Malari incident

Malari incident
Date	15 – 16 January 1974
Location	Jakarta, Indonesia
Causes	Corruption Competition from foreign investments Military power struggle
Methods	Student demonstrations, riots, pogroms
Result	See Aftermath
Parties to the civil conflict
Indonesian students and urban poor New Order government
Casualties
11 killed, 137 injured None reported

The Malari incident ([maˈlari]; Indonesian: Peristiwa Malari, short for Malapetaka Lima Belas Januari, "Fifteenth of January Disaster") was a student demonstration and riot that happened from 15 to 16 January 1974. In reaction to a state visit by the Japanese Prime Minister, Kakuei Tanaka, students held a demonstration protesting corruption, high prices, and inequality in foreign investments. After provocation by suspected agent provocateurs, the demonstrations became riots, which eventually turned into a pogrom. By the end of the incident, 11 protestors had been killed and hundreds of cars and buildings destroyed.

The riots caused numerous changes. Suharto's New Order government enacted a series of economic reforms meant to improve Native Indonesian representation in partnerships with foreign investors, General Sumitro (then Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces), was forced to retire, and numerous repressive measures were enforced by the government.

At the beginning of Suharto's New Order in 1966 the policies of economic development were popularly supported. However, dissent soon surfaced. The formerly-powerful Indonesian Nationalist and Masyumi political parties were pressured to replace their old leadership. Civilian politicians began to be considered untrustworthy, and all branches of the government (except the executive branch) steadily diminished in importance. Suharto's Golkar party won the 1971 Indonesian legislative election by forcing civil servants to vote for them and promising funds to supportive constituencies.