| This
article is part of the History of Indonesia series |
|---|
 |
| See also: |
| Prehistory |
| Early kingdoms |
| Tarumanagara (358-669) |
| Srivijaya (7th to 13th centuries) |
| Sailendra (8th to 9th centuries) |
| Sunda Kingdom (669-1579) |
| Mataram Kingdom (752–1045) |
| Kediri (1045–1221) |
| Singhasari (1222–1292) |
| Majapahit (1293–1500) |
| The rise of Muslim states |
| The spread of Islam (1200–1600) |
| Malacca Sultanate (1400–1511) |
| Sultanate of Demak (1475–1518) |
| Aceh Sultanate (1496–1903) |
| Sultanate of Banten (1526–1813) |
| Mataram Sultanate (1500s to 1700s) |
| European colonialism |
| The Portuguese (1512–1850) |
| Dutch East India Co. (1602–1800) |
| Dutch East Indies (1800–1942) |
| The emergence of Indonesia |
| National awakening (1899–1942) |
| Japanese occupation (1942–1945) |
| Declaration of independence (1945) |
| National revolution (1945–1950) |
| Independent Indonesia |
| Liberal democracy (1950–1957) |
| "Guided Democracy" (1957–1965) |
| Start of the "New Order" (1965–1966) |
| The "New Order" (1966–1998) |
| "Reformasi" era (1998–present) |
| Edit this template |
The May 1998 riots in Indonesia were a principal factor in the Fall of Suharto. They occurred in several parts of Indonesia, including Medan and Surakarta, but most notably in the capital and largest city, Jakarta. The riots were triggered by economic problems like food shortages and mass unemployment in Indonesia.
The Indonesian currency Rupiah had collapsed and prices of basic goods skyrocketed. Students took to the streets in Jakarta and protested against then President Suharto. The rioting started after four students from Trisakti University were shot dead during a demonstration on 12 May 1998. After the funeral the following day, rioting started outside the university, with police and military offices and cars as the major targets.[1]
The riots became more widespread on 14-15 May 1998 and quickly turned into a pogrom targeting properties and businesses owned by ethnic-Chinese (Chinese Indonesian), who were made into scapegoats. Many shops put up signs such as "Milik pribumi" ("Owned by native Indonesian(s)") or "Pro Reformasi" ("Pro-reformation"). Otherwise, shops owned by ethnic Chinese were looted and burned. There were also dozens of documented accounts of ethnic Chinese women being raped.[2] The US State Department noted in its report:
Following the riots, allegations of mass rape of ethnic Chinese women were made, forcing the Government to establish a fact-finding team to investigate the riots and rapes. The team found that elements of the military had been involved in the riots, some of which were deliberately provoked. It also verified 66 rapes of women, the majority of whom were Sino-Indonesian, as well as numerous other acts of violence against women.[3]
In this climate of fear, many ethnic Chinese, who made up about 3-5% of Indonesia's population, fled the country.
In the aftermath, a fact finding team from the Asian Legal Resource Centre stated that the military had played a role in the violence.[4]
Over 1,500 people were killed and over 160 were raped in the riots.[5]
| This article is part of the History of Indonesia series |
|---|
| See also: |
| Prehistory |
| Early kingdoms |
| Tarumanagara (358-723) |
| Srivijaya (7th to 13th centuries) |
| Sailendra (8th to 9th centuries) |
| Kingdom of Sunda (669-1579) |
| Kingdom of Mataram (752–1045) |
| Kediri (1045–1221) |
| Singhasari (1222–1292) |
| Majapahit (1293–1500) |
| The rise of Muslim states |
| The spread of Islam (1200–1600) |
| Malacca Sultanate (1400–1511) |
| Sultanate of Demak (1475–1518) |
| Aceh Sultanate (1496–1903) |
| Sultanate of Banten (1526–1813) |
| Mataram Sultanate (1500s to 1700s) |
| European colonialism |
| The Portuguese (1512–1850) |
| Dutch East India Co. (1602–1800) |
| Dutch East Indies (1800–1942) |
| The emergence of Indonesia |
| National awakening (1899–1942) |
| Japanese occupation (1942–1945) |
| Declaration of independence (1945) |
| National revolution (1945–1950) |
| Independent Indonesia |
| Liberal democracy (1950–1957) |
| "Guided Democracy" (1957–1965) |
| Start of the "New Order" (1965–1966) |
| The "New Order" (1966–1998) |
| "Reformasi" era (1998–present) |
| Edit this template |
The Jakarta riots of May 1998 were riots that occurred in several parts of Indonesia, notably Jakarta and Surakarta during May 1998. The riots were triggered by economic problems like food shortages and mass unemployment in Indonesia.
The Indonesian currency Rupiah had collapsed and prices of basic goods skyrocketed. Students took to the streets in Jakarta and protested against then President Suharto. The rioting started after four students from Trisakti University were shot dead during a demonstration on 12 May 1998. After the funeral the following day, rioting started outside the university, with police and military offices and cars as the major targets.
The riots became more widespread on 14-15 May 1998 and quickly turned into a pogrom targeting properties and businesses owned by ethnic-Chinese (Chinese Indonesian), who were made into scapegoats. Many shops put up signs such as "Milik pribumi" ("Owned by native Indonesian(s)") or "Pro Reformasi" ("Pro-reformation"). Otherwise, shops owned by ethnic Chinese were looted and burned. There were also dozens of documented accounts of ethnic Chinese women being raped.[1] The US State Department noted in its report:
Following the riots, allegations of mass rape of ethnic Chinese women were made, forcing the Government to establish a fact-finding team to investigate the riots and rapes. The team found that elements of the military had been involved in the riots, some of which were deliberately provoked. It also verified 66 rapes of women, the majority of whom were Sino-Indonesian, as well as numerous other acts of violence against women.[2]
In this climate of fear, many ethnic Chinese, who made up about 3-5% of Indonesia's population, fled the country.
In the aftermath, a fact finding team from the Asian Human Rights Commission stated that the events were orchestrated by the military.[3]
It is claimed in most Chinese media that there were over 1,500 people killed including over 160 raped in the riots.[4]
   | ColorQ World - The Indonesian Riots - Indonesia: US$6 reward for raping a Chinese Indonesian; Ethnic Chinese men forced to rape daughters and sisters - ColorQ Human Rights Corner |
| | BBC - Ethnic Chinese tell of mass rapes - BBC News | SPECIAL REPORT | Ethnic Chinese tell of mass rapes |
| | Attack on Ethnic Chinese Women in Indonesian - Human Rights Watch website - Attacks on Ethnic Chinese Women in Indonesia -What You Can Do (September 1998) |
| | Indonesia Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1998 - 1998 Human Rights Report - Indonesia |
| | INDONESIA: Five years after May 1998 - INDONESIA: Five years after May 1998 rights, those responsible for the atrocities remain at large |
|
|
Wikis
Search
