Rights group Amnesty International Indonesia, during the commemoration of the Semanggi I tragedy on Wednesday, renewed its call on the government to uphold justice for the victims and their families by prosecuting the mastermind behind the shooting of civilians.

“Recognition without law enforcement is just empty talk. The General Prosecutor’s Office (AGO) has a legal and moral obligation to investigate the perpetrators and bring justice to the victims. The absence of such severe action shows the state’s failure to uphold human rights as mandated by the 1998 Reform,” said the group’s executive director, Usman Hamid.

Amnesty was referring to former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s move last year to acknowledge and apologize for 12 human rights violations that occurred between 1965 and 2003, including the Trisaksi and Semanggi I and II tragedies (1998 -1999), in which student protesters demanded the resignation of then-authoritarian President Soeharto and his cronies in the government, along with the abolition of the military’s “dual role” in both civilian policy and defense.

Hundreds of people were injured and 28, including students, were killed in the two separate Semanggi tragedies, the first on 13 November 1998 and the second on 24 September 1999, when security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters to disperse. them.

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Usman said the Semanggi tragedies were not just a tragic moment in the country’s history but a critical moment in the struggle that led to the reform period.