Issue and Opponent: During 1997 and 1998, the Indonesian economy suffered major crises due to the general poor monetary situation in Asia. Since the beginning of March 1998, all students and pro-democracy organizations took to the streets of Jakarta to demand reform against President Suharto’s government due to the Orba’s (New Order) government’s constant practices of corruption, collusion, and nepotism, in addition to the deficient response to the difficult economic situation.
Dilemma Action: The crisis led to university student protests and demands for the political and economic reform of the New Order regime. On May 12, 1998, students, staff, and lecturers of Trisakti University planned a non-violent protest and gathered in the parking lot of the University. All the actions of the students spilled into the street, but they were stopped by the national police, and military enforcement opened fire against the protesters. Four students were shot and killed from a distance by the military, which triggered riots in different cities and other Universities. About 1,200 people were killed, mostly trapped inside buildings that were set alight.
Outcome: On May 21, 1998, President Suharto resigned. The events caused a massive internal clean-up, officially called “internal consolidation”, of the eleven officers suspected to perpetuate the deaths. However, the consolidation only removed some officers, while the attitude of the police and military who remained in office was not reformed. Trisakti’s tragedy later became one example of human rights violations in Indonesia. The four students killed in the first protest are considered heroes of the nation.