A famous news and current affairs website, ABC news, covers Dewi Anggraeni’s powerful and engaging but agonising story, My Pain, My Country. Story about an unforgettable national scandal in Indonesia. The 276-page novel, covers all the chaotic events that took place almost 20 years ago.

According to Dewi, the main purpose of writing the book in English is to shed light on lost details of the riots and to let the people know the full truth. “I got the impression that people living outside of Indonesia, even in Australia, did not understand the 1998 riots properly.” The novel tells the story of a Chinese-Indonesian woman caught up in the violent protests that led to President Suharto’s fall.

The riots and a series of chaotic events resulted in the targeting of Chinese community, their houses were burnt, people were killed and many women were reportedly gang raped. A young Indonesian woman of Chinese descent felt compelled to help her fellow student activists but finds herself in harm’s way amid the mass gang-raping of Chinese women.

Nina’s story will definitely leave you emotionless and sympathetic for her. It’s a must read story for those who want to know the truth, who are interested in Indonesia’s history and its contemporary situation. The riots and events had a long lasting effect on country’s overall public and next rulers.

Visit link to read article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-03/indonesia-riots-fighting-stereotypes-through-the-lens-of-1998/9201122