Conflicting statements

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