Kinanti Pinta Karana – Victims and their families gathered on Monday to mark the thirteenth anniversary of a violent political riot which left five people killed and scores wounded in the capital on July 27, 1996.
Sukoji was a university student at the time of the riots and had just stepped off a train at Cikini station when he saw the chaos unfold. "It was like a war zone," he said. "I heard there was going to be a coup."
The riots were sparked by internal conflict in the Indonesian Democratic Party, or PDI. The party's followers had split into two groups – one advocating for Megawati Sukarnoputri to remain party leader, and another pushing for Soerjadi to take the helm. A takeover push at the party headquarters in Central Jakarta by Soerjadi supporters escalated into violence.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said that five people had died and 149 were injured in the riots. Cars and buildings were burned and some 23 people went missing and have never been found.
The Suharto government alleged the riot had been masterminded by activists from the Democratic People's Party, or PRD, and made sweeping arrests. PRD leader Budiman Sudjatmiko was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Sukoaji, now 34, said he realized at the time that the day was going to be historic.
"I did not run away or go home, I wanted to witness history. I walked around, taking notes of what was happening minute by minute," he said.
"I helped the wounded by taking them to the small police station nearby and I braved walking up to a police officer to tell him that there were many wounded people who needed immediate help."
Police put the wounded onto a truck. Sukoaji said he wanted to go with them but his gut feeling warned him against it. Police then started making arrests at random.
"Anyone who wore red shirts, even the satay vendor, was arrested. I didn't wear a red shirt but I was scared so I ran away. It was the wrong move because the police chased me and arrested me," he said. He was taken to the police station and jailed for several days.
Sukoaji's story is just one of many from the riots, and on Monday morning, victims and their families gathered to attend a memorial on Jalan Diponegoro, the street where the event took place.
Sandra Lestari, head of the commemoration committee, said the event was attended by people from Jakarta, East Java, Central Java and West Java. "We also provided a podium for anyone who wished to speak about the tragedy," Sandra said.
For Sukoaji, thirteen years has not been long enough to recover from the trauma of witnessing the bloodshed. "I have the deepest sympathy for the families of the victims. History never forgets," he said. (Additional reporting by Antara)