Commission demands govt acknowledge rapes

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 05/16/2008 12:42 PM  |  Headlines

The National Commission on Violence Against Women demanded on Thursday that the government acknowledge the sexual abuse against women during the May 1998 riots.

At a commemoration of the riots, the commission said the government had never taken a clear stance on whether women of ethnic Chinese descent had been sexually abused during the chaos.

Saparinah Sadli, a psychology professor appointed by the commission to investigate the allegations of rapes, said the crimes took place.

"It did happen. And now, most of the victims choose to keep silent; they are still traumatized by the tragedy," she said.

She said the government's skepticism, poor law enforcement and lack of family support had discouraged the victims from filing formal police reports.

The research, begun in May 2007, found during the period between May 13 and July 13, 1998, at least 152 women in Greater Jakarta were attacked. Of that number, 103 were raped (one died), 26 were raped and beaten (nine died), nine were raped and burned alive (all died) and 14 experienced physical and sexual abuse (one died).

Most of the victims were Chinese-Indonesians, between the ages of five and 55.

Sylviana Maria Apituley, the commission deputy, said the crimes shouldn't have gone unrecognized in Indonesia because of the amendments to the Constitution as well as Law No. 39/1999 on human rights, Law No. 5/1998 ratifying the international convention against violence, Law No. 12/2005 ratifying the international covenant on civil political rights, Law No. 29/1999 ratifying the international convention on the abolition of discrimination and racism, and Law No. 13/2006 on the protection of witnesses and victims.

"Based on those laws, the state is obliged to protect its citizens from any form of violence," she said.

The commission urged the House of Representatives to form an institution for protection of witnesses and victims, which it said should immediately investigate the cases from the May riots and offer assistance to the victims.

Kabul Supriyadi, spokesman for the commission, said there was still a long way to go before the country could find closure.

"It is because the government lacks the will to investigate the case," he said.

He said a glaring example of this was the "misplacement" by the Attorney General's Office of several dossiers, sent by the commission, pertaining to the sexual abuse and rights violations.

State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta Swasono said it would take the coordinated effort of all concerned parties to bring the issue to closure, especially since it dealt with the sensitive subject of sexual abuse.

"The government will work on this case. And with help from all parties, I hope we can resolve it," she said. (nkn)

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