Tribunal urged for military rapists<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: Rights activists called on the government on Thursday
\nto set up an ad hoc tribunal to try security officers suspected
\nof raping women while carrying out their duties in conflict-torn
\nareas, arguing that the alleged crimes could spark widespread
\npublic terror.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the National Commission for Missing Persons and
\nVictims of Violence (Kontras) Usman Hamid said security officers
\nwho abused women should be brought before an ad hoc rights
\ntribunal because the violence was sometimes used as an
\ninterrogation method.<\/p>\n
He also said that superiors of soldiers were also responsible
\nfor violations because, "they failed to control their troops."<\/p>\n
"In many cases of violence against women, security officers
\nuse sexual threats as a way of forcing the victims to give
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
"They (sexual threats) are also used to cause terror among
\nlocals in an effort to drive them to support the security
\noperation," Usman said, referring to widespread instances of rape
\nin the country's troubled province of Aceh during the previous
\nmilitary operation, which lasted for 10 years from 1988 to 1998.<\/p>\n
Recently, a court-martial in Aceh convicted three soldiers of
\nraping four women, with the heaviest sentence being just three
\nyears and six months, compared with a possible 12-year maximum.<\/p>\n
All three were also discharged from military service. --JP<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tribunal-urged-for-military-rapists-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }