ABRI denies confirming rapes during May riots<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto denied on Tuesday he confirmed the
\noccurrence of mass sexual assaults and rapes during the May riots
\nin Jakarta and other cities, as some media reported.<\/p>\n
\"There has not been any statement that the government finally
\nadmitted there were rapes,\" Wiranto said in a televised report.
\n\"There's still ongoing research.\"<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the official fact-finding team investigating
\nthe May unrest had met with 17 witnesses of rapes that occurred
\nduring the chaos that led to the death of 1,200 people.<\/p>\n
However, \"no conclusion has been reached,\" Wiranto said after
\nmeeting religious leaders from East Java at the ABRI headquarters
\nin Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Wiranto was referring to his meeting with the government-
\nsponsored team on Monday during which it delivered an interim
\nreport into its investigation into the riots.<\/p>\n
Wiranto added that the public should wait another month until
\nwhen the team is scheduled to announce its final report. He also
\ncorrected some media reports that his colleague, Minister of
\nJustice Muladi, had confirmed \"that the government now admitted
\nthere were rapes\".<\/p>\n
During the Monday meeting, the team asserted that despite some
\nofficials' denials, sexual assaults and rapes did take place
\nduring the riots.<\/p>\n
The team's chairman, Marzuki Darusman, said on Monday that the
\ngovernment had agreed not to make any statements regarding the
\ninvestigation ahead of the team.<\/p>\n
Activists, including those in the Volunteers for Humanity led
\nby Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi, have said that 168 women
\nand children were raped and sexually assaulted during the riots,
\n20 of whom died or committed suicide.<\/p>\n
Officials, including the police, have since said they have not
\nfound evidence to substantiate the alleged figures. These claims
\nhave been criticized by observers and activists alike as
\ndiscouraging victims and witnesses from coming forward to
\ntestify.<\/p>\n
The government established the team on July 23. It consists of
\nrepresentatives from ABRI, government agencies, the rights body
\nand non-governmental organizations and is investigating
\nallegations that the riots were masterminded.<\/p>\n
The team was given three months to complete its task.
\n(byg\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abri-denies-confirming-rapes-during-may-riots-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}