JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The Jakarta city administration, in a commemoration of the National Heroes Day, inaugurated the changing name of park, bus shelter and terminal near of Trisakti University in Grogol, West Jakarta, into new name “Grogol May 12 Reform” to remember the reform movement and the deaths of the four students back in May 12, 1998.
“If there was no reform movement and martyrs, there might be no pair of Jakarta Governor and Vice Governor Jokowi – Ahok, because there’ll be no direct election,” said Jakarta Vice Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in an inauguration event on Sunday (Nov. 10).
Ahok said the idea to change the name of park, bus shelter and terminal near of Trisakti University came from students and families of victims of the May 12 tragedy. He added that the groundbreaking of development of the park is scheduled for January 2014.
Imam Prasodjo, a sociology from University of Indonesia, viewed the step of the capital city administration as an effort of resist forgetting.
The Trisakti shooting tragedy during the deadly May 1998 riots killed four students from Trisakti University. The tragedy, occurred on May 12, 1998, marked the downfall of Soeharto and the subsequent emergence of reform movement. The tragedy itself has been regularly commemorated but unfortunately, who must be responsible for the deaths of the four students is not unclear until today. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)