ABOUT
Warisan Ingatan is a series of webinars initiated by several artists, scholars, and people from civil society who are concerned with Indonesian history. Warisan Ingatan attempts to present alternative narratives of the 1965 Tragedy. Memory is part of the human experience of time and may be defined as how one makes sense of the past in the present. Memory is also essential to social construction, production, and daily performance. Through research, discussions, and spontaneous expression, Warisan Ingatan opens a space to recollect and discuss past experiences. All discussions are conducted in Indonesian.
Illustrations by Sirin Farid Stevy.
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UPCOMING WEBINAR
March 2025!
2024
Passing Down Memories of the Leftist Movement in the Digital Space
Rika Theo from Gerak Ingatan and Andreas Iswinarto from the 1965-66 Genocide Online Library share the unseen efforts behind digital archiving. They recount the initial steps in building this platform, from creating accounts and organizing collections to uploading digital materials. Each step is a commitment to keeping collective memory alive and accessible.
In this session of Warisan Ingatan (memory as heritage), Rika and Andreas invite us to explore the emergence of alternative archiving, as well as the processes and challenges involved in documenting the past to preserve it for future generations.
2022
About the Political Prisoners of Buru Island
The 1965 Tragedy was the beginning of systematic mass killings and arrests carried out by the military under Major General Suharto in 1965-66. Every day, those with leftist views were detained in various places in Indonesia and had to deal with the brutality of military violence. In this discussion, three survivors share their life stories on the island of exile, Buru Island.
Forbidden Melodies
The practice of silencing criticism in every era and regime has specific patterns, not only limited to books but also music, which is also subject to prohibition or censorship. The form of artwork and creativity of composers/artists, whether in the form of performances or certain recordings, have been banned or censored for various reasons. In Europe in the 1940s, the Nazis prohibited musicians of Jewish descent from working and playing their songs in concert halls because of antisemitism. In Indonesia, such music bans have also occurred. Music by several leftist musicians was prohibited, one of which was the song “Genjer-genjer.” Why is music scary? What exactly is music censorship? Why is it censored? What was the socio-political context behind it? This time, Joss Wibisono and Arief Subekti will explore the history of musical silence from two tragedies.
2021
Recollecting Memories and the Forgotten Through Writing
We are sometimes forced to live with the shadow of trauma throughout our lives. Some of us even have to take trauma for granted. Uchikowati, a 65 Survivor, has been through such an experience. However, she decided to confront her childhood trauma during the 65 Tragedy. By sharing her experiences, she can heal her wounds. In this Warisan Ingatan, Uchikowati, along with Magdalena Sitorus, who wrote for her, shares the story of her journey. And what does Daniel Sihombing have to say about reminiscing through writing? Join us for the Warisan Ingatan 10, hosted by Bilven from Ultimus Publishers.
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On 65 Survivors’ Advocacy
Assisting survivors of ’65, especially the first generation who are now entering retirement age, is not elderly assistance in general.
In Yogyakarta, a group of young people, “FOPPERHAM,” is assisting survivors of ’65 in empowering them to find breakthroughs in advocacy for their rights, both as elderly and as victims of human rights violations. Meanwhile, the 65 survivors in the Netherlands have a different story. Their existence as asylum seekers who have struggled to find their place in the host country find their way to act together for recognition as victims.
In this webinar, we explore the advocacy and organizing movement in two different spaces, Indonesia and the Netherlands, as a basis for advocating for their rights.
Women Writers Who Have Been Deleted from Indonesian Women’s History and Modern Literature
The names of women writers, such as Sugiarti Siswadi and S. Rukiah, are almost unknown in the history and literacy of Indonesia. Yet, it is crucial to acknowledge their names because, during the time of the independence revolution and the first two decades after, they presented stories from the women’s perspective, which were dominated by male writers.
How did Ni Made Purnamasari study Sugiarti Siswadi and Giovanni Austriningrum on Rukiah Kertapati? Moderated by Ika Krismantari of Ingat 65, Warisan Ingatan discusses women writers whose names are deliberately omitted from Indonesian women’s history and modern literature. What does the existence of their writings mean to us today? Let’s join us in our 8th Warisan Ingatan series.
Unlocking the Chain of Memories of 1965
Magdalena Sitorus describes her experiences of meeting female survivors. Magda shares her empathy with them and writes their memories for them. She turned their memories into a literary memoir. This time, Magdalena Sitorus shares her story with Dewi Kharisma Michellia about how she traced and unlocked the chain of memories of the survivors.
Understanding “1965” through Films
Indonesian historiography on the Events of 1965 has been dominated by the military authoritarian version for over 30 years. A single and biased narration has been spread and mediated through different means. While scholars and activists have produced works of great importance and highlighted lies and the complexity of the 1965-66 period, they have remained unnoticed by many despite constant efforts to make them accessible to the majority. In the last few years, partly in response to what some have described as the “visual turn,” more people have been paying attention to visual materials and trying to counter the New Order version, mainly spread through images with the same means. These images allow us to imagine the past more vividly, and they bring us ‘face-to-face’ with history. They have a more substantial impact on the way one feels and understands what happened. In this talk, Fanny and Adrian discuss films and how these moving images can be powerful, sometimes more than text.
1965 Campaign Strategy on Social Media
Friends of 1965 Setiap Hari carried out a campaign on social media highlighting crimes against humanity that have not been resolved until today. How do they do it? Fitri Mohan and Mikael Johani share their strategies.
The Story of Political Prisoners of 65: Who Are They?
How do political prisoners differ from prisoners under common law? How were political prisoners accused of communism treated in prison during the New Order era? Here, Mudjiati and Tumiso tell their stories.
Documenting the History of 1965 Through Writings and Photos
How does the third generation understand the historical narrative of the 1965 tragedy in Indonesia? Through the testimonies of the survivors, Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi and Adrian Mulya tried to reveal the historical facts.
Women Fighter Behind Bars
Under the political pressure of the New Order regime, Utati and Sri Muhayati continued to struggle to defend their humanity and even their femininity. Facing an inhuman life while in prison, they never lost their compassion. As it happens, they showed their strength by continuing the solidarity that has survived to this day.
Understanding the Events of 1965: Voice of the Third Generation
Rangga Purbaya and Sirin Farid Stevy from FIS 65 discussed the visual method of the oral stories of 65 survivors and their families. They also explained the data collection process and its challenges.
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