About this episode

This episode explores the mass killings during Suharto's military coup in Indonesia and its lasting impact on the country.

The sixth episode in a series on the history of Indonesia: a hinge in the world system where colonialism and revolution have decisively shaped the trajectory of global history. This installment details Suharto’s right-wing military coup and the horrific political crime that accompanied it: the US-backed mass murder of Indonesian communists. The military’s mass slaughter inaugurated Suharto’s oligarchic, authoritarian, and corrupt New Order regime—a regime that would endure for three decades and continues to shape Indonesia to this day. Featuring Rianne Subijanto, Made Supriatma, and Farabi Fakih. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Subscribe to Dissent Magazine at dissentmag.org/subscribe Get 50% off From the Clinics to the Streets , or any first book purchase from plutobooks.com with code ‘DIG50’  

Sponsors

Dissent Magazine, Pluto Books

More episodes of The Dig

• Nusantara Ep. 7 – Suharto’s Fall · July 14, 2026
• Nusantara Ep. 5 – Armed Conflicts, Guided Democracy · June 13, 2026 · 2h 9m

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