Prabowo Opens Renovated Museum of Communists Crimes on Pancasila Sanctity Day

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian President and Vice President Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka attended a ceremony marking Pancasila Sanctity Day at the Pancasila Sakti Monument in Jakarta on Thursday, October 1, 2026. During the event, Prabowo inaugurated a nearby renovated museum, focused on the violent actions by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI).

Pancasila Sanctity Day is observed in Indonesia every October 1 to commemorate the failed coup attempt by the September 30 Movement (G30S) on the night of September 30 and into October 1, 1965. The official state narrative says the attempt was carried out by the PKI, leading to the party's dissolution and the subsequent persecution of hundreds of thousands to millions of its members without trial.

Pancasila comprises five principles put forward by Indonesian national leaders in 1945 as the foundation of a diverse Indonesian state. The five principles are "belief in the one and only God; just and civilized humanity; the unity of Indonesia; democracy guided by the wisdom of deliberation and representation; and social justice for all Indonesian people."

President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran arrived at the ceremony venue at around 8 a.m. local time. Prabowo, who served as the ceremony's inspector, led a moment of silence to honor the country's heroes, particularly the seven senior Indonesian military officers who were killed during the G30S coup attempt and later declared "Heroes of the Revolution".

"To honor the souls and services of our heroes, the nation's fighters, and especially the Heroes of the Revolution, let us begin the moment of silence," Prabowo said.

After the ceremony, Prabowo and Gibran were seen visiting the "death well," where the seven heroes were thrown after being shot dead by G30S members. Accompanied by several state officials, including Indonesian House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, Prabowo appeared to pray in front of the well.

On the occasion, Prabowo also inaugurated the Pancasila Sanctity Museum. Previously known as the PKI Betrayal Museum, the museum underwent renovations with support from Indonesia's Ministry of Culture.

"With the grace of Almighty God. I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, hereby inaugurate the renovation of the Pancasila Sanctity Museum," Prabowo said in front of the museum before signing the inauguration plaque.

The museum has been given a new look, with lighting and displays redesigned to place greater focus on the dioramas and historical collections, as well as incorporating interactive and immersive technology. However, the dioramas and narratives on display remain unchanged: depicting acts of violence attributed to the PKI from the early years of independence—including the 1948 Madiun uprising in East Java—to the G30S coup attempt, which the official narrative describes as an attempt to replace the Pancasila state with a communist one.

"We hope the public will visit this place as an important part of our long history, and, above all, as a reminder that we have agreed on Pancasila as our binding power," Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said, emphasizing the resilience of Pancasila.