Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon has once again drawn sharp criticism for his statement dismissing the 1998 mass rapes as mere rumors. Fadli made these comments during an interview with senior IDN Times journalist, Uni Zulfiani Lubis, concerning the rewriting of Indonesian history.
Tempo obtained permission from Uni Lubis to quote Fadli Zon's statement. Fadli initially explained that the purpose of rewriting history was to clarify what he perceived as rumors that had long been accepted as historical facts. The Gerindra Party politician then controversially cited the mass rape incident as an example of a "rumor" he intended to rectify.
"Mass rape, who says that? There's never been any proof of it. It's a story. If it's true, then show it, is it in any history books?" Fadli Zon said in an interview broadcast on IDN Time's YouTube channel on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
The former Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives further mentioned that he had tested historians by claiming the incident had been acknowledged by a fact-finding team. "I myself have denied that, and they (history rewriters) cannot prove it," Fadli revealed.
Civil coalition demands Fadli Zon retract statement
The Civil Society Coalition views Fadli Zon's statement as an insult to history and demands a retraction coupled with an apology.
"Fadli Zon's statement shows a lack of empathy towards the victims and all women who fought alongside them," said Ita F. Nadia from the Women's Violence Volunteer Team during the Civil Society Conference Against Impunity, held via Zoom Meeting on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Nadia asserted that Fadli Zon had failed to grasp the specificity of sexual violence compared to other forms of violence. She emphasized that, contrary to Fadli's belittling remarks, the events in question constituted extraordinary human rights violations, specifically targeting, raping, and torturing women of Chinese descent.
The argument that there is "no valid evidence" of the incident, according to Nadia, is a fatal error. She explained that the incident was officially recognized by the previous government through the establishment of a Joint Fact-Finding Team by President Habibie in July 1998.
Furthermore, the incident is documented as one of the 12 serious human rights violations recorded by the National Commission on Human Rights and submitted to President Joko Widodo or Jokowi.
Nadia also recounted that, to this day, some of the victims and their families continue to live with trauma. "Two days ago, a rape victim who now lives in Sydney called me, asking if she should give testimony," Nadia recalled from her conversation with a victim of the 1998 violence.
Amnesty International weighs in
Amnesty International Indonesia considers Minister of Culture Fadli Zon's dismissal of the mass rape tragedy during the May 1998 riots as just a rumor to be a form of self-defense for the current government's dark past.
"They are evading the guilt, the shame, and the discomfort left by their (the ruling power's) dark past," said Amnesty International Director Usman Hamid in a virtual press conference for Civil Society Against Impunity on Friday, June 13, 2025.
He elaborated that the statement, which downplays one of the pivotal tragedies of the May 1998 riots, confirms activists' suspicions that the official "rewriting of history" being undertaken by the government aims to erase the less favorable aspects of the ruling figures, including President Prabowo Subianto.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2017501/minister-fadli-zons-remarks-on-1998-mass-rapes-spark-condemnatio