The History of Joxzin: A Legendary Gang from Yogyakarta

The people of Yogyakarta during the 1980s and 1990s were certainly familiar with the name of the Joxzin gang. This group was no ordinary gang, but rather part of a long history of shifts in youth violence culture from the “gali” era to the present-day klitih phenomenon.

According to Julianto Ibrahim, a historian at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), the gang phenomenon in Yogyakarta originated from the emergence of the term “gali” (a gathering of wild youths) in the 1970s. He explained that the gali movement was largely composed of wealthy children who received little parental attention during the early New Order period.

“In the 1970s, the New Order began to develop and many investments came in. Many parents had projects and did not look after their children, so the youths then sought comfortable places for themselves on roadsides and in markets. This is how the gali community developed,” said Julianto.

Public concern about the gali movement reached its peak in 1982 when a child of an army commander in Yogyakarta was killed at Selokan Mataram. This incident triggered a major crackdown known as Operation Counter-Terrorism or the Mysterious Shootings (Petrus) in 1983-1984.

“Petrus caused the underworld of Yogyakarta, the world of gali, to collapse. Many people fled and were killed,” he explained.

“The criminal underworld then gradually began to be replaced by the emergence of several gangs, such as Joxzin,” he added.

Joxzin itself had unique historical roots and emerged in the Kauman area. Initially, they were a group of young men who enjoyed riding traditional bicycles to the UGM roundabout under the name Cethul Gang, before formally establishing Joxzin in 1984.

“By 1984, as the group matured and grew, seven people officially founded Joxzin,” he said.

The name Joxzin originally stood for Pojok Benzin (corner petrol station), named after their headquarters location. Later, Joxzin became an acronym for Joxo Zinting. Joko refers to an unmarried young man, whilst sinting means someone who loves to fight.

“Their headquarters was initially at the corner near Kauman, so sometimes the name Joxzin was associated with a petrol station corner. But actually, Joxzin is an abbreviation of Joxo Zinting,” he explained.

The UGM historian noted that Joxzin’s support base was spread across southern Yogyakarta, covering Kauman, Karangkajen, and Kota Gede, with green as their identifying colour.

Joxzin’s dominance in the southern region faced competition from the QZRUH gang, which controlled northern Yogyakarta. In their history, these two gangs clashed in 1987. The clash resulted in the death of a young woman whose father was a military officer, which subsequently prompted the freezing of all gangs in Yogyakarta.

“In 1988, there was a directive freezing all gangs in Yogyakarta. But whilst the major gangs were officially frozen, they actually remained active until 1995,” he explained.

Following the freeze, many gang members began entering practical politics in the lead-up to 1995. Many Joxzin members gravitated towards the United Development Party (PPP).

“By 1995, the major gangs became inactive. Many then entered political parties, and many from Joxzin joined the PPP,” he said.

Additionally, gang members in Yogyakarta began infiltrating schools. Various organised school-based gangs emerged with management structures and cadre systems.

“Following the 1988 incident and the 1995 freeze, young people no longer had gangs to accommodate them. Many then joined school-based gangs,” he noted.

This is where the roots of “klitih” emerged. Initially, klitih referred to the activity of leisurely motor convoys circulating through the city, typically in pairs, but often resulting in fights when passing through rival school areas.

“Then there is the term klitih, which originally referred to school gang convoys—typically in pairs—that would circle the city and sometimes deliberately pass through rival schools to provoke fights,” he explained.

Historically, Julianto continued, Yogyakarta has a strong gang tradition. This is why many gangs still exist in this City of Students.

“Historically, gangs grow easily in Yogyakarta because there are many young people there, both from Yogyakarta and from outside. Young people need outlets, appreciation, and recognition,” he said.

According to him, such recognition cannot always be found in positive spaces. Young people then seek outlets that allow them to gain attention.

“Gangs are indeed needed—they serve as channels for young people’s dynamism and energy. This is why gangs continue to develop in Yogyakarta,” he concluded.