The Indonesian government's plan to release new history books has sparked concerns that some of the country's darkest chapters could be recast to show President Prabowo Subianto and late authoritarian ruler Suharto in a favorable light.
The 10-volume series would have an Indonesia-centric narrative and aims "to reinvent the Indonesian identity," Culture Minister Fadli Zon said in an interview.
Several historians said the commissioning of the books presents an opportunity for historical revisionism at a time when Indonesia's younger generations — largely responsible for Prabowo's resounding election victory last year — have little or no memory of Suharto's 1966-1998 New Order era.
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