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Andy Yentriyani: Restless Fighter gutsy defender
JP/Niken PrathiviAndy Yentriyani, a commissioner of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), seems to never run out of energy
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JP/Niken Prathivi
Andy Yentriyani, a commissioner of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), seems to never run out of energy.
The 37-year-old was busy representing the commission at the launch of a new book, The May 1998 Tragedy and Birth of Komnas Perempuan, by Dewi Anggraeni, in Jakarta recently, giving a speech and sharing her personal experiences during the incident.
The 214-page book details Dewi's observations and investigation of what happened 16 years ago, when riots hit Jakarta and other cities following the shooting of four Trisakti University students on May 12.
A government-appointed joint fact-finding team concluded that the riots, which showed signs of orchestratration, led to the deaths of more than 1,000 people in Jakarta alone in burning buildings, or through torture or rape.
The riots, according to the team, were connected to 'an intense struggle' among the political elite that played out amid the Asian Financial Crisis, elections that reinstalled then-president Soeharto and anger over a host of previous abductions, mostly of activists.
In the book, Dewi ' a former contributor to Tempo, Forum Keadilan and The Jakarta Post ' upheld the team's findings, claiming that the riots were 'engineered' by parties who took advantage the economic crisis and unstable social and political conditions, as well as of existing racial tensions that had been deliberately sustained.
The book contains the testimony of several women, including Andy, on the May tragedy, exploring their personal experiences as well as their views on the sexual violence principally directed against Chinese-Indonesian women.
'Sixteen years ago I was among student activists with my UI [University of Indonesia] fellows. I was there when Tempo was forced to close, Andy said, referring to the New Order's infamous decision to shut the magazine. 'At that time, nobody commented on my ethnicity,' a Chinese-Indonesian from Pontianak, West Kalimantan, said in the book.
However, Andy said that eventually, tensions peaked and she was told not to stray from UI's campus in Depok, West Java, because she was Chinese ' which she said was the first time that she had been reminded of her ethnicity since joining the activist movement. 'What was that supposed to mean? Am I no longer Indonesian?'
Despite the warning, Andy decided to continue. On May 15, she had the chance to visit Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta after the riot and saw many body bags full of burned victims. 'It was a horrible sight.'
All she could think of was the confused parents who were looking for their missing children, some of whom were in the bags.
Andy said it was at that moment that she wanted to stop such atrocities from happening again.
About a month later, Andy, who was already working with the Kalyanamitra women's communications and information center, found herself sexually harassed by a man.
The man grabbed her breasts while she was waiting for a bus near the center's office in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta
When Andy defended herself, the man became petulant. ''Don't you know what happened to Chinese girls like you last month?'' the man said, as quoted by Andy.
In a rage, Andy fought back, saying: 'If you have the guts, do it now. I will make sure that your life is not worthy enough to continue.'
The man left her alone.
The events of May 1998 drove Andy into action. 'That experience of sexual harassment ['¦] how sad it was to acknowledge that you were the target of someone just because of your identity ' something that you not able to walk away from the day you are born.
'With that in mind, my aspirations in life changed ['¦] I wanted to make sure that no one will ever feel that disappointment, sadness, afraid and anger in the future,' Andy said. 'Harassment can only give you terrible feelings.'
Andy, who had been studying international relations at UI with hopes of becoming a diplomat, changed course, focusing on women's issues and joining Komnas Perempuan in January 2000.
Over the past 15 years that Andy has been with the commission ' she has been a commissioner for the past five years ' Andy has met and learned from many respected people, including Saparinah Sadli, the commission's first chairwoman; Kemala Chandrakirana, its first secretary-general; human rights activists such as Asmara Nababan and the murdered Munir Said Thalib; as well as legendary lawman Baharuddin Lopa, the former law minister and attorney general.
'Besides those great people, I'm also inspired by victim communities that show their restless effort to rise again amid limited support from many parties,' Andy said.
'My extraordinary fellow human rights activists, who are always there for the victims ['¦] their hard work is also among the ones that encourage me to stay strong in this path,' said Andy, who also considers The Prayer of the Frog by Anthony de Mello as an influential book for her.
Looking ahead, Andy, who earned her master's degree in media and communications from the University of London in the UK in 2004, said that she would not seek another term as a commissioner of Komnas Perempuan.
'During my time at the commission, I've been involved quite deeply in women's and conflict issues, and along the way I've noticed that there are plenty of stories from those women that aren't well-documented.
'It is such a waste, because the stories could provide comprehensive information to the government on how to prevent and handle conflicts, especially the ones that have a direct impact on women's lives.
'Therefore, I really want to document those stories,' she said, adding that she had yet to decide on the form of documentation.
Andy also plans to go back to university to study conflict resolution.
Raised in a family that made education a priority, Andy said that her parents always wanted her to be a responsible and good person in everything that she does.
'My mother once said that being a good person is much better than thinking of being a great one. She told me to never do anything that only financially enriched myself, because such practice is equivalent to working insincerely,' said Andy.
