Cancellations within Ubud Writers Festival lead to international backlash

All of these events were aimed at discussing the terrible violence committed against the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965 in which hundreds of thousands of alleged communists were hunted down and slain.

The killings resulted in anti-communist leader Suharto coming into power in 1967.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the mass killings.

Festival founder and director Janet DeNeefe stated, “1965 is an event that has and continues to influence many Indonesians and as such, we chose to dedicate a proportion of the program to enriching our understanding about this, through themes of reconciliation and remembrance.”

“We hoped that these panel sessions would enable conversations to take place that continue Indonesia on its journey of healing, particularly for those whose lives were so severely affected.”

According to DeNeefe, there was pressure from the government, police and military officials to quell talks on the 1965 massacres and the festival’s permit was at stake.

Responding to the move, more than sixty notable writers from around the world joined PEN International — a global community of writers which promotes literature and freedom of expression founded in 1921 — in condemning the cancellations.

More than 60 writers from all over the world have joined PEN International in condemning the Indonesian authorities for forcing a local literary festival to cancel a series of events covering the 1965 massacre of hundreds of thousands of alleged communists.

They include acclaimed Icelandic lyricist Sjón, novelist Lionel Shriver, and British Pakistani writer and journalist Tariq Ali.

“Indonesian authorities have tightened the lid on the country’s past and taken a huge step backward,” stated Salil Tripathi, chair of PEN International’s Writers-in-Prison Committee.

The Indonesian creative community have also banded together and formed a petition to be able to openly discuss the 1965 massacres.

After a series of “repressive and violent acts” by authorities against any attempt to revisit the killings, Indonesia’s writers, journalists and artists issued a statement on 24 October.

Spotted on independent activism platform Green Left, the statement claimed, “Suharto may be gone but the guards of the old regime are still watching the people’s move, and in many cases, launching oppressive action to shut down people’s freedom.”