Power and the Production of History

The Dutch government and academic institutions waited many decades before conducting a large-scale research into violence during the Indonesian War of Independence (1945-1949). When the government finally decided to fund an investigation in 2016, it soon became clear that there were differing opinions about its implementation, not only externally, but also internally among the participating researchers. Although these internal discussions are not included in the 2022 summary volume Beyond the Pale: Dutch Extreme Violence in the Indonesian War of Independence, 1945-1949, they are part of the project’s process of knowledge production. This essay reflects on some of the internal discussions and their relationship to the final outcomes of the ODGOI project.