Historian Ita Fatia Nadia has affirmed that the mass rapes during the\nMay 1998 riots constitute an undeniable historical fact. She has urged\nthe judges of the State Administrative Court (PTUN) to declare the\nstatement by Culture Minister Fadli Zon, who denied the incident, as\nincorrect.<\/p>\n
Ita, who is also the plaintiff in this case, claims to have been\ndirectly involved in supporting the victims since 1998. According to\nher, the trial at the PTUN represents a crucial moment to reopen the\ntruth about gender-based violence during that era.<\/p>\n
\u201cI dealt directly with the victims. This trial is a milestone to\nreveal the gender-based brutality that occurred through women\u2019s bodies,\u201d\nsaid Ita during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (7\/4).<\/p>\n
She mentioned that around 158 victims were recorded in various cities\nsuch as Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Palembang, and Solo. This data was\nlater verified by the Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to 58 victims.<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally handled 15 victims in Jakarta. The youngest victim was\n11 years old in Tangerang,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
Ita also revealed that she was once a member of the TGPF but resigned\ndue to pressure from authorities demanding the victims\u2019 identities be\ndisclosed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pressure was extraordinary. I could not continue under those\nconditions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
According to Ita, the lawsuit to the PTUN, supported by civil\nsociety, is a critical step after nearly three decades of the issue\nbeing continuously denied.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor almost 30 years, we were considered liars. It was said that the\nmass rapes were nonsense. That is not true,\u201d she emphasised.<\/p>\n
She added that the victims\u2019 testimonies and witnesses in the trial,\nincluding the presence of victims\u2019 families, strengthen the evidence\nthat the incident did indeed occur.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my hands, there is evidence and testimonies. This is a\nhumanitarian obligation to continue fighting for,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ita warned that if the PTUN does not acknowledge these facts, it will\nset a bad precedent for law enforcement in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf clear facts are not accepted, then the law itself is in\nquestion,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
On the same occasion, Kusmiati, the mother of one of the victims,\nprovided an emotional testimony. She claimed to have witnessed the\nvictims\u2019 conditions in the hospital after the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI searched for my child from Grogol to the hospital. I saw many\nvictims from various backgrounds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She emphasised that the incident left deep wounds that have never\nhealed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a major human rights violation. It must not be forgotten,\u201d\nsaid Kusmiati.<\/p>\n
The trial at the PTUN is considered an initial gateway to reopen the\nfacts of the May 1998 violence, while also testing the state\u2019s\ncommitment to upholding justice for the victims.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/historian-affirms-mass-rapes-of-1998-as-undeniable-fact-1775606613", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }