Petition regarding the 1965 massacres in Indonesia

Background
In 1965/66, up to a million Indonesians were massacred by the military, paramilitary and civilian mobs. Hundreds of thousands more were injured, disappeared, raped and imprisoned without trial.

Many of the mass murderers are still alive today and have never been brought to justice – on the contrary, the killers are celebrated as heroes. For fifty years the victims have been asking the government to Say Sorry for ‘65, but Indonesia denies these crimes even happened.

A new film, THE ACT OF KILLING, has finally exposed the staggering reality of Indonesia’s violence, and given the victims the chance they dream of. Take action now to support their call for Indonesia’s President to Say Sorry for ’65.

Petition wording
To:
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia
Albert Hasibuan, Presidential Adviser for Human Rights
Minta Maaf: Say Sorry for ’65

I am writing to you in solidarity with the 1965/66 victims and their families. I was shocked to learn that for almost 50 years, the government of Indonesia has ignored thousands of victims, while the victims and their families have been discriminated against and stigmatised.

In July 2012, the National Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM, finished their investigation about the 1965/66 events. They found clear evidence of crimes against humanity including murder, torture, rape, extermination, enforced disappearances, enslavement, and deprivation of liberty.

This report from your country’s own Human Rights Commission has finally revealed the truth of what happened. These events were a part of Indonesia’s history which continue to shape it today – they can no longer be ignored.

I too share the Indonesian values of democracy, justice and respect. I therefore support the call of the victims to ask you as President of Indonesia to formally acknowledge the atrocities and apologise to the victims and their families for the violence which took place in 1965/66, and the discrimination they and their families have experienced ever since.

Thank you for reading this letter.

Sincerely,
[Your name]