Crushing The Rebellions of 1965–1966 — large scale political, state-sponsored killings in Indonesia between 30th September 1965, into 1966
State-sponsored mass killings in Indonesia from 1965–1966 killed up to one million people, dismantled the PKI, and brought Suharto to power for three decades.
Key Facts
- Estimated death toll (low)
- 500,000 people
- Estimated death toll (high)
- 1,000,000–3,000,000 people
- Primary target group
- PKI members and alleged sympathizers
- Duration
- October 1965 to early 1966
- Officers trained by U.S.
- over 1,200 military officers
- Outcome for PKI
- Disbanded and banned
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
An attempted coup on 30 September 1965, carried out by the 30 September Movement, provided the Indonesian Army under General Suharto with a pretext to blame the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). The Army swiftly banned independent news sources and launched a propaganda campaign, framing the PKI as responsible. Cold War geopolitics also drew covert support from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia for anti-communist forces.
From October 1965 into early 1966, the Indonesian Army and local vigilante groups conducted large-scale killings targeting PKI members, alleged sympathizers, Gerwani women, ethnic Chinese, trade unionists, atheists, and other leftists. The violence began in Jakarta, spread across Central and East Java, Bali, and northern Sumatra, peaking in late 1965. Estimates of those killed range from 500,000 to as many as 2–3 million people.
The killings resulted in the complete elimination of the PKI as a political force, its disbandment and legal prohibition, and the fall of President Sukarno. Suharto consolidated power and ruled Indonesia for approximately three decades under the authoritarian 'New Order' regime. The events remain largely suppressed in Indonesian public memory and history education, while stigma against communism persisted as a defining feature of Suharto's governance.