The year 1998 stands as a crucial moment in Indonesia’s history, marking the collapse of the New Order regime that had governed for 32 years. However, at this historical turning point lies a tragic memory, particularly in May 1998, when massive protests tried to topple the regime. Unfortunately, these demonstrations spiraled out of control and targeted mostly Chinese Indonesians and their properties. Resulting in thousands of people being tortured and killed, shops getting looted, and burned. Discrimination against Chinese Indonesians have been happening since the communist mass killings in 1965 and even further into the colonial era, creating a distressing pattern of Chinese people being the scapegoat of such events. Despite governmental calls to forget the past, the traumatic memories persist, leaving enduring scars on citizens, especially the Chinese-Indonesian community. Over the past 25 years, no apologies, arrests, or clear explanations have been given for these events, creating a distorted collective memory and silencing the members of society who are still afraid to speak up. The silence surrounding this dark chapter is not a mere lack of forgetfulness but a strategic avoidance of painful memories. This silence threatens to destabilize society, impacting victims, perpetrators, and the nation as a whole. Remembrance becomes a crucial element in healing for victims and learning from past mistakes. Despite the physical and emotional damage from the riots, no memorials have emerged to commemorate the lost souls and the extensive damage. A memorial can be a powerful tool for remembering, reflecting on, and preserving history. It plays a critical role in shaping collective memory, fostering a sense of identity, and providing a tangible link to the past. This research uses qualitative tools to explore the historical context, causes, and impacts of the riots, the trauma embedded in the city’s architecture, and the collective memory of society. Additionally, the study aims to understand how memorialization works through reference studies and theoretical journals. Ultimately, the end of the research will produce a spatial representation for remembrance and memorialization, acting as a potential catalyst for societal reflection and healing to prevent such tragedies from occurring again in the future.
L’anno 1998 rappresenta un momento cruciale nella storia dell’Indonesia, segnando il crollo del regime del Nuovo Ordine che aveva governato per 32 anni. Tuttavia, a questo punto di svolta storico corrisponde un tragico ricordo, soprattutto nel maggio del 1998, quando le proteste di massa hanno tentato di rovesciare il regime. Purtroppo, queste manifestazioni sono andate fuori controllo e hanno preso di mira soprattutto i cinesi indonesiani e le loro proprietà. Il risultato è che migliaia di persone sono state torturate e uccise, i negozi sono stati saccheggiati e bruciati. La discriminazione nei confronti degli indonesiani cinesi ha iniziato a verificarsi sin dai massacri comunisti del 1965 e ancor più avanti nell’era coloniale, creando un pattern deplorevole nei confronti del popolo cinese divenuto il capro espiatorio di tali eventi. Nonostante gli appelli del governo a dimenticare il passato, i ricordi traumatizzanti persistono, lasciando cicatrici durature sui cittadini, specialmente sulla comunità cinese-indonesiana. Negli ultimi 25 anni non sono state fornite scuse, arresti o spiegazioni chiare per questi eventi, creando una memoria collettiva distorta e facendo tacere i membri della società che hanno ancora paura di parlare. Il silenzio che circonda questo capitolo oscuro non è una semplice dimenticanza, ma una strategia per evitare i ricordi dolorosi. Questo silenzio minaccia di destabilizzare la società, colpendo le vittime, i colpevoli e la nazione nel suo complesso. Il ricordo diventa un elemento cruciale nella guarigione delle vittime e nell’apprendimento da errori passati. Nonostante i danni fisici ed emotivi causati dalle rivolte, non sono emersi memoriali per commemorare le anime perdute e gli estesi danni. Un memoriale può essere uno strumento potente per ricordare, riflettere e preservare la storia. Esso gioca un ruolo cruciale nella formazione della memoria collettiva, promuove un senso di identità e fornisce un legame tangibile con il passato. Questa ricerca utilizza strumenti qualitativi per esplorare il contesto storico, le cause e gli impatti delle rivolte, il trauma immerso nell’architettura della città e la memoria collettiva della società. Inoltre, lo studio mira a capire come funziona la memorializzazione attraverso studi di riferimento e riviste teoriche. Infine, l’ultima parte della ricerca produrrà una rappresentazione spaziale per la memoria e la memorializzazione, agendo come potenziale catalizzatore per la riflessione sociale e la guarigione per evitare che tali tragedie si ripetano in futuro.
The Garden of Forking Passages: Memories of 1998, Jakarta
Vibiana, Valenzia Natasha
2022/2023
Abstract
The year 1998 stands as a crucial moment in Indonesia’s history, marking the collapse of the New Order regime that had governed for 32 years. However, at this historical turning point lies a tragic memory, particularly in May 1998, when massive protests tried to topple the regime. Unfortunately, these demonstrations spiraled out of control and targeted mostly Chinese Indonesians and their properties. Resulting in thousands of people being tortured and killed, shops getting looted, and burned. Discrimination against Chinese Indonesians have been happening since the communist mass killings in 1965 and even further into the colonial era, creating a distressing pattern of Chinese people being the scapegoat of such events. Despite governmental calls to forget the past, the traumatic memories persist, leaving enduring scars on citizens, especially the Chinese-Indonesian community. Over the past 25 years, no apologies, arrests, or clear explanations have been given for these events, creating a distorted collective memory and silencing the members of society who are still afraid to speak up. The silence surrounding this dark chapter is not a mere lack of forgetfulness but a strategic avoidance of painful memories. This silence threatens to destabilize society, impacting victims, perpetrators, and the nation as a whole. Remembrance becomes a crucial element in healing for victims and learning from past mistakes. Despite the physical and emotional damage from the riots, no memorials have emerged to commemorate the lost souls and the extensive damage. A memorial can be a powerful tool for remembering, reflecting on, and preserving history. It plays a critical role in shaping collective memory, fostering a sense of identity, and providing a tangible link to the past. This research uses qualitative tools to explore the historical context, causes, and impacts of the riots, the trauma embedded in the city’s architecture, and the collective memory of society. Additionally, the study aims to understand how memorialization works through reference studies and theoretical journals. Ultimately, the end of the research will produce a spatial representation for remembrance and memorialization, acting as a potential catalyst for societal reflection and healing to prevent such tragedies from occurring again in the future.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Descrizione: The Garden of Forking Passages: Memories of 1998, Jakarta
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/214821