Public figures to attend open speech event commemorating July 27 tragedy

A number of public figures will attend an open speech event to commemorate the bloody takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 15 years ago, on Wednesday.

An event committee member, Mustar Bona Ventura, said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday, that several figures confirmed they would attend, including former coordinating economic minister Kwik Kian Gie, senior director Ratna Sarumpaet and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Ribka Tjiptaning.

Mustar added that the victims’ families forum, the Pro Democracy network, and students would also attend the event, which will be held in front of the PDI’s former headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro 58, Central Jakarta.

However, Megawati, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) would not attend the event as she attended the party national coordination meeting in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The open speech event is held to commemorate the tragedy that occurred 15 years ago, shortly after the PDI split, with Megawati and the New Order-backed Surjadi both claiming themselves party leader.

On July 27, 1996 dozens of young men resembling military members, claiming to be supporters of Surjadi, attacked the PDI's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, where thousands of people gathered in support of Megawati. According to the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the riot claimed five lives and injured hundreds of people.

Komnas HAM later revealed that on July 24 a meeting led by Jakarta's then Military Command chief of staff Brig. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seized the PDI headquarters from Megawati's supporters.