Historical Film on G 30 S PKI Communists: Truth or Fiction?
11 November 2013 19:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The film Penghianatan G S0 S PKI, or Treachery of G 30 S PKI, was an Indonesian documentary-drama made in 1984 based on the official claims of the government regarding the historical event.
The film, now described as propaganda, depicted the official New Order’s description of events leading to the coup and days after the incident. Amid the nation’s economic turbulence, six generals were kidnapped and killed by members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Air Force.
General Soeharto then appeared as the hero who managed to strike down the coup and urged society to honor those who died in their battle against all forms of communism.
This film also portrayed how the Indonesian government’s regime was transferred from President Soekarno, Indonesia’s first president, to Soeharto based on the New Order’s version of events. It also depicted the G 30 S movement as sadistic.
The movie was a commercial success and critically acclaimed. It was nominated for seven awards during the 1984 Indonesia Film Festival and was used as a tool for propaganda during the New Order regime for 13 years. Soeharto forced the only Indonesian national television at that time, TVRI, to play the movie each year on the night of September 30.
Despite its extremely violent scenes, this film was also included in the mandatory curriculum in schools.
However, television stations stopped annually airing the film following Soeharto’s downfall in 1998 as the rule stating the film must be played was also removed.
Although it was deemed a historical film for years, in 2012 the victims of the 1965 massacre declared the film Penghianatan G S0 S PKI, directed by Arifin C. Noer, as the New Order and Soeharto’s attempt to fool the nation.
The film is considered as a form of propaganda as the facts in the movie were twisted and made to make it seem like the communists were the villains. The 1965 tragedy is now considered as one of the most severe violations of human rights, according to the National Commission on Human Rights.
RINA ATMASARI