Indonesia: Masked ‘ninjas’ and mass murders of suspected sorcerers

How the gruesome 1998 incidents paved the way for black magic to be criminalised last year in 2022, in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia.

Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.

Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

Sorcery is against Islamic teachings, but today, many in Indonesia still consult black magic practitioners for advice. In 1998, a series of killings by unknown masked 'ninjas', targeting suspected sorcerers in East Java, launched the community into a period of mass hysteria, violence and retaliation-attacks.

The killings triggered discussions on the need and ways to regulate sorcery, to prevent similar instances and to stop people from taking the law into their own hands. The legal gap was finally plugged last year in 2022, when laws on sorcery were included in the revised Criminal Code passed by the Parliament.

The government is also seeking to settle the case, along with 11 other human rights abuses, by non-judicial means.

ST’s Indonesia Bureau Chief Arlina Arshad narrates this podcast. The reporting and scripting for this episode was done by ST’s Indonesia Correspondent Linda Yulisman.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:20 Why sorcery has long been part of Indonesia’s life and culture, even among the nation's notable figures

10:05 From 1998 till 1999, a ferocious wave of hysteria spreads against purported black magic practitioners

20:15 Larger motives behind attacks? Understanding Banyuwangi region's history and Indonesia’s period of political transition

28:40 Were attacks likely carried out by trained assassins with links to the military?

33:35 Why it took decades to criminalise witchcraft and sorcery in Indonesia

Interviews by: Linda Yulisman (ylinda@sph.com.sg)

Narrated by: Arlina Arshad (aarlina@sph.com.sg)

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg)

Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani

Voiceovers: Hairianto Diman, Deepanraj Ganesan, Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Dominic Nathan, Lee Nian Tjoe, Colin Tan, Eddino Abdul Hadi, Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim

Copy editor: Choo Li Meng

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