Investigation team confirms rapes during riots

Investigation team confirms rapes during riots

JAKARTA (JP): The government-sponsored fact-finding team
investigating the May riots asserted on Monday that, despite some
officials' denials, sexual assaults and rapes did take place in
the unrest in Jakarta and other cities which also left 1,200
people dead and led to the downfall of former president Soeharto.

"We confirmed to the government that sexual assaults including
rapes occurred during the May riots," team chairman Marzuki
Darusman told reporters after meeting Minister of Defense and
Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto, Minister of
Justice Muladi and State Minister of Women's Affairs Tutty
Alawiyah at the Ministry of Justice.

Wiranto, Muladi and Tutty were among the six officials who
signed the decree on the team's establishment on July 23rd.

The other three officials were Minister of Home Affairs
Syarwan Hamid, Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib and Minister
of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.

When asked to elaborate on the basis of the team's statement,
Marzuki said the 19-member team had "access" to sources of
information about the sexual assaults during the riots.

He also admitted that a number of team members had met with
victims of the sexual assaults and rapes.

"We will convey the complete report (of sexual assaults and
rapes during the riots) when we announce our final report in
October.

"The important thing is we want to assure that these things
have happened and this is accepted by the government," added
Marzuki.

The team met the ministers on Monday to deliver an interim
report of its investigation into the May riots, during which
security was allegedly nonexistent.

Activists, including those in the Volunteers for Humanity led
by Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi, have said that 168 women
and children were raped or sexually assaulted during the riots,
20 of whom died or committed suicide.

Sandyawan is one of the team members.

Officials, including National Police chief Lt. Gen.
Roesmanhadi, have since said they had not found any evidence to
substantiate the alleged figures.

Wiranto said last week that ABRI had found no evidence to
substantiate such claims either.

On Monday, however, Wiranto declined to elaborate on why he
made such a statement.

"There has not been any conclusion... just wait for another
month as the investigation is still being conducted," Wiranto
said after attending the two-hour meeting.

Minister of Justice Muladi said on Monday that statements
doubting the reports of sexual assaults and rapes during the
riots were because of enormous public pressure on the government.

"Those are individuals' statements because they felt that they
had been cornered by the international community and the
Indonesian public.

"We, both the government and the team, now realize that we
must be careful in making statements," Muladi added.

The National Commission on Human Rights said in July that it
was convinced the rapes and sexual assaults during the riots were
perpetrated systematically by unidentified groups of people.

The violence sparked an international outcry and ethnic
Chinese communities in several countries have held protests at
Indonesian missions to demand a thorough inquiry and trial of
those responsible.

The government-established team that includes representatives
from ABRI, government agencies, the rights body and non-
governmental organizations is investigating allegations that the
riots were masterminded.

The team is expected to complete its task by Oct. 23.

It was the Volunteers for Humanity that first reported that
the May 13 to May 15 rioting was incited by people who appeared
to have been well organized.

Data from the group said 1,190 people died after being trapped
and burned during fires and 27 died from gunshot wounds. Thirty-
one people are classified as missing and 91 were wounded. (byg)