Women seek action on rapes

JAKARTA (JP): About 80 women grouped in the Coalition of Indonesian Women for Justice and Democracy (KPIKD) demonstrated at the defense ministry yesterday, urging the Armed Forces to account for the rape of at least 168 Chinese-Indonesian women during the May riots.

"We demand ABRI's leadership give an accountability statement for the May 13-15 riots, particularly regarding the rapes," the group's spokeswoman, Julia I. Suryakusuma, told journalists shortly before they were met by defense ministry officials.

The group's delegation was received by the chief of the ministry's public relations office, Col. FX Bachtiar, because Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto was in a meeting with President B.J. Habibie.

In a statement addressed to Wiranto, the group condemned the intimidation and terror campaign waged by the alleged rapists on women.

One hundred and sixty eight Chinese-Indonesian women were reportedly raped and twenty of the victims died, but the Armed Forces has steadfastly maintained that no investigation can go ahead unless the victims report the crimes to the police.

The police have initiated an inquiry, but no results have been made available to the public.

President B.J. Habibie expressed "deep concern" over the rapes following activists' criticism of his long silence.

"We have filed a report on the result of an investigation conducted by the Team of Volunteers for Humanity (led by Catholic Priest Ignatius Sandyawan Sumardi) with the leadership of the Armed Forces," the group said in its statement.

The group noted that the rapes and harassment which occurred during riots which targeted the Chinese-Indonesian community in May were "a systematic and organized crime."

"We condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon of terror. It has ruined the lives and dignity of many women. Furthermore, the crime was only a repeat of what has happened before in Irian Jaya, East Timor and Aceh," the group said.

It slammed the Armed Forces for failing to provide citizens with basic security while acts of terrorism and intimidation, kidnapping, rape and murder involving the military apparatus were causing panic among the public. (imn/aan)