1998 East Java Ninja Killings: A Nation Gripped In Fear

In 1998, amidst Indonesia’s political and economic chaos, a terrifying witch hunt began. Villagers across East Java were gripped by fear, believing that sorcerers—known locally as dukun santet—were responsible for mysterious misfortunes and deaths.What started as a hunt for black magic practitioners soon spiraled into widespread violence. In this first part, we dive into the roots of the sorcerer killings, the cultural beliefs that fueled them, and how whispers of something far more sinister began to emerge… something that would later be known as the “ninja panic.”This is the beginning of one of the most chilling and bizarre mass panics in Indonesian history.