Megawati on the Kudatuli Tragedy: I Have Never Forgotten!
Jakarta, VIVA – Chairwoman of the PDIP Central Executive Board, Megawati Soekarnoputri, has affirmed that she has never forgotten the Kudatuli tragedy (the 27 July Riot), the bloody incident of 27 July 1996.
According to records from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the incident left 5 people dead, 149 injured and 23 missing.
Megawati made the remarks ahead of the inauguration of the Kudatuli Monument in the grounds of the PDIP Central Executive Board office in Central Jakarta on Monday, 27 July 2026.
“The date of 27 July 1996 — I have never been able to forget it,” said Megawati.
On that occasion, Megawati invited the public to visit the fighters buried at the Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery. She said many fighters were buried without names.
“Try going to the Heroes’ Cemetery — there are countless unnamed gravestones scattered there. What does that mean? They fought with sincerity,” she said.
The fifth President of Indonesia then touched on today’s younger generation. According to her, what young people experience now is the result of the struggle of the nation’s fighters in the past.
“And after independence, up until now — next month we will celebrate 17 August 2026. Do you not realise that you can be like this because of what? The blood of the fighters, the blood of young people who at that time were just like those of you here now. What do you want to become? Are you not ashamed?” she said.
Furthermore, Megawati reminded all law enforcement apparatus, both the TNI and the Polri, to continue to defend the people.
She reminded them that the Kudatuli tragedy must never be repeated in the future.
“Hey TNI, hey police, where do you come from? You are in fact children of the people who have been given the opportunity to do what? To defend your people! Take my words to heart! Let what happened 30 years ago never happen again! My heart aches — why was it that at that time only power was on their minds? Where was your love for your people?” Megawati concluded.