Jakarta – Families and victims of the Tanjung Priok riot urged the government to pay compensation to those affected by the violence in North Jakarta in 1984 that claimed 23 lives.

Abdul Bashir, 63, one of the victims kidnapped by military officers a day after the riot, said that he saw a thin ray of hope when the government formed a special team in May 2011 to investigate the case.

The team invited the victims and their families to a meeting last year, promised them compensation and that justice would be upheld. "We were given a glimpse of hope just to be let down again," Abdul told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"To bring this case back to court is impossible, because no institution will handle this matter, but we still want justice and a compensation for all the victims and victims' families," he added.

The series of tragedies in 1984 begun when security forces fired on Muslim protesters demonstrating against a new regulation requiring all organizations to adopt the state ideology of Pancasila.