How does torture become normal? Indonesia's New Order regime, 1965-1998 (2017-2021)

This project aims to find out how torture became normal under the New Order military regime in Indonesia (1965-1998). By mapping the experiences of thousands of men, women and children, the research will investigate when, how and in which contexts torture was perpetrated throughout the history of the regime. By combining select statistical methods with textual analysis, the project will map the historical spread and evolution of torture. The results of this study will uncover how serious violence becomes entrenched within security forces, how specific forms of torture evolve over time, and reveal the relationship between spectacular and interrogative forms of this violence. This may lead to effective interventions to prevent torture.