Exposed: A Visual History of the Destruction of the Indonesian Left

by Geoffrey Robinson, Douglas Kammen

Overview

Exposed tells the story of the orchestrated mass violence of 1965–1968 in Indonesia and its aftermath. By highlighting visual imagery, Geoffrey Robinson and Douglas Kammen fill a void in existing accounts, challenge distorted official narratives, and establish a basis on which new social memories and interpretations might be formed.

Following an alleged coup attempt on October 1, 1965, at least half a million members of the legal Communist Party of Indonesia and other leftist organizations were killed and another million or so were detained and held for long periods without charge or trial. The consequences of these events were far-reaching and marked a crucial turning point in the Cold War. In less than a year, the largest non-governing Communist party in the world was crushed, and the country's popular left-nationalist President Sukarno was swept aside, signaling the start of more than three decades of military-backed authoritarian rule. Exposed is the first-ever visual history of these important, but long-obscured, events.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501780592
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	10/15/2025
Series:	Cornell Modern Indonesia Project
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Geoffrey Robinson is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). His research focuses on the history of political violence, genocide, and human rights, especially in Southeast Asia.

Douglas Kammen is Associate Professor in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. His research focuses on the history and politics of Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

What People are Saying About This

Karen Strassler

A vital contribution to the ongoing reckoning with Indonesia's darkest chapter. The photographs and other visual artifacts gathered in Exposed are not only painful records of the past but the raw materials of future histories.

John Roosa

This assemblage of images, painstakingly put together from disparate sources, including many personal collections, helps us to imagine ourselves at that time. Each image evokes a multitude of stories. This book is an essential source on Indonesia's postcolonial history.

Joshua Oppenheimer

Exposed gazes into an apparent void, straining to pierce its darkness with tender, unflinching eyes. The result is urgent and heartbreaking—an act of defiance against annihilation. In an era when impunity feeds corruption and despair everywhere, their book is a gift to humanity.