Indonesian Mass Killings of Suspected Communists

AD – MPE: 0.04

ND – MPE: 0.45

The article called “Indonesia: Assaults against the Communist Party” on the website “Mass Atrocity Endings” summarizes the research on the total number of deaths: “In thirty-nine articles and studies compiled in 1990 by Robert Cribb, a prominent expert on Indonesian history, the range of victims falls between 78,000 and 2,000,000. A scholarly consensus has settled on a figure of 400,000-500,000, but the correct figure, as noted by Cribb, could be half or twice as much.”

The Wikipedia-article called “Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66” cites expert estimates, which range from 0.45 to 1 million killings. It seems that the majority of victims were civilians or prisoners.

The United States supported the killings with money, arms, training, radio equipment, propaganda efforts, diplomacy and a list of people to be murdered. Britain and Australia also supported the government during the killings. Western support was highly significant. I blame advanced democracies for 3 to 13 percent of the victims. 0.04 million is the most plausible estimate.

Plausible estimates for the number of civilians and prisoners killed by nondemocratic forces range from 0.2 to 0.8 million. I choose 0.45 million as the most plausible estimate.