History Today, 18 November 1978: Murder Of The Mass Of The Follower Of The People's Temple Secretariat Jim Jones In Guyana

The bodies were in disarray at the People's Temple sect headquarters in Jonestown, Guyana, as a result of the mass suicide of Jim Jones' followers on November 18, 1978. (Twitter/@RollingStone)

JAKARTA Today's history, November 18, 1978, is marked by a dark incident of mass suicide. The mass suicide was carried out by followers of the sect of the People's Temple led by Jim Jones. The People's Temple sect community lives on the outskirts of a remote forest called Jonestown in Guyana, South America.

It was recorded that 909 people died in the heartbreaking tragedy, consisting of babies to seniors. In Jones' direction, the community drank the juice of poisonous fruit to end their lives in a moment that the leader called syamat.

Jones is a charismatic white man from the small town of Crete in Indiana State, United States. He originally founded the People's Temple Secretariat in 1955 in Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana. But this community was then eliminated, until Jones found a place on the outskirts of the Guyana forest which he himself named Jonestown.

The move to Guyana is due to media reports in the US, which states that Jones has committed physical violence against his followers. He is also accused of financial fraud, and other legal issues. Jones, who is experiencing trauma to various media pressures, then asked his followers to move to Guyana.

Jones promises a life of socialist utopia. That's why the community supports itself independently. They cultivate and make handicrafts for sale, in order to meet the daily needs of the community.

But what Jones' followers feel is not a prosperous socialist life. They are forced to work hard in the fields. The punishment will be given if the members question the authority of the leader. All kinds of member identification were confiscated, bank accounts were not allowed, and letters coming from family members of Jones' followers were censored.

Jones, who has been involved in a number of legal cases in his home country, continues to be pursued by the United States authorities. He is increasingly paranoid, and firmly believes that the US Government is an enemy who will destroy him so that he must be fought.

In 1978 a number of former followers of the People's Temple sect who managed to escape the influence of Jim Jones complained to the government. The complaint was responded to by a Californian congressman from the Democratic Party, Leo Ryan. He also ventured to fly to Jonestown to prove a complaint about Jones and the People's Temple Secretariat.

Ryan took a number of observers and reporters to Jonestown. Ryan's group arrived there on November 17, 1978 after traveling for 4 days. At the start of Ryan's arrival in Jonestown, everything seemed fine. But unexpectedly, there were several members of the sect who complained about Jones' treatment of the People's Temple followers.

Jones, who was already experiencing▁dendamism, ordered the killing of Ryan and his entourage. The first attempt to kill in Jonestown failed and Ryan's entourage managed to escape to the airport. It turned out that at the airport where Ryan's chartered plane was waiting to leave Jonestown, Jones' men were already waiting with guns in hand. Ryan and four members of his group were shot dead before successfully boarding their chartered plane. Ryan's murder took place on November 18.

The conscious Jones made a huge mistake and then returned to Jonestown. He gathered his followers to give a lecture. They gathered at the main pavilion to listen to Jones' sermon, which he called a revolutionary act'. The move turned out to be an attempt to commit suicide, in order to avoid heavier legal sanctions.

Jones ordered his trusted men to inject cyanide liquid into the bodies of the baby and children. Then for adult followers, he ordered them to drink fruit juice mixed with cyanide. Jones himself became the last person to end his life by shooting him in the head.

The next day when Guyana and US authorities arrived, a heartbreaking sight was found in Jonestown. Hundreds of bodies were in positions of mutual embrace and hand in hand. Of the 909 victims, 200 of them were babies and children.

Jim is a very charismatic figure, able to attract people who feel vulnerable or lose their rights. Most of his followers are Afro America, but there are also white, Historical, and Jewish. There are very religious Christians, but there are also communists. Jim is able to give anything. He can be anything, from religious, protective, socialist, even a father. Jones was able to bring his followers emotionally bound, "said Teriford OShea, a former follower of Jim Jones and the People's Temple in his testimony in the newspaper The Atlantic in 2011.

I've always seen People's Temple as a utopian community that uses religion to achieve the desired goals. Jim will be Christ, Buddha, Gandhi, Lenin, or whoever you expect. Jim always says that he is▁isutivity, arrival back from whoever you want. And, we believe in him, " said OShea again.

OShea joined the People's Temple at the age of 19, when the sect was still based in Redwood Valley, California in 1971 before moving and ending in Jonestown, Guyana.

It's very difficult to understand Jim Jones' mind, because he's such a complex person. His character is confusing. On the one hand, he can be very good at establishing various social facilities and very anti-racial differences. But at the same time he can be very paranoid. The fear that his followers will abandon him, so he will never meet again," OShea added.

That's history today, November 18, 1978. Jim Jones' terrible tragedy, mass suicide and his followers at the People's Temple sect in Jonestown, Guyana.