Memorial of Indonesian riot May 1998

Early Documentation No. 3

THE RAPES IN THE SERIES OF RIOTS:
The Climax of an Uncivilized Act of the Nation Life

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/4120/tim1.html


CONTENTS

* Rapes: A Total Destruction of The Community
* The Extent of The Rapes

* Great Urgency of Help and Revelation
* Epilogue

"About 11.30 a.m. I saw some people among the crowd stopping a car and forcing the passengers to get out, and then they dragged two girls out from the car. They take off their shirts and raped them. The two girls tried to fight back, but it was in vain." (An eyewitness, Muara Angke, May 14, 1998). This is not a made up story, but a true story. It is only one of hundreds of rapes that happened during the riots on May, 1998. The vastness of the rape, according to the reports filed until today, are shown in various tables and testimonies in this very "Document".. After the riot then came out some statements that denied the fact of the rape. Well, it is better to silence the statements. The answer is clear already: the rapes did happen. And this happened to not only one or two, but to many women and girls.

"After the two girls could get away from the savage rapists, I came to them and embraced them. They begged me to help them finding a secure way to go home. Since I live in that district, I know well the short-cut to the main road. At the Cengkareng cross-road, I saw some nude women corpses, with their faces covered with newspapers. They must had been raped, for I could see the dried blood out to their vaginas, on which the flies swarmed. After leading the two girls the way, I went home through the same road. But when I arrived at the cross-road, the corpses had gone. But to where? Who took them?" (The witness, Muara Anke, May 14, 1998).

Probably some government officials likely to hold their old play: try going to cover the case up as if it never happened since there is no report at all on the savage rape during the riots. It is an easy thing to explain: First of all, in this country, "having been raped" is a condition which is considered shameful or even a defect. That is why for sure the victims and their families try not to reveal what happened to them. Second, since the physical and psychological suffering is very unbearable, the victims and the witnesses can only tell, although with difficulties, to the persons whom they trust. The fact that there is no report at all made to the government shows that until now the government has not yet been considered trustworthy by the people with such a problem. Third, to many rape cases during the riots, the rapists also took the victims' KTP (The Identity Card). And this decreased the possibility of the victims to complain and make reports. They have been silenced by their feelings of "disgrace", by terror or threat. Lastly, the members of the Volunteers Team for Humanity ("Tim Relawan"), who have been often contacted by the victims and the witnesses, many times get warnings not to continue their activities of "listening" and "helping" the victims. In this very country, even in the (supposed-to-be) reformation spirit, speaking about and listening sympathetically to the victims of the rapes is still considered a threat (to the state-nation? or to some official elements?). Even in the (supposed-to-be) reformation condition, seeking the truth has been accused of being a subversive activity. So we do not need to question why the international community halfheartedly counts on Indonesia, as if they are watching a group of barbaric creatures. Please do not ask why the investments from abroad have not yet come to Indonesia. From the "absence" of the reports of the rapes to the government, we cannot conclude that the rape itself never happened. This "Early Documentation No. 3" precisely shows how vast the rapes mere during the riots. A single act of raping has been enough to be considered inhuman. Hundreds of rapes with similar brutal modus operandi were absolutely "systematic and organized massive uncivilized acts". The modus operandi were very similar to the ones that stimulated the riots on the middle May 1998. (Vide "The Early Documentation No.1 & 2).

THE VOLUNTEERS TEAM FOR HUMANITY
Jl. Arus Dalam No.1, Rt.001/Rw.012 Cawang, Dewi Sartika
Jakarta 13630, INDONESIA
Tel./Fax: (021) 8094531, Email: galih@indo.net.id