Running Riot Four Decades Ago
Four decades have passed, but the dark history of the January 15, 1974 spate of violence known by the acronym Malari, is still not completely clear. On that day, major rioting shook the capital. After university students took to the streets, crowds began torching cars, motorcycles and factories.
January 14, 2014
The mass riot of January 15, 40 years ago, was not the largest in Indonesia's history. However, this tragedy, which took place during the early part of the New Order's long hold on power, was a clear demonstration of state-sponsored violence. Shrouded in intrigues among elite military leaders, the incident became one justification for President Suharto to centralize his power.
It began as student protests which were held during the visit of Japanese
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