman in a statement from the Indonesian History Openness Alliance (AKSI) on Monday, May 19, 2025.
According to Usman, disclosing history, rather than rewriting it, aims to educate the younger generation and prevent them from repeating the dark times of the past. He referred to the rewriting of history as a form of imposing a single interpretation. He said that revising historical texts is a dangerous attempt at reduction and has the potential to stifle freedom of thought and dull critical thinking among future generations.
Usman, a member of AKSI, stated that rewriting history and labeling it as "official history" is an authoritarian state policy to legitimize its power. "This program must be stopped immediately," said Usman.
Read: Indonesia Officially Designates December 14 as National History Day
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