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Dead of May 1998 to be memorialized
(JP/Jerry Adiguna)The Jakarta administration plans to establish a memorial site at a mass grave in Pondok Ranggon Cemetery in East Jakarta in remembrance of the victims of the deadly riots of May 1998
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(JP/Jerry Adiguna) (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
(JP/Jerry Adiguna)
The Jakarta administration plans to establish a memorial site at a mass grave in Pondok Ranggon Cemetery in East Jakarta in remembrance of the victims of the deadly riots of May 1998.
Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama said he supported the call by the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) for a location for a memorial site.
'It has been confirmed that the location will be at Pondok Ranggon. They [Komnas Perempuan] also asked us to refurbish their needle monument,' Ahok said recently.
He was referring to a needle-shaped monument called Prasasti Jarum Mei 1998 made by victims of the riots, which symbolizes their open wounds. Currently, the monument is on display at Komnas Perempuan's office on Jl. Latuharhari in Central Jakarta.
Commissioner of Komnas Perempuan Neng Dara Affiah said she hoped the city would involve victims of the May riots in determining a more permanent site for the needle monument.
She said Komnas Perempuan had been urging the city to build a memorial at the victims' graves in Pondok Ranggon Cemetery because there was currently no clear indication of their presence.
'We want street directions, signs at the graves and information about the riots in the cemetery compound,' she told The Jakarta Post.
The mass grave of the riot victims is currently in a neglected condition. The 300-square-meter grave is overgrown. The gravestone reads 'Korban Tragedi 13-15 Mei 1998 Jakarta' (Victims of the May 13-15, 1998 Tragedy in Jakarta), but it is barely legible.
The cemetery entrance also does not give directions or indicators about the presence of the mass grave. 'I just haven't got the time to cut the grass. Usually, I do it in early May because the victims' families from Klender in East Jakarta visit the compound in the middle of May,' Sarmija, a caretaker, said.
Neng said besides pushing the administration to erect the monument, Komnas Perempuan also requested the integration of key riot sites in the city's list of historical sites.
In May last year, the organization and a number of survivors held a tour of some sites where key events in the riots took place.
Head of the Jakarta Tourism Agency Arie Budiman said the administration would facilitate the request to integrate riot sites in tourism lists, but the selection of the sites should involve historians and other parties related to the May riots such as university students.
'The May riots are not only a part of the history of Jakarta, but also a national event. We will still need historians and other parties to discuss the validity of sites,' he told the Post.
Neng said she was optimistic about achieving their goals. 'The most important thing is that they've got our message. We hope to see the realization soon and we will keep reminding them about the plans,' she said.
The riots that preceded the downfall of the Soeharto regime took place from May 13 to 15, 1998, following the shooting of Trisakti University students on May 12 in Jakarta. At least 1,000 people were killed during the riots, which took place simultaneously in several cities, including Surakarta.
'Many people seem to have forgotten the tragedy. We must never forget the events of our history even the bitter ones. It is important so that we do not repeat the same tragedies in the future,' Neng said.
Komnas Perempuan's list of key locations:
1. Prasasti Jarum Mei 1998 (May 1998 Needle Monument), Komnas Perempuan office, Central Jakarta
2. Pondok Ranggon Cemetery, East Jakarta
3. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Central Jakarta
4. Shops in Glodok, West Jakarta
5. Former Plaza Yogya Klender, East Jakarta
6. Trisakti University's 12 Mei 1998 Monument and Trisakti Museum, West Jakarta
7. Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, Central Jakarta
8. The House of Representatives building, Central Jakarta
9. The Presidential Palace, Central Jakarta
10. '13-14 Mei 1998' Building at Komunitas Utan Kayu, East Jakarta
