Remembering the Story of the Event 27 Years Ago Related to July 27, 1996
Author: Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
When President Soeharto stepped down from the throne on May 21, 1998 — after 32 years in power — the author’s friend was at the peak of his idealism. He was not only a witness to the history of the 1998 reform process until it reached the peak of the euphoria of victory in overthrowing tyranny, but also as an actor who was always active in all activist and student communities from various campuses in Indonesia.
At least, long before that, the author’s friend who also became a figure driving the workers through the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) led by Dr. Muchtar Pakpahan — at that time he had not yet received a Professor’s degree from the Christian University of Indonesia, Jakarta — had played a major role in building an atmosphere of free speech in the yard of the PDIP Office on Jalan Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, until the incident of July 27, 1996 which was also known as the Deaf Horse incident occurred.
The SBSI office position in Tebet Timur Dalam at that time, became the only non-PDIP mass organization that openly and transparently supported the resistance movement of the new political party that was being targeted by the ruling regime to overthrow Megawati as the leader of the party who was a symbol of people’s resistance.
Riots also occurred in various regions and places and areas. In Jakarta itself, starting from Jalan Diponegoro, Salemba, Kramat and along Jalan Pemuda, many buildings and vehicles were burned. The government also made victims of a number of activists of the People’s Democratic Party (PRD) as a legitimacy to carry out further acts of violence. Meanwhile, a number of figures — previously — such as Sri Bintang Pamungkas, Muchtar Pakpahan and other activist friends had been imprisoned in the Cipinang Penitentiary, East Jakarta.
The second layer of the labor organization controlled by Tohap Simanungkalit, Satrio Arismunandar, Dhea Yudha Prakesha, Sunarty and Jacob Ereste were more free to develop organizational ideas and concepts by positioning themselves as a shared home with other movement activists, NGOs, and religious youth organizations to students from various campuses in Indonesia (such as Atok from Udayana Bali, Muhammad Syafi’i from IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and Hery from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta) became the main ambassadors coordinated by friends from the National University of Jakarta and the University of Tujuh Velas Agustus, Jakarta) together with Mehbob S.
All the events of the Deaf Horse on July 27, 1996 which ended with the abdication of President Soeharto on May 21, 1998 — were closely related to the people’s anger with the engineering of the ruling regime against the PDI Congress in Medan which wanted to re-seat Soeryadi as the General Chairperson of the PDI so that Megawati would fall. That is how the Free Forum action in the PDI DPP Office Yard was carried out together with all party representatives from the regions, and SBSI as the only non-party mass organization that supported and obtained a special place — a post — in the PDI DPP office yard which was then attacked indiscriminately until many victims were killed.
Bennyn S. Butarbutar gave testimony through the book “Suyono Bukan Puntung Rokok” (2003). As the Chief of the ABRI General Staff, he said there was a theory of competition between Srikandi kember — Megawati and Siti Hadijanti Rukmana alias Tutut — which was the background to the events of July 27, 1996. There is also the book “Membongkar Misteri Sabtu Kelabu, July 27, 1996” edited by the poet Darmanto Jatman (2001). In fact, the LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences) Research Team also published a book entitled “Military and Political Violence of the New Order – Soeharto” behind the events of July 27, 1996.
President Soeharto resigned on May 21, 1998 — after being in power for 32 years since March 12, 1967. Soeharto’s resignation as the second President of Indonesia — after the fall of President Soekarno through the March 11, 1967 Letter of Command — was marked by the collapse of the New Order cabinet due to various riots that occurred in various places and regions that culminated on May 12, 1998 to May 20, 1998, which continued to peak after the killing of four students — Elang Mulia Lesmana, Heri Hertanto, Hafidin Royan and Hendriawan Sie as well as dozens of students and residents who were injured due to shootings carried out by the authorities. And the riots continued to rage along with the fire that burned down a number of offices and shops in various big cities in Indonesia, especially Jakarta, from the center to the East and West. Even the fire of anger was lit in Tangerang, Bekasi and other cities.
The incident 27 years ago has now become part of the memories to be reflected on so that we can be wiser not to repeat mistakes and errors or just unnecessary losses that mark human stupidity.
Banten, May 20, 2025
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