Trisakti Tragedy

In May 1998, a large-scale student demonstration demanding total

governmental reform and better handling of the countys financial crisis
resulted in four students being shot by the military. This tragedy is called
Trisakti Tragedy. Trisakti Tragedy occurred at Trisakti University, Jakarta,
Indonesia on 12 May 1998. At a demonstration demanding President
Suharto's resignation, soldiers opened fire on protestors. Four students,
Elang Mulia Lesmana, Heri Hertanto, Hafidin Royan, and Hendriawan Sie,
were killed and dozens more were injured. The shootings caused riots to
break out throughout Indonesia, eventually leading to Suharto's resignation.
Background
The Indonesian economy suffered in 1997 and 1998 due to the Asian
financial crisis. The value of the Rupiah plummeted, with a record exchange
rate of 2,682 rupiah per US$ by 13 August 1997 and continuing to free-fall,
and then it reached 15.000 rupiah per US$ by May 1998. This condition
resulted rampant public distrust to the government. Further, social
movement occurred throughout Indonesia that demanding Suhartos
resignation.
Chronology
A planned non-violent protest against the Suharto government started
at Trisakti University on 12 May 1998. By 10:00 AM, more than 6,000 people,
they were students, lecturers, and staff had assembled in the university
parking lot. The demonstrators began by lowering the Indonesian flag to halfmast.
As noon approached, protestors prepared for a long march to the
People's Representative Council Building. A few hundred meters from the
campus, they were stopped by the Indonesian National Police. In response,
the protestors conducted a sit-in, and blocked completely S. Parman
Street. The military arrived to reinforce the Police. At 15:30, Dean of the
Faculty of Law Adi Andojo convinced the demonstrators to return to the
Trisakti campus.
Around at 17:00 PM, most of the demonstrators returned to the
campus as well as the military and police moved ahead. Both military, police
and demonstrators insulted each others. Not long afterwards, military and
police opened fire that causing the protestors to panic and scatter. Two
students, Elang Mulya Lesmana and Hendriawan Sie, were shot and killed
while they attempted to enter the Dr. Syarif Thayeb building.
An hour later, students who had not taken refuge within university
buildings congregated in the open central plaza. Soldiers who stayed at
the nearby rooftops continued shooting, wounding more students and
killing two students, Heri Hartanto and Hafidin Royan. At 20:00 PM, the
shootings stopped and the wounded students were rushed to nearby
hospitals.

At 22:00 PM, Adi Andojo announced at a press conference broadcast

live on the campus radio station that four students had been killed, and he
released their names. Although the military denied using live ammunition,
autopsy reports indicated that the students had been shot with live
rounds from a distance.