A blot on our record<\/p>\n
It is easy to assert that the riots that swept through Jakarta
\nfrom May 13 to May 15 were the most savage the Indonesian capital
\nhas seen in as long as most Jakartans can remember. Everybody
\nwitnessed or watched on TV some of the violence, looting and
\nburning that killed more than 1,000 people and caused
\nimmeasurable damage in terms of lives disrupted and property
\nlost. But recent reports of heinous crimes that most Jakartans
\ndid not see or even imagine could occur -- the physical abuse,
\nrape and public humiliation committed against innocent women
\nduring the rioting -- have considerably raised the degree of
\nrevulsion felt over the events of those days.<\/p>\n
The women's rights group Mitra Perempuan, in a statement made
\nlast week by its executive director Rita Serena Kolibonso, said
\nthe long litany of reports it had received of sexual abuse and
\npublic humiliation committed against women, especially those of
\nChinese descent, had prompted it to launch its own investigation
\ninto the alleged incidents. Kolibonso said dozens of such
\nincidents had been uncovered so far and that the list was likely
\nto grow to more than a hundred despite the fact that police have
\nyet to log a single case of sexual abuse from the time of the
\nriots.<\/p>\n
Most of the assaults reportedly took place in West Jakarta,
\nwhere some of the worst violence occurred during the three days
\nof rioting. In one incident, a mob reportedly stripped and
\nmolested a number of Chinese-Indonesian women, who were then
\nforced to swim in a stagnant pond. In another, a number of women
\nwere gang-raped in front of a crowd of onlookers in the city's
\nGlodok business district, where dozens of others were molested in
\ntheir homes. \"I believe, these brutal acts were done by an
\norganized group,\" Kolibonso said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang, while
\nencouraging victims to report such cases, said it would not be
\neasy -- due to \"basic investigation obstacles\" -- for the police
\nto solve all the sexual abuse cases from last month's riots. For
\none thing, the police have yet to receive any formal accusations
\nor reports of sexual abuse during the recent riots. One classic
\nobstacle in this country to the quick resolution of sexual abuse
\ncases against women is the fact that the victims or their
\nfamilies are usually too embarrassed to report such cases to the
\nauthorities. Another problem at this point is the fact that more
\nthan three weeks have passed since the incidents, making it
\ndifficult for police to collect accurate information and
\nevidence.<\/p>\n
Aritonang's explanation may be difficult to contradict from a
\ntechnical point of view, but it is obvious that action must be
\ntaken. A full investigation of the incidents must be carried out
\ndespite the obstacles. Perhaps the police could utilize the help
\nand expertise of non-governmental organizations or concerned
\ncitizens groups such as Mitra Perempuan. Given the traditional
\nattitudes that still prevail in most Indonesian families, Mitra
\nPerempuan's projection that more than a hundred sexual abuse
\ncases may come to light could be only a fraction of the actual
\nnumber of incidents that occurred.<\/p>\n
The crimes committed reek too much of the ethnic cleansing
\ntactics employed by racists elsewhere in the world, particularly
\nif they were carried out by an organized group. Such outrageous
\nacts must not go unpunished. Our law enforcers and legislators
\nmust also admit that our people's traditional prudishness is only
\none factor that discourages victims of sexual abuse to speak out
\nand seek justice. Another factor is the laxness of our
\ntraditionally male-oriented society and its laws that make it
\nless than worthwhile for such victims to come forward.<\/p>\n
It is high time that we change our attitudes if we are to
\nbuild a civilized society for ourselves, for our sons and for our
\ndaughters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-blot-on-our-record-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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