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)