Anonymous threats continue on human rights activists

Anonymous threats continue on human rights activists

JAKARTA (JP): Human rights activists working to publicly
disclose information on the mass rapes that occurred during the
May riots have reported that they are continuing to receive
anonymous threats.

Members of the Volunteers for Humanity told a media conference
at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation on Tuesday that they had
been receiving threatening phone calls and letters and had been
followed.

They also recounted an instance in June when a grenade had
been sent to their office in East Jakarta.

"The callers are threatening the activists, saying that if
they continue their work, they will sexually assault their
daughters," Ita Fatia Nadia of the women's rights group
Kalyanamitra said.

Ita said a daughter of one of the activists had been verbally
harassed over the phone. She explained that her group had been
accused of spreading rumors of the rapes and advocating a
particular religion and minority group.

Led by Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi, the Volunteers for
Humanity reported to the National Commission on Human Rights in
July that at least 168 women and children were raped or sexually
abused during the riots in Jakarta and other cities.

It also said 20 of them had been either murdered by their
assailants or had subsequently died of their injuries.

The government, however, has since denied the report, saying
that there was no evidence to support the claims.

National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said in August that
some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were exaggerating
reports of rapes and sexual assaults against Chinese-Indonesian
women during the riots.

Roesmanhadi said that if the NGOs failed to come up with
evidence and continued their claims, they could be charged with
spreading unsubstantiated rumors.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto has also repeatedly
said as recently as Sunday that ABRI had found no evidence to
substantiate the claims.

The Volunteers for Humanity was the first organization to
raise the alarm about the systematic gang-rapes during the May
riots.

It also was the first to allege that the May 13 to May 15
rioting was incited by people who appeared to have been well
organized.

"I am sure that the people who have been threatening us are
people who helped mastermind the riots," said Sandyawan, who was
also present on Tuesday. Karlina Leksono, another volunteer, said
the activists were being threatened because they had "broken the
silence".

Human rights activists say that it has been very difficult to
encourage the sexual assault victims to come forward and disclose
their ordeals.

"Once the silence is broken, the intimidators' second line of
defense is to make the public not listen ... by discrediting
witnesses, victims and activists who have been working to
disclose the atrocities," Karlina said.

Karlina added that her cellular phone had been tapped and that
unanswered incoming calls would be greeted by a male voice and
then diverted to a number of a car dealer.

She said that a recent secretly arranged meeting between a
doctor and a sexual assault victim had been located by the
police.

"Minutes after the victim left, a policewoman entered the
doctor's room and forced the doctor to reveal her identity," said
Karlina, who in February set up the Voice of Concerned Mothers
which protests the scarcity and high prices of basic commodities.

Ita said it was unlikely that the phone tappings had been
carried out by ordinary people "because these people have access
to the telecommunications company".

The government established a team in July which includes
representatives from ABRI, government agencies, the rights body
and non-governmental organizations to investigate allegations
that the riots were masterminded.

The team is expected to complete its task later this month.
(byg)