The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta recently declassified almost 30,000 pages of records from 1964 to 1968, which has helped shed further light on the extent of American knowledge and support of the Indonesian Massacre of 1965-66. The Indonesian massacre was the mass anti-communist killings that resulted in the death of  an estimated 500,000 to one million Indonesians. The records were released earlier this month after renewed public interest in these events, and was the product of a joint effort between the National Security Archive, based out of George Washington University, and the National Declassification Center within the National Archives. These new documents reveal that not only was the U.S. government aware of the killings as they were being carried out, but also sought to assist the Indonesian military in their anti-communist campaign through provisions such as “kill lists” with the names of suspected communists.

According to deputy Asia director Phelim Kline of Human Rights Watch, the documents “[clarify] U.S. officials had detailed knowledge of the mass killings in Indonesia in 1965-66”, but that the government must ensure that remaining documents are declassified and released to the public. All Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents on the issue, however, remain classified, and experts are skeptical that records of the CIA’s intelligence gathering procedures and covert operations in Indonesia during this period will be released. However, the documents released so far are important for those seeking greater insight into the role of the U.S. government at the time. New Mexico Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and an advocate for the release of these records, said that their declassification marks “an important step as we seek to close a dark and horrific chapter of the 20th century.” Udall contends, as do many, that the events of 1965-66 constitute “crimes against humanity.”

Media coverage of the declassification has primarily focused on the potential for this knowledge to help Indonesia confront a crisis that continues to foster deep divides within the country. With the ability to potentially shed light on the massacre and answer previously unanswered questions, these declassified reports can prove to be an important step in the quest for long-lasting peace in a country still deeply affected by the atrocities committed in 1965 and 1966.

Furthermore, these documents are also important for the manner in which they reveal the very nature of American foreign policy at the time- a policy of militarism and disregard for human rights and the rule of law. Indonesia played an important role in U.S. Cold War strategy, and planners hoped that it would serve as a bulwark against communism in the volatile Asia region. It was around this time that the U.S. was escalating its war against communist guerrillas in Vietnam, so ensuring a U.S.-backed government in Indonesia was considered crucial. The U.S.’ fixation on halting the spread of communism in Asia was due to the recognition that communist ideology was not exclusively localized to national Soviet movements. Unfortunately, the U.S.’ efforts to decelerate the spread of communism and Soviet influence in Asia resulted in potentially a million deaths, as these declassified reports suggest. Many of those killed in Indonesia were members of the intelligentsia or already-marginalised groups such as ethnic Chinese, and did not constitute a threat to the United States.

These documents should prompt a discussion on the nature of American foreign policy, as well as the negative consequences that come along with interventionism and militarism worldwide. The newly acquired information on the U.S.’ role in the Indonesian Massacre can also serve as a reference point to the potential implications on world peace of contemporary American involvement in regions such as the Middle East. Finally, these declassified reports can serve as a basis to ensure future U.S. involvement worldwide does not follow a path of similar neglect for human rights and the rule of law.