Genocide Finally Enters Public Discourse : The International People’s Tribunal 1965

This article describes public discussion in Indonesia and abroad before, during and after the International People’s Tribunal 1965 (IPT). Hearings were held in The Hague in November 2015. As a “tribunal of inquiry,” it derived its legitimacy from Indonesian and international civil society, while seeking guidance from conscience and the highest principles of international law and justice.

Although pressure had grown since democratization in 1998 for action to resolve the numerous crimes against humanity committed against presumed communists in 1965, the government appears unable and unwilling to follow up. The IPT was one among many transitional justice initiatives undertaken by civil society as a result. Here we summarize the process of the hearings and the final report by a panel of international judges, as well as the reception of the report in Indonesia and abroad.