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View all search resultsSecrecy shrouds government’s history book launch
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Culture Minister Fadli Zon delivers a speech during the soft launch of the new 'official' history book in Jakarta on Dec. 14, 2025. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
T
he recent “soft launch” of a contentious government-commissioned history book has drawn sharp criticism from historians and rights activists over its secrecy and perceived efforts to shape Indonesia’s historical narrative.
In a live-streamed event at the Culture Ministry’s office in Jakarta on Sunday, Culture Minister Fadli Zon unveiled the book, which was spearheaded by his office and compiled, written and edited over the past year with the involvement of more than 100 experts.
Titled Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global (Indonesian History: National Dynamics in Global Currents), the book spans nearly 8,000 pages across 10 volumes, covering the country’s history from the prehistoric era to the early year of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.
“The book aims to enrich the public’s understanding of Indonesia's journey up to the present day,” Fadli said. “Over the past two decades, numerous historical and archaeological studies have emerged, with new findings that are crucial for reconstructing the nation’s historical narrative.”
Previous major historical works, including Indonesia dalam Arus Sejarah (Indonesia in the Historical Current), published in 2011, only covered the country’s history up to the reform era.
The new book was initially slated for release on Aug. 17 to commemorate Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day, then postponed to Nov. 10 to coincide with National Heroes Day and later pushed back again to December amid backlash from a coalition of historians and activists who criticized it as an “official history” that whitewashes the past.
Read also: Concern grows over project to rewrite history
