Nation basks in self-deception

Nation basks in self-deception

By Martin R. Jenkins

JAKARTA (JP): Today marks the second anniversary of the riots
that broke out in the capital on May 13, 1998. More than 1,000
people lost their lives and many more their livelihoods as shops,
houses and offices were burned to the ground by uncontrollable
mobs hell-bent on causing as much destruction as possible.

Given the sheer scale of the riots and the suffering endured,
it would have seemed inconceivable at the time to believe that
the government would simply brush the matter aside and confine it
to the annals of Indonesian history. But that, unbelievably, is
what has happened.

The backdrop of the riots was the Asian economic crisis, which
spread to Indonesia in August 1997, eventually resulting in
massive currency depreciation and runaway inflation.

This in turn led to massive layoffs and a phenomenal collapse
in living standards as the economy went into self-destruct mode.
The people's frustrations could no longer be contained, and
spurred on by the country's heroic university students, the
corrupt New Order regime was eventually overthrown amid scenes of
mayhem and anarchy.

The trigger for the riots was the slaying of four Trisakti
University students on May 13, 1998. Jakarta then descended into
madness for two unforgettable days, in which mobs looted and
burned large sections of Jakarta.

Soeharto was soon dethroned. It was not long, however, before
people started to ask questions about the riots. How was it
possible that rioting on such a scale could occur spontaneously
across Jakarta? Who were the young men with shaved heads seen
arriving in trucks to incite the masses to riot, only to leave
shortly afterwards? Was it true that rapes of ethnic Chinese
women had taken place? Who was really behind the riots?

Under pressure from local non-governmental organizations and
foreign governments to reveal the truth about the May riots, the
Indonesian government set up a broad-based fact-finding team in
August 1998 to investigate the causes of the riots and the rapes
of ethnic Chinese women.

On Nov. 3, 1998, the team, which included representatives from
the government, the Indonesian Military, the police, and non-
governmental organizations, released its report. But by this time
the momentum had already been lost -- the report had taken too
long to produce. Pressure on the government to come clean about
the real causes of the riots had abated. In fact, most of the
general public in Indonesia never even got to see the report's
findings.

The report found three patterns to the riots -- local and
spontaneous riots, riots aggravated by provocateurs and those
riots that were more obviously deliberately stimulated. The
latter, according to the fact-finding team, included involvement
by elements of the military. The report also called for Lt. Gen.
(ret) Prabowo Subianto and all others involved in the kidnapping
of political activists to be brought before a military court.

The investigation team also verified that 85 acts of violence
against women had taken place during the riots, including rapes,
torture, sexual assaults and sexual harassment, mostly against
ethnic Chinese.

Nonetheless, the findings of the team were not addressed by
the Habibie administration. There was never any serious intention
to bring to justice those responsible for the May riots. Instead,
some unfortunate low-ranking police officers who had been accused
of shooting the Trisakti students were dragged through the courts
to show that "this is a country of law and order". Although
Prabowo and friends admitted to kidnapping the students, they
managed to find enough excuses to get off scot-free.

Two years on, the truth behind the May riots remains just as
unlikely to be revealed, despite the country's commendable
progress toward democracy.

Just like the other dark events in Indonesia's recent history,
such as the "ninja" killings in East Java, the shooting of Atma
Jaya University students in Jakarta, the storming of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters and the murders of
labor activist Marsinah in East Java and journalist Udin in
Yogyakarta, the May riots will remain shrouded in a cloak of
mystery.

Nothing is ever resolved. Justice is never done. Crimes are
never punished. Perhaps it is easier to live in self-deception
than it is to face cold hard truths, but that will not be much
comfort for those who lost so much two years ago.

The writer is a consultant at an Indonesian company in
Jakarta.