Museum planned to honor Trisakti 'heroes of reform'

Museum planned to honor Trisakti 'heroes of reform'

JAKARTA (JP): A month has passed since the tragic shooting of
four Trisakti University students.

But the May 12 incident will not be easily forgotten by
lecturers, fellow students and the university's management.

They, instead, are planning to honor the four "heroes of
reform" by setting up a museum, naming buildings after the
victims and erecting a monument to them.

Adi Andojo Soetjipto, chairman of the university's reform
team, said the museum -- also designed to remember the historical
incident -- would display the victims' bloody clothes, bullets
found at the scene, and photos and film documentary depicting the
incident.

"By setting up the museum, we hope the incident will not be
erased from history," the former outspoken Supreme Court justice
told The Jakarta Post at his office yesterday.

He said the naming of four buildings at the university complex
at the Grogol intersection in West Jakarta after the victims
would be held on Saturday to mark the 40th day after their tragic
deaths.

"Their names will be bestowed on the buildings of the
faculties where they studied," he said.

The four students shot dead during the demonstration were
Elang Mulia Lesmana, 20, Hafidhin Royan, 22, Hendriawan Sie, 21
and Hery Hartanto, 21.

Both Elang and Hafidhin were students at the school of
planning and civil engineering. Elang majored in architecture and
Hafidhin in civil engineering.

Hery studied mechanical engineering at the school of
industrial engineering and Hendriawan was a management studies
student in the school of economics.

Besides the four victims, dozens of other Trisakti students
were seriously injured by the security forces' bullets and
batons.

The incident, which was followed by three days of rioting in
Greater Jakarta, marked a bloody turning point in Indonesia's
political history.

Nine days after the shooting, president Soeharto abruptly
dismissed his two-month-old cabinet and announced his resignation
after 32 years in power.

In the near future, the university will build a monument
within the campus compound to honor the four heroes, Andojo said.

The monument's design is being decided by a public
competition, he added.

In a related development yesterday, colleagues of the victims
suggested the university appeal to the government to officially
name the four national reform heroes.

"We want our four friends to be declared national reform
heroes," Penny, the secretary of the Trisakti senate, told the
Post.

The senate also called on the university to proclaim May 12
National Reform Day to honor their deaths.

Penny said the senate would submit their proposals to the
government. (ivy)