Censorship, Resistance and Transformation in Modern Indonesian Literature

Abstract

This paper investigates the way in which Indonesian literature has reflected violations of human rights in Indonesia in the last
decade of the New Order (1990-1998). The regime was authoritarian and responded harshly to any challenge which could
cause trouble to national stability. Some writers, such as Seno Gumira Ajidarma, used the power of allegory to resist this
oppression. The three works examined here – ‘Saksi Mata’, ‘Pelajaran Sejarah’, and ‘Misteri Kota Ninggi’ – can be considered
as a form of resistance literature.