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Revisiting the May 1998 riots in Indonesia: civilians and their untold memories
[journal article]
Abstract This paper examines the recollections of civilians about the May 1998 riots in Indonesia, as told in an anonymous online survey. These riots caused the deaths of an estimated 1000 people and saw targeted attacks on Indonesia's ethnic Chinese community, including state-led mass sexual violence agains... view more
This paper examines the recollections of civilians about the May 1998 riots in Indonesia, as told in an anonymous online survey. These riots caused the deaths of an estimated 1000 people and saw targeted attacks on Indonesia's ethnic Chinese community, including state-led mass sexual violence against Chinese-Indonesian women and girls. Despite their scale, there has never been any official redress for these riots and they remain a taboo topic in Indonesia, rarely discussed publicly. Little is known about how Indonesians remember these events, with research into the personal or collective memories about the riots challenging, given the public silencing by the government. Here, we present findings from an anonymous survey completed by 235 Indonesians in which they revealed sometimes deeply personal memories about the riots. Examined thematically, these memories both confirm general understandings of the riots and reveal novel information about how communities coped during the violence.... view less
Keywords
China; Chinese; culture of remembrance; ethnic group; ethnic conflict; violence; woman; violent crime; Indonesia; politics; domestic security; collective memory; sex behavior; sexual abuse; political violence
Classification
Social Problems
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
Erinnerungspolitik; Ethnische Bevölkerungsgruppe/Volksgruppe; Gewalt gegen Frauen; Gewalttätigkeit; Gewaltverbrechen; Minderheitenfrage; Politisch motivierte Gewaltanwendung; Sexuelle Gewalt
Document language
English
Publication Year
2022
Page/Pages
p. 240-257
Journal
Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 41 (2022) 2
ISSN
1868-4882
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed