1998–99 East Java killings

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There was an outbreak of violence in East Java, Indonesia in 1998–99, around the time of the fall of Suharto, where local people killed at least 300 residents. People said 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 and masks, attacked and killed residents they suspected to be sorcerers. Some religious clerics were killed. In response to the killings, some people in the area attacked and killed people they suspected to be ninjas. The outbreak began in February 1998, with most of the deaths occurring between August and September. The killings largely ended by the end of 1998; however, another group of about 10 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. There were many rumours and theories about who killed people and what their motives were, including conspiracy theories. Scholars and journalists have described aspects of the outbreak of violence as a modern witch hunt or mass hysteria.