• The Indonesian government plans to release a new 10-volume history series.
• Historians fear the books may glorify President Prabowo Subianto and Suharto.
• Concerns include potential propaganda and omission of human rights abuses.
• Books are set to be completed by Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17.
• Historians call for scrutiny over the narrative presented in the new texts.

The Indonesian government's initiative to publish a new 10-volume series of history books has ignited fears of historical revisionism. Critics express concern that the narrative will recast significant events, especially those involving President Prabowo Subianto and the late authoritarian leader Suharto, in a more favorable light. Culture Minister Fadli Zon described the goal of the series as creating an "Indonesia-centric narrative" aimed at "reinventing the Indonesian identity," raising alarms among historians and the public alike, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

Several historians, voicing their apprehensions, argue that this move coincides with the historical amnesia of Indonesia's younger generations, many of whom are unaware of the New Order regime (1966-1998) under Suharto. This lapse contributes to the rising support for Prabowo, who openly admires Suharto and has made significant strides to involve the military in his governance. The plan to release these history books, which Fadli aims to have ready by August 17—coinciding with Indonesia's Independence Day—contradicts requests from academics for a more truthful representation of events related to human rights abuses, particularly the 1998 kidnappings of student activists associated with Prabowo, according to The Jakarta Post and Reuters.

Asvi Warman Adam, a prominent historian, is urging fellow academics to challenge the narrative proposed in these new books, expressing concern that they might serve as propaganda aimed at legitimizing Prabowo's government, potentially excluding grave human rights violations associated with his actions. There are speculations about the government's plan to posthumously declare Suharto a "National Hero," which has sparked further outrage among critics who fear an intent to distort historical events that have yet to be thoroughly investigated. This notion is echoed by Made Supriatma, who likens the government's current approach to that of Suharto's own history narratives published during his regime, according to South China Morning Post and The Jakarta Post.

Among the significant historical events that will be scrutinized is the portrayal of the mass killings of communists and sympathizers in 1965-66, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and remains politically sensitive in Indonesia today. Historians involved in the project have indicated that while these events will be addressed, there is uncertainty over the extent to which Prabowo's involvement in rights violations will be mentioned. Minister Fadli has noted that deeper inquiries into these massacres are unlikely to be included, affirming his belief in Suharto's economic successes while dismissing allegations of human rights abuses as exaggerated, as reported by Reuters and South China Morning Post.