1998 East Java ninja scare
The 1998 East Java ninja scare was an outbreak of violence in East Java, Indonesia. The local population believed they were being targeted by sorcerers following the deaths of cattle, and in response, unidentified vigilantes, which people described as ninjas due to their all-black clothing, attacked and killed residents they suspected to be sorcerers, including religious clerics. In response to these killings, some people in the area attacked and killed people they suspected to be ninjas. The outbreak began in February, with most of the deaths occurring between August and September.
The killings largely ended by the end of 1998; however, another group of similar killings occurred in December 1999. According to the National Commission on Human Rights, 307 people were killed during the scare in total: 194 people in Banyuwangi, 108 in Jember, and seven in Malang.
Background
According to Jason Brown, Banyuwangi Regency is a centre of belief in black magic in Indonesia. Black magic practiced in Banyuwangi may be a mix of animist beliefs and Islamic mysticism which developed from inter-religious conflict during the 16th century Mataram court period. Belief in black magic, or dukun santet, is widespread in the area. Suspected sorcerers were also killed in Indonesia in 1965. In villages around Banyuwangi, local people killed suspected sorcerers intermittently for decades before the larger-scale violence in 1998.Indonesia saw other political and economic tensions during 1998, including the May riots and the resignation of President Suharto.
Events
In early 1998, residents in Kaligondo, a village in Banyuwangi Regency, became concerned with sorcery after multiple cattle became sick and died. Local resident Soemarno Adi was suspected and was lynched on 4 February. His death sparked a number of other killings by vigilante groups. Some vigilantes dressed in all black, leading to them being called ninjas. Most victims were ordinary civilians, local leaders, or clerics affiliated with Nahdlatul Ulama.In response, communities targeted by the sorcerer killings began to attack and kill suspected ninjas, many of whom were people out after dark or without identity documents. The killing of suspected ninja spread to Central and West Java, although no killings by suspected ninja had been reported in those regions. By November, police in Central Java had detained around 200 mentally ill people, as they were at risk of being attacked if they were out at night and unable to explain themselves.
On 18 October 1998, five men were killed in the Turen area. One was beaten to death, one was burned and three were beheaded. On 20 October 1998, three killings occurred. Two had been seized from a police car by vigilantes who reportedly slit their throats; the third man was beheaded and his head paraded around on a stake.
On 24 October at Gondanglegi, Malang Regency, another five suspected ninjas were killed by villagers with one victim was burnt to death. On 31 October and 1 November, three policemen were killed in Madura after being suspected to be ninjas. On 31 October, one man in north Jakarta was attacked on suspicions of being a ninja, marking the first time the scare had impacted Jakarta.