As survivors begin telling their stories, one of the darkest periods of Indonesian history has unfolded, little by little.

In 1965, rumours circulated that senior army officials were planning a coup against then-President Sukarno. In response to these rumours, six generals were abducted and killed on 1 October 1965. The Indonesian military blamed the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) for the attempted coup, and kicked off a massive Communist purge across the country. Between 500,000 to three million Indonesians are estimated to have been killed, on top of many more political prisoners.

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Rosa Panggabean is a freelance photographer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She previously worked for an Indonesian photo agency and a local newspaper as a staff photojournalist. During that time, she covered many issues, from daily life, politics, sports, to major disasters. Her works have been published in local and international publications through Reuters syndication.

Aisyah Llewellyn is a British freelance writer based in Medan, Indonesia. She is a former diplomat and writes primarily about Indonesian politics, culture, travel and food.