The politicization of psychology: the role of psychologists in Indonesia’s detention camps during New Order Era

The study investigates the rationalities and implications of the use of psychol-ogy in Indonesia’s detention camp during New Order Era. The historical event on 30 September 1965 led to mass arrest and killings of people who accused as communists. The tendency in complying capitalistic development agenda in Suharto regime resulted to long-term incarceration for the prison-ers. Psychology was allegedly involved in this process. The study provides the perspectives of the actors; the government, the ex-prisoners, and the psy-chologists in the attempt to understand the complexity of psychologists’ role in the program. I applied Foucault’s concept of governmentality to look at how ex-perts’ power/knowledge are critical in the implementation of development practices. The data was obtained through three data collection methods; sec-ondary data, oral history, and interviews. The evidence shows that psycholo-gists involved in the design of indoctrination programs and the development of psycho-tests for the political prisoners which later used as screening tests for particular groups in the society. Their involvement was used to control the prisoners and the population’ mentality; gave a scientific legitimation for government’s action internationally and domestically; and proved the politicization of science in executing the practice of government.