Women seek action on rapes

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)