Around 3,500 Trisakti University students are gathering today to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the Trisakti tragedy that took place on May 12, 1998.
The students are marching from the National Museum to the State Palace, both in Central Jakarta, today.
“During this march, we will wear black ribbons [to remember the fallen],” said Trisakti student association president Muhamad Puri Handamas, as quoted by Tempo today.
Muhammad hopes that the current government can reveal the truth behind the tragedy, given that President Jokowi promised during his presidential campaign that he would bring to justice those who violated human rights laws.
“[President] Jokowi is a product of [the 1998 Democratic] Reforms,” he said.
May 12, 1998 will always be remembered as a dark day for Trisakti University. As students protested and demanded democratic reforms, four of the university’s students – Hendriawan Sie, Hery Hartanto, Elang Mulya Lesmana, and Hafidhin Royan – were shot dead by government authorities. To this day, the people responsible for their deaths have not been brought to justice.
