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nformation, symbols and discourse about the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and mass killings of alleged leftists in 1965-1966 have been forbidden in the country for the last 50 years.

This taboo is mainly rooted in the way the New Order government educated its people.

During Soeharto'€™s regime, the only version of history about the PKI that was allowed was the government'€™s version.

Unfortunately, that version primarily focused on the Sept. 30 movement, which blamed the PKI for the murder of several Army generals and an attempt to change the nation'€™s central ideology from Pancasila to communism.

The facts regarding the large number of PKI members and sympathizers who were killed was ignored. Worse, talking about issues related to communism was considered a threat to the nation.

From discussions with fellow scholars, grassroots activists and my students about communism, the PKI and what happened to the communists and their followers post-Sept. 30, 1965, I have discovered several things.

First, almost all of them know the event quite well, including the killing of the generals, and they believe that the PKI was behind the tragedy.

Second, they agree that the PKI deserved to be banned and condemned.

Third, only a few of them know about the mass killing in 1965-1966, but they are not really sure about the truth.

Fourth, most of them find it hard to believe the mass killings occurred, but wish to understand better about the history of that era.

Fifth, almost all of them agree that the taboo about the PKI should be ended.

It is clear that even though the tendency to study and explore alternative versions of this dark episode of the country has been looming since the fall of Soeharto, it seems that at the level of common people'€™s understanding the New Order'€™s version remains intact and accepted as the main reference and historical source. For me this is neither fair nor just.

Although the debate about the mastermind of the Sept. 30 movement is still going on, some scholars like Robert Cribb, Ariel Heryanto, Rex Mortimer, Robert W. Hefner and Rolland Callish have come to the conclusion that the PKI should not be held responsible. On the contrary, they believe communists were the victims.

What we can learn from the Sept. 30 affair is that after 50 years, the time has come for the state to tell the truth. The young generation have the right to know what really happened. The state should systematically create a just curriculum in which the young generation have the freedom to be critical of their national history.

As education is a process of liberating, the history which is taught in class should reveal only the truth. Veiling the truth, let alone labeling it as taboo, will close the door on dialogue and critical discussions and lead people to extremism.

So which taboos should be unveiled? First is the mass killings that followed the Sept. 30 movement.

This is the biggest taboo this country has ever had. The bloodbath happened and no one can deny it, but our formal curriculum ignores it.

Students, children and all people have to know about the mass killings, apart from the murders of Army generals. They have to know and understand their own history in order to know their identity and nation better.

Through history, people learn about the past to perceive the present and plan a brighter future.

The history taught in schools should include narration by the victims of the mass killings, and if necessary their families.

In short, this country should teach the young generation about the dark past. The aims are clear. Everybody has the right to know the true history of his/her nation, not the corrupted one.

The lesson is not to sow hatred but to learn from history. By exploring the story of the victims the young generation learn the value of human dignity, justice and peace.

It also teaches responsibility and empathy, which can serve as a platform for national character building.

The second taboo that should be lifted is all the symbols, theories, practices related to communism and dialectic materialism, etc.

While the formal ban of communism/Marxism remains effective, Indonesians, including students, not only fail to understand communism, but also have an incorrect perspective about their social/economic system.

From a scientific approach, knowledge is value free. It has truth inside. Therefore, people need to study communism and learn from great thinkers of communism, including the key figures of the communist party in Indonesia and all over the world, as it will enrich their knowledge.

We neither expect our young generation to lag behind their counterparts from other countries, nor want them to learn from unreliable sources.

Our education should help the young generation to understand knowledge critically and comprehensively.
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The writer, who holds a PhD from Inter-religious and Cultural Studies Center, Gadjah Mada University
in Yogyakarta, is director of Research Center and Community Development at St. Paul College (STKIP), Ruteng-Flores.