Bakin question claims of mass rapes during riots
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)