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aking to the streets is no longer the only way to right society’s wrongs for college students, with activists today preferring to go online to engage with digital communities to enact change.

Rallies no longer had a significant effect on upholding justice, according to Harris Naga Putra, a member of the student presidium (Presma) at Trisakti University, who said that demonstrations often ended ambiguously.

“In addition, people now see rallies as a negative thing or as a cause of severe traffic jams in the city and else, generating an antipathy among public.”

Harris said that social media had become very influential in shaping public opinion and taking advantage of it was more relevant for upholding justice.

“To make change, we need support from the people. Through social media, we can at least let them know about what we’re trying to do. We can’t fight alone,” he said after a discussion on Wednesday to commemorate the 1998 shootings on campus.

On May 12, 1998, four Trisakti students — Hendriawan Lesmana, Hafidin Royan, Heri Hartanto and Elang Mulya — were shot dead by soldiers during a protest at the campus demanding the resignation of then president Soeharto.

The incident triggered a riot in which at least 1,200 people were killed. Soeharto resigned nine days later, ushering in the Reform era.

None of the shooters, however, have been identified or brought to justice.

Several NGOs and family members of those slain in 1998 in rallies on Friday outside the office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto and the State Palace on Friday, demanding that the government to resolve allegations of human rights violations surrounding the tragedy.

“In May 2011, the President has mandated [Djoko] to form a team to find the best format to solve the case,” Yati Andriani of the Commission of Missing Person and Victim of Violence (Kontras) said. “It’s been a year without us knowing the progress of what the team has actually done.”

Kontras has organized a series of event to commemorate the tragedy, a ceremony at Pondok Rangon cemetery on Sunday and plans to send 1,000 letters to the President’s Advisory Council on Monday. (aml)