Mozes Gatotkaca, Memorials and Public Memories

There are several markers of the tragedy around the 1998 reform that have been built. Can the memorials help preserve public memories of the serious rights abuses occurring at the time?

KOMPAS/EDDY HASBY (ED)

Riot at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Friday (15/5/1998). Students and the public asked for government reform.

Jl Mozes Gatotkaca, a street located in Yogyakarta, appeared to be deserted on Saturday morning (13/5/2023). A number of shops selling cell phones along the road around 4 meters wide were open by noon. The street began to be busy when the afternoon was nearing.

The street was named Mozes Gatotkaca, a dead victim in the clash between student demonstrators and security officers on 8 May 1998 around Jl Gejayan, now already renamed Jl Affandi. Mozes was a graduate of the Akprind Institute of Science and Technology Yogyakarta. He was only earning a living when the conflict took place. In the location of Mozes’ torture, Stefanus Widaryanto, 39, also became a victim of security men’s beating.

When we met, he showed the trace of an old injury on the forehead. According to Widaryanto, at the time security personnel were fiercely beating up whoever presumed to be demonstrators. However, Widaryanto ran away and was helped by residents. Not long afterward, he was informed of a dead victim in the place where he had also been beaten, who was Mozes.

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The name Jl Mozes Gatotkaca was given as proposed by a priest of the Catholic Church, Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya, better known as Rama Mangun. Matius Dwijo Suprapto, 92, Widaryanto’s father, said the use of the name was meant to make the 8 May 1998 incident hard for the public to forget.

Yet at present, 25 years later, a number of people engaged in activities on Jl Mozes Gatotkaca have no knowledge of the history of the street’s name, including several students. It is only known as a street where many shops are selling cell phones.

Chairman of the Faculty of Letters’ History Department, Sanata Dharma University, Silverio RL Aji Sampurno, admitted many students were unfamiliar with the May 1998 incident. Even some young lecturers have no proper understanding of the event. Silverio, who accompanied his students when the May 1998 demonstration was staged, revealed the victims subjected to the security personnel’s violent action were not active protesters. They were just hanging around or even people walking near the protest activity, so they had no idea what to do when the personnel attacked them.

KOMPAS/PRAYOGI DWI SULISTYO

Jalan Mozes Gatotkaca in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Saturday (13/5/2023). Mozes Gatotkaca is the name of a victim who died during clashes between security forces and demonstrators during the May 1998 tragedy in Yogyakarta. Mozes was a victim, although he was not involved in the demonstration during the clashes.

Pondok Ranggon

At the Pondok Ranggon Public Cemetery, East Jakarta, there is also a monument of the 1998 tragedy. It is located precisely beside the graveyard of victims of the 13-15 May 1998 riots. The monument is in the form of a hand covered with cloth and a needle as well as stitching and dangling thread.

The monument, officially unveiled in 2015, is wearing away with age. Its paint is peeling, turning in color from gray into white. Its needle is also rusting, while its support weathers into yellow. According to cemetery watchman Rohmat, 59, the number of visitors before and after the presence of the monument has not changed much. But this memorial has become a marker that makes it easier for pilgrims to find the graveyard of 1998 victims.

The monument with its needle, thread and cloth was created by survivors themselves.

A commissioner of the National Commission on Antiviolence against Women, Theresia Sri Endras Iswarini, said it had taken almost a year to achieve agreement between survivors on the shape of the monument.

“The monument with its needle, thread and cloth was created by survivors themselves. It took almost a year for the survivors to agree on the objects for memorialization,” said Iswarini.

She explained the needle, thread and cloth constituted a symbol to indicate that what had been torn must be resewn.

Trisakti Monument

There is yet another monument of the 12 May 1998 tragedy at Trisakti University. The building reminds people of the death of four student demonstrators demanding former president Soeharto step down and at the same time serving as an icon of students’ struggle at the moment of reform. Several drying bouquets, flower wreaths and petals are lying in a row at the monument. They symbolize the 12 May commemoration, always remembered by students every year. A number of students are aware the Trisakti monument marks the 12 May 1998 incident, but they do not understand the history behind this memorial.

Student presidential chair of Trisakti University, Vladima Insan Mahardika, acknowledged not all students understood the history of his campus’ monument. He still has the assignment of imparting understanding to his peers, who were mostly born after the tragedy.

FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Photos of four Trisakti University students who were killed while fighting for reform are kept in front of the May 12 Tragedy Monument, Trisakti University, Thursday (11/5/2023).

According to a witness of Trisakti student shootings in 1998, Advendi Simangunsong, the echo of the 12 May 1998 commemoration is fading. The incident has become merely a historical record.

“Twelve May no longer belongs to the nation now, in my view. Twelve May is only a historical record, but whether this is made into a kind of momentum for or starting point of reform, many government circles have no idea of this 12 May [commemoration],” said Advendi, who at the time was a Trisakti Economics Faculty lecturer.

Twelve May no longer belongs to the nation now.

Advendi indicated the fading echo of the commemoration was due to politicians who only utilize the commemoration for their own popularity. This is done without the follow-up of offering profound understanding. In his view, cooperation between various parties is needed to preserve collective memories.

He appreciated the government’s recognition of the Trisakti 1998 incident as a tragedy, but this does not yet settle the problem. If the government recognizes the wrongdoing of the security personnel in 1998, the perpetrators involved should be uncovered. According to Advendi, history will pass, but there should be some memories of state organizers. The House of Representatives needs to make a statement or decision that 12 May is a national day.

Younger generation

Chairman of the Law Faculty’s Center for Legal and Social Justice Studies, Gadjah Mada University, Herlambang P Wiratraman, pointed out the many young people lacking the understanding of serious rights abuses of the past had been due to the state’s fairly long cover-up of the basic issue of human rights.

There are even attempts at repression. Survivors or their families are stigmatized and persecuted. The state systematically uses its power not to reveal cases of serious rights violations. Consequently, the public has no learning opportunity.

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“The public never knows what happens, what incident, who is responsible. Instead of expecting no recurrence, what happens is just repeated violence after violence,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of memorials, especially related to human rights. This is because speaking of human rights not only concerns legal cases but also human civilization issues.

Herlambang added the process of promoting public intelligence for the advancement of human civilization had no time limits nor did it only involve legal cases. It is an important event that should be communicated from one generation to another to prevent any recurrence. (Z17)

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.