The Indonesian government has issued a response to The Act of Killing, the award-winning documentary about the large-scale massacres in the country in the 1960s, after the film was nominated for the best documentary Oscar.

presidential spokesman for foreign affairs Teuku Faizasyah is quoted as saying: "[Indonesia] is portrayed as a cruel and lawless nation ... The film portrayed Indonesia as backwards, as in the 1960s. That is not appropriate, not fitting. It must be remembered [that] Indonesia has gone through a reformation. Many things have changed ... One's perception should not be so heavily influenced by just that one film."

Despite a National Commission on Human Rights report that described the killings as "a serious human rights violation and a crime against humanity", no group has ever been held responsible for the widespread brutality, aimed largely at communists following a failed coup in 1965. The Act of Killing, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, persuades some of the participants to re-enact their gruesome crimes.

Teuku also said: "Many countries have similar bleak [moments] in their history," he said. "Do not label a country so easily. We have to remember the history of slavery in the United States, the aboriginals in Australia, the bombings of Vietnam by America. There are elements of violations against humanity in many other nations ... One must remember that the problem occurred in the context of the Cold War, a war against communism."

The film's Oscar nomination also triggered outrage in China, as members of the Chinese community in Indonesia were targeted during the massacres, as well as in more recent riots in the late 90s.

Joshua Oppenheimer (@JoshuaOppenheim) Indonesian gov finally responds (inadequately) to The Act of Killing & it's whole front page of the @thejakartaglobe pic.twitter.com/GbBJypX3F8

Posting a picture of the front page of the Jakarta Globe on Twitter, Oppenheimer described the government response as "inadequate". The Globe reports that the Indonesian supreme court is still considering the NCHR report, but that activists are not expecting official positions to change. Asep Kambali, historian and founder of the Indonesian Historians Community, said: "So long as the government does not push this to be pursued further, there will be no serious effort."

• Act of Killing triggers outcry in China

• Joshua Oppenheimer on The Act of Killing and its impact in the United States