Remembering May 12, 1998 through Art

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The walls underneath the flyover on Jalan S. Parman in Grogol, West Jakarta are adorned with bright murals with a rather grim a theme - remembering the Trisakti Incident of May 12, 1998. According to the Head of Trisakti University Department of Arts and Design's Community Service Division, Herlian Prasetyo, the murals were painted on by his students. "The general theme is to commemorate the tragedy that happened on May 12, 1998 - 17 years ago," Herlian said.

The 50-metre long mural depicted the six Presidents that ruled during the 17-year period - beginning with President Soeharto and ending with President Joko Widodo. Next to the depiction of the leaders, the faces of the four Trisakti University students who lost their lives on that fateful day are drawn.

These are the faces of Hendrawan Sie, Hery Hartanto, Elang Mulyana Lesmana, and Hafidhin Royan - all of whom were killed on May 12, 1998 by bullets fired by security forces, the identities of whom has never been revealed and faced the court for their actions.

The location of the murals could not have been better - as those walls were the silent witnesses when those four students lost their lives during the riots.

What the students of Trisakti University wants to do is to etch the tragedy into the public memory through the murals, as well as exhibitions that are being held within the grounds of Trisakti University. "We want our fellow students to remember the brutality that happened on May 12, 1998," said Trisakti University's Head of Student Union, Muhammad Puri Handamas.

Murals aside, pictures depicting the chronological order of events are currently being displayed at the Prof. Boedi Harsono Building at Trisakti University's Law Faculty. All across campus, slogans bearing the phrase '17 Years since May 12, 1998. Will the state bring those responsible for the human rights abuses to justice?' were placed.

Although 17 years have passed since that tragic day, Handamas claims that he remains optimistic that President Joko Widodo will somehow act to resolve and bring some sort of a closure to what had happened on May 12, 1998. "He is a product of the Reformation Era," said Handamas.

The Head of the National Human Rights Commission, Hafid Abbas, has also called on President Joko Widodo to bring an end to the gaping question that remains unanswered to this day. "He needs to be brave and act firmly without hesitating for even one second," he said to Tempo.

To Hafid, it is an historical debt that needs to be paid off, and the refusal to bring an end to the question will throw his administration off its' high horse.

"The administration needs to be able to resolve the case - judicially as well as through other means necessary," said Hafid. "It requires a strong political will from all stakeholders within the government."

GANGSAR PARIKESIT