Bakin question claims of mass rapes during riots

JAKARTA (JP): The Head of the State Intelligence Coordinating Board (Bakin), Lt. Gen. (ret.) Moetojib, questioned yesterday claims of mass rapes during the May riots, saying such reports were circulated with the political intent to undermine the government, Antara reported yesterday.

Moetojib said the agency had not found any indication, or even report, that supported allegations of mass rapes.

"Without trying to evade reality, we doubt the truthfulness of the rape reports given that we have yet to find any evidence," he said.

He argued that it was not the board alone, but the Joint Fact Finding Team, police and the Armed Forces (ABRI) which had yet to find substantial evidence to support these claims.

"Why hasn't a single one of the rape victims, which reportedly reached 168, come forward to file a report?" he remarked.

Despite the government officially condemning the rapes, Moetojib joins the rank of officials who have questioned and lashed out at those who continue to report the rapes.

National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi threatened last week to sue activists if they continued to press their claims without providing evidence to support their allegations.

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

The activists, led by Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi, issued a report last month stating that they had solid evidence of 168 rapes between May and July 3.

The report said "152 women were raped or sexually abused in Jakarta and its surroundings, while 16 others were raped or sexually assaulted in Solo, Medan, Palembang and Surabaya".

It added that 20 women and children were either murdered by their assailants, burned to death after the rapists were through with them or subsequently died of their wounds.

The report was based on interviews with victims, their relatives and witnesses.

Most of the attacks in Jakarta occurred in northern and western parts of the city where a large ethnic Chinese community lives and works, the 18-page report said.

Moetojib claimed that his men had conducted an intensive field investigation, including checking hospitals and contacting those who allegedly have information about the matter, but their efforts proved fruitless.

He thus concluded that the rape issue was purposely circulated by "irresponsible parties" to stain Indonesia's image.

He went so far as to suggest that it may have been designed to overthrow the government.

"Looking at the intensity of the reports circulated to corner the nation and ABRI, I believe there is an intention that Indonesia, or at the very least the current government, collapses," Moetojib charged.

One medium which has been inundated with reports and alleged pictures of rapes during the riots is the Internet.

Widespread reports of the rapes in which Chinese-Indonesians were a featured target have caused ire and public protests abroad.

Moetojib strongly questioned the validity of the Internet reports.

But he did not stop there. Moetojib lashed out at the domestic media for blowing up the issue.

"I am quite upset at domestic dailies who continue to write reports as if these events occurred, while in fact their sources are ambiguous," he asserted.

He called on the general public to use "a healthy mind" in judging whether such reports are true or not. (prb)