No evidence of rapes found: Govt<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto submitted a police report to a
\nweekly cabinet meeting yesterday saying that police have
\ninvestigated 103 reports of rape during the May riots but have
\nyet to find evidence to support the claims.<\/p>\n
\"Police have investigated 103 cases, but have been unable to
\nprove that any rapes took place,\" Minister of Information
\nMohammad Yunus quoted Wiranto as saying.<\/p>\n
Wiranto also said 11 Taiwanese activists told him during a
\nrecent meeting that they too had been unable to find any evidence
\nof rapes after checking directly at several places in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"During their visit to Indonesia they met with several people,
\nincluding officials from the Taiwanese Consulate here and the
\nState Minister of Women's Affairs, in search of evidence that the
\nrapes took place, but they could not find any proof,\" Yunus
\nquoted Wiranto as reporting.<\/p>\n
Yunus said the police visited Mitra Bahari apartment in North
\nJakarta, where at least four rapes occurred according to a report
\nprepared by Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi, who led the
\nVolunteers for Humanity team investigating the riots.<\/p>\n
\"All the police investigation has uncovered is that the
\nalleged victims were evacuated to Singkawang, Manado and Minahasa
\nby Father Sandyawan and it is doubtful if any rapes actually took
\nplace,\" Yunus noted.<\/p>\n
A report compiled by Samuel Budi, the priest at the
\nPentecostal Church in Jelambar, West Jakarta, was also found to
\nbe groundless.<\/p>\n
\"There are no members of the Jelambar Pentecostal Church
\ncongregation who were raped on May 13 or 14,\" Yunus said.<\/p>\n
Public opinion has been split in two over reports of the gang-
\nrape of 168 women of Chinese descent during the massive riots on
\nMay 13-15 in Jakarta and other cities.<\/p>\n
One camp believes the atrocities did indeed take place and
\nthat given the nature of the crimes would be difficult to prove.
\nAnother camp has publicly cast doubt over the reports saying it
\nis part of a smear-campaign against certain groups in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, former Jakarta military chief Maj. Gen.
\nSjafrie Sjamsoeddin became the first high ranked officer to
\ntestify before a government-initiated team investigating the
\nriots, when security was allegedly non-existent.<\/p>\n
The questioning was held at the residence of team member
\nBambang W. Soeharto in Cilandak, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Dressed in a light green safari suit, the two-star general
\narrived at 8.55 a.m. and left at 11.35 a.m.<\/p>\n
Bambang said Sjafrie was invited to respond to allegations
\nthat the security apparatus had actually been involved in the
\nunrest.<\/p>\n
Sjafrie was commander of the operation to maintain law and
\norder in the capital at the time when the unrest broke out.<\/p>\n
He said the team asked Sjafrie about basic security procedures
\nin the city, including the movement of troops during the riots.<\/p>\n
Vital places<\/p>\n
\"Pak Sjafrie said security personnel were concentrated in
\nvital places such as the State Palace, the Armed Forces
\nHeadquarters, the state water company and business centers,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Another team member, Bambang Widjojanto, said they started
\nwith reports that no security personnel were present at the scene
\nof some of the worst rioting in the capital, which took place at
\nthe Glodok business center in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
According to Widjojanto, Sjafrie said 6,000 troops were
\ndeployed on May 12 when four Trisakti University students were
\nshot dead by security officials during a demonstration.<\/p>\n
\"The number of troops deployed in the city was increased to
\n11,200 on the following day when most of the city was set ablaze
\nin mass rioting. Their numbers reached 14,200 on May 14,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Also attending yesterday's session were I Made Gel-gel, who is
\nthe deputy attorney general for general crimes, businesswoman
\nRosita S. Noer, and academics Saparinah Sadli and Hermawan
\nSulistyo.<\/p>\n
The team will soon question Sjafrie's predecessor Maj. Gen.
\nSutiyoso, who is now the Governor of Jakarta, and former Jakarta
\nPolice chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata.<\/p>\n
Later yesterday, Rosita said two victims of sexual abuse
\nduring the riots were ready to testify before authorities.<\/p>\n
\"The two have expressed their willingness and we expect after
\nthat others will also be coming to us everyday with new
\ntestimony,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Separately, activists from the Commission for Missing Persons
\nand Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the questioning of Sjafrie
\nSjamsoeddin marked progress in the government's efforts to
\ninvestigate the riots. (prb\/imn\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-evidence-of-rapes-found-govt-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}