Fadli Zon Says No Mass Rape In 1998, House Of Representatives: Refuge Of History Drowing Old Victims' Injuries

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon (center). (doc. Kemenbud)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VIII DPR RI Selly Andrianygana criticized the statement by the Minister of Culture (Menbud) Fadli Zon who said that the mass rape incident at the May 1998 riots was only a historical rumor because there was no evidence.

According to him, the statement is a historical denial that is again prying out old wounds for victims.

"As a member of Commission VIII of the DPR RI who has a mandate to fight for protection and recovery for women victims of violence, I express my deep concern over a statement that states that there has never been sexual violence against women in the May 1998 tragedy," said Selly, Tuesday, June 17.

In fact, the report of the Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) of the May 13-15 Riot Case in 1998 found that there were acts of sexual violence that occurred in Jakarta, Medan and Surabaya during the 1998 riots.

The forms of sexual violence are divided into four categories, namely rape (52 victims), rape with persecution (14 people), assault/sexual assault (10 people), and sexual harassment (9 people).

The report also stated that in addition to the victims of sexual violence that occurred in the May riots, TPGF also found victims of sexual violence that occurred before and after the May riots. These cases of sexual violence have something to do with cases of sexual violence that occurred during the riots.

"The history of this nation notes that post-reformation, the state through the formation of Komnas Perempuan, has acknowledged sexual violence, including rape experienced by women in the May 1998 riot situation," explained Selly.

Selly emphasized that the testimony of victims and documentation efforts carried out by many parties, both countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society organizations, are not something that can simply be abolished from the collective memory of all Indonesian citizens.

"This kind of statement that reduces historical facts is very vulnerable to injuring survivors again. We need to be very careful when talking about traumatic events, especially when it comes to wounds that still haven't really recovered," said the legislator from the West Java VIII electoral district.

Therefore, according to Selly, it is important for the Minister of Culture to keep the facts that occurred in the tragedy of the May 1998 riots as a history of the journey of the Indonesian nation that cannot be abolished.

"We believe that acknowledgment of historical truth is an important first step for the recovery of victims and the maturation of democracy by based on principles of humanity, gender justice, and taking sides with vulnerable groups," said Selly.

This member of the Commission in the DPR who is in charge of women's protection affairs also hopes that all parties, especially public officials, can prioritize empathy, prudence, and moral responsibility when talking about the nation's tragedy. Moreover, said Selly, this statement was made by a Minister of Culture who should maintain historical facts, and not deepen injustice and neglect of the rights of victims.

"Even if there is a different view, it should be conveyed in the framework of constructive dialogue, not in the form of denial which can increase the burden of the wounds of the victims," he said.

"Let us maintain the dignity of this nation by not forgetting or denying the dark part of its history, on the contrary, we must learn from it," concluded Selly.

As is known, the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon in an interview claimed that there was no evidence of mass rape in May 1998. According to him, the story about the incident is not in the history book and only based on rumors that do not solve the problem.

When asked about the report of the Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) which revealed testimony and evidence that indicated that women were being targeted for rape, Fadli Zon said TGPF had denied it and could not prove it.

The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Culture is currently working on the rewriting of national history which is targeted to be completed in August 2025. This new history book will be launched to coincide with the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. Fadli Zon said that the history book that is being made by the Government is currently expected to "be able to unite the nation".

However, in the draft Context of 'Indonesian History', it turns out that a number of gross human rights violations were not included. Among them, the rape of Chinese women in the May 1998 Incident, the mysterious shooting (Petrus), the forced disappearance of 1997-1998 activists, the tragedy of Trisakti and Semanggi I and II, as well as cases of human rights violations in Aceh and Papua.