Conflicting statements

It is still fresh in the mind of all when President Habibie in his state address on Aug. 17 said in front of a plenary session at the House of Representatives, attended also by foreign representatives and journalists, that "... the May riots were aggravated by sexual harassment against women of mostly ethnic Chinese descent ... all these irresponsible acts have streaked the face of our nation renowned for its high morals ... we curse these barbaric acts." (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 16, 1998).

The President could not have relied on imaginary proof in admitting and condemning the rapes with the world as his audience. What he has acknowledged should not be questioned, let alone denied by officials from the government's lower echelons.

The fact-finding team established later should not be charged with finding proof that the rapes took place, but should look for the perpetrators. That is why the team consists of the Police, the Armed Forces and the Attorney General's Office. The team had hardly begun its task when our generals at the State Intelligence Coordinating Body (BAKIN) and the Armed Forces Intelligence Agency (BIA) publicly stated that there was no proof of rapes taking place during the May riots. The chief of police even threatened to take steps against activists whom he said had spread false reports on the rapes. All this seemed to be directed to bringing the fact-finding team toward a final "agreeable" conclusion (a game in the New Order style). On Sept. 23, the country's entire media reported that "Minister of Defense and Security General Wiranto denies that the government has admitted any rapes (took place during the May riots)".

Apart from the rapes, such a statement from the Armed Forces Commander, which comes in direct contradiction to the statement by the President, has led people here and abroad to wonder who is in fact the leader of the government in this country, the President or the Minister of Defense and Security/Commander of the Armed Forces? Are the mutual denials in the highest government circles one of the main reasons for the low confidence people here and abroad, especially would-be foreign investors, have in the government and the Armed Forces? They are certainly well informed through elements of our media such as The Jakarta Post and TV broadcasts via satellite.

THOMAS P. TANDANG

Bogor, West Java