Jakarta, ThedailyID — The old Lubang Buaya well in East Jakarta remains preserved in its original form inside the Pancasila Sakti Monument complex.
The site is associated with the discovery of the bodies of seven Indonesian Army officers who died during the 1965 G30S events.
The seven officers later received the title of Revolution Heroes. They were Ahmad Yani, R. Soeprapto, M.T. Haryono, S. Parman, Sutoyo Siswomiharjo, D.I. Pandjaitan, and Pierre Tendean.
Major Marinir Masnen, a collection official at the Pancasila Sakti Monument, said the well remains at its original location.
The edge now has a layer of cement. Managers added it to prevent the well from collapsing.
“The well is still original and the hole is still there,” Masnen said on Thursday, September 24, as quoted by Detik.
Before the 1965 events, the well served as a backup water source during the dry season. Residents in the Lubang Buaya area mostly relied on the Sunter River for their daily water needs.
At the time, the area covered about five hectares. It consisted of a residential settlement surrounded by rubber plantations and 13 houses.
When the area later became a historical museum complex, 10 houses were removed. Three historic buildings remain at the site.
The first is the Command Post House. It once belonged to Haji Sueb, a coconut trader.
The second is the Public Kitchen House. The building previously belonged to Ibu Amroh, a traveling clothing seller.
The third is the Torture House. It previously functioned as a People’s School, or Sekolah Rakyat.
Museum managers have also sought to preserve the original materials and objects inside the buildings.
Masnen said around 80% of the furniture remains original. Some items, however, are replicas because the original objects disappeared.
Managers also avoid using newly manufactured roof tiles when replacing damaged ones. Instead, they search for old tiles made during the same period.
Some replacement tiles came from the Halim area. According to Masnen, the tiles have the same production period as the original ones.
The preservation effort aims to maintain the physical appearance and historical materials at the site. The Lubang Buaya well and the remaining buildings continue to form part of the Pancasila Sakti Monument complex.
