Nation basks in self-deception<\/p>\n
By Martin R. Jenkins<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Today marks the second anniversary of the riots
\nthat broke out in the capital on May 13, 1998. More than 1,000
\npeople lost their lives and many more their livelihoods as shops,
\nhouses and offices were burned to the ground by uncontrollable
\nmobs hell-bent on causing as much destruction as possible.<\/p>\n
Given the sheer scale of the riots and the suffering endured,
\nit would have seemed inconceivable at the time to believe that
\nthe government would simply brush the matter aside and confine it
\nto the annals of Indonesian history. But that, unbelievably, is
\nwhat has happened.<\/p>\n
The backdrop of the riots was the Asian economic crisis, which
\nspread to Indonesia in August 1997, eventually resulting in
\nmassive currency depreciation and runaway inflation.<\/p>\n
This in turn led to massive layoffs and a phenomenal collapse
\nin living standards as the economy went into self-destruct mode.
\nThe people's frustrations could no longer be contained, and
\nspurred on by the country's heroic university students, the
\ncorrupt New Order regime was eventually overthrown amid scenes of
\nmayhem and anarchy.<\/p>\n
The trigger for the riots was the slaying of four Trisakti
\nUniversity students on May 13, 1998. Jakarta then descended into
\nmadness for two unforgettable days, in which mobs looted and
\nburned large sections of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was soon dethroned. It was not long, however, before
\npeople started to ask questions about the riots. How was it
\npossible that rioting on such a scale could occur spontaneously
\nacross Jakarta? Who were the young men with shaved heads seen
\narriving in trucks to incite the masses to riot, only to leave
\nshortly afterwards? Was it true that rapes of ethnic Chinese
\nwomen had taken place? Who was really behind the riots?<\/p>\n
Under pressure from local non-governmental organizations and
\nforeign governments to reveal the truth about the May riots, the
\nIndonesian government set up a broad-based fact-finding team in
\nAugust 1998 to investigate the causes of the riots and the rapes
\nof ethnic Chinese women.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 3, 1998, the team, which included representatives from
\nthe government, the Indonesian Military, the police, and non-
\ngovernmental organizations, released its report. But by this time
\nthe momentum had already been lost -- the report had taken too
\nlong to produce. Pressure on the government to come clean about
\nthe real causes of the riots had abated. In fact, most of the
\ngeneral public in Indonesia never even got to see the report's
\nfindings.<\/p>\n
The report found three patterns to the riots -- local and
\nspontaneous riots, riots aggravated by provocateurs and those
\nriots that were more obviously deliberately stimulated. The
\nlatter, according to the fact-finding team, included involvement
\nby elements of the military. The report also called for Lt. Gen.
\n(ret) Prabowo Subianto and all others involved in the kidnapping
\nof political activists to be brought before a military court.<\/p>\n
The investigation team also verified that 85 acts of violence
\nagainst women had taken place during the riots, including rapes,
\ntorture, sexual assaults and sexual harassment, mostly against
\nethnic Chinese.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, the findings of the team were not addressed by
\nthe Habibie administration. There was never any serious intention
\nto bring to justice those responsible for the May riots. Instead,
\nsome unfortunate low-ranking police officers who had been accused
\nof shooting the Trisakti students were dragged through the courts
\nto show that \"this is a country of law and order\". Although
\nPrabowo and friends admitted to kidnapping the students, they
\nmanaged to find enough excuses to get off scot-free.<\/p>\n
Two years on, the truth behind the May riots remains just as
\nunlikely to be revealed, despite the country's commendable
\nprogress toward democracy.<\/p>\n
Just like the other dark events in Indonesia's recent history,
\nsuch as the \"ninja\" killings in East Java, the shooting of Atma
\nJaya University students in Jakarta, the storming of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters and the murders of
\nlabor activist Marsinah in East Java and journalist Udin in
\nYogyakarta, the May riots will remain shrouded in a cloak of
\nmystery.<\/p>\n
Nothing is ever resolved. Justice is never done. Crimes are
\nnever punished. Perhaps it is easier to live in self-deception
\nthan it is to face cold hard truths, but that will not be much
\ncomfort for those who lost so much two years ago.<\/p>\n
The writer is a consultant at an Indonesian company in
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nation-basks-in-self-deception-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}