Victims of Indonesia’s anti-Chinese riots cling to hope for justice as painful memories fester

Stevanus was 16 at the time, and like many Indonesian youngsters, loved playing football and listening to music with his friends. He was also a curious teenager, so when he heard that there was some trouble at a nearby shopping centre in East Jakarta, he rushed to take a look.

But Stevanus didn’t return. He was killed in a fire that broke out at the City Plaza Klender mall, an incident that would claim the lives of hundreds of people.

Now 31, Magdalena has followed in her mother Maria Sanu’s footsteps trying to “learn the truth behind the cases of the tragic events and the human rights violations” that changed the course of their lives.

“We have struggled for the past 26 years with the families of other victims to learn the truth … and to get justice,” Magdalena told This Week in Asia.

Pent-up anger towards military dictator Suharto’s 32-year rule and an economic downturn triggered by the Asian financial crisis saw Indonesians take to the streets in violent protests against food shortages, mass unemployment and corruption.

The country’s minority Chinese community – seen as disproportionately wealthy and blamed for stealing jobs – became prime targets of the rioters, who attacked homes and businesses owned by ethnic Chinese.

Another major flashpoint for the rampage and Suharto’s resignation was the killing of four students by security forces at a protest in Jakarta’s Trisakti University. An investigation into the incident was opened, but nobody had been charged for the shootings.

Victims, their families and activists commemorated the 26th anniversary of the riots and the Trisakti tragedy earlier this month as they continued to press for accountability from the government.

While Prabowo has denied accusations that he helped