DKI Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso Becomes A Suspect In The Kudatuli Bloody Incident In Today's Memory, 7 July 2004

JAKARTA Memories today, 19 years ago, July 7, 2004, the Jakarta High Prosecutor's Office appointed the Governor of DKI Jakarta who is also the former Pangdam Jaya, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Sutiyoso as a suspect in the 1996 July 27 Riots (Kudatuli). The decision was made because Sutiyoso was considered negligent in preventing casualties from civilians.

Previously, the Kudatuli incident brought deep sorrow to all Indonesian people. The attack on the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) became a bad example of political fighting.

In terms of tackling political opponents, the New Order (Orba) is the best. The owner of power often has a strategy so that political opponents become weak. Megawati Soekarnoputri once felt it. His courage to enter politics has a big influence.

PDI was attracted and proposed to him. Megawati's influence was able to become the PDI's voice barn in the election. This narrative made Megawati's charisma superior to other PDI figures.

Megawati was then able to position herself as the PDI General Chair de facto at the PDI Extraordinary Congress (KLB) in Surabaya in 1993. Megawati's great influence as PDI leader began to make the New Order hot.

The New Order did not want Megawati to'shake' the power of the New Order. The owner of the power of attorney was also involved. The new KLB to re-elect the PDI leader was held in Medan in June 1996. As a result, Soerjadi was considered the legitimate chairman of the PDI. Meanwhile, Megawati's leadership is considered invalid.

New Order also plays politics against each other. Moreover, the existence of the PDI Megawati camp is at its highest. This fact made the New Order and Soerjadi's camp want to break the chain of popularity of Megawati. The 1996 Kudatuli tragedy also occurred.

Sympathizers of the Soerjadi camp supported by the New Order military element attacked the headquarters of Banteng on Jalan Diponegoro 58, Menteng, Central Jakarta. Pangdam Jaya Sutiyoso and his men were unable to prevent the attack. All Indonesians mourned. The Kudatuli incident left five people dead, dozens of people missing, and hundreds injured.

Finally, the National Police officer who knew me (Rosihan Anwar) was a senior journalist, allowing press personnel to advance again 25 meters. Arriving at us on the small bridge that crossed the Jalan Surabaya river. From there we can see it wide to the left. You can see the front of the PDI headquarters, a tall man dressed in black with a picture of a Bull, with a cut in his face, throwing stones at a burning house.

The attack was answered by no less fiercely by Megawati's followers with a pile of stones as well. A resident told me that since early morning the buses had come and stopped at the streets around the nearest cinema. Megaria. From the buses came out the men who were the attack on the PDI headquarters. The smoke was billowing from the roof whose roof was already broken. The fire engine was not visible. It could burn out for a long time, I thought," said Rosihan Anwar in the book 'Petite Histoire' Indonesia Volume 1(2004).

The incident shocked the whole of the archipelago. Moreover, Kudatuli is considered a gross violation of human rights. However, the New Order's power undermines everything. No one dared to investigate. Even though many people understand the big role of the New Order behind the Kudatuli incident.

Everything changed when the New Order collapsed. Those who are considered responsible for the Kudatuli incident began to emerge to the surface. Moreover, during the time Megawati Soekarnoputri rose as President. Investigations related to the Kudatuli incident peaked.

The Jakarta High Prosecutor's Office then named the former Pangdam Jaya who now serves as the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Sutiyoso as a suspect on July 7, 2004. Sutiyoso's determination was made because he as Pangdam Jaya was considered negligent in protecting civilians at the Kudatuli incident.

Sutiyoso himself was not afraid of his determination as a suspect. He believes that his relationship with Megawati, who is now President of Indonesia, is actually fine. Moreover, Megawati is actually one of the supporters of being the Governor of Jakarta. Sutiyoso believes Megawati knows her position in the Kudatuli incident.

Later, the status of the suspect Sutiyoso did not last long. This is because Megawati has been out of power and the settlement related to the Kudatuli incident has never been serious.

"I am ready. Me and my former subordinates are all ready. But why is it that every time a riot occurs, the officers are always blamed. That's an unfair name," said Sutiyoso a few days after his determination as a suspect, quoted by Tempo.co, June 11, 2004.