Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – Indonesian officials and activists have pushed back against recent remarks by Culture Minister Fadli Zon suggesting the mass rapes during the May 1998 riots were merely "rumors," saying such comments risk erasing painful historical truths and marginalizing victims.
The debate comes as Indonesia prepares to release a new official history text, a project that many fear could be used to revise or downplay politically sensitive episodes in the nation's past.
The controversy began when Fadli, in a podcast with IDN Times, said there was no solid evidence of mass sexual violence during the unrest that led to President Suharto's fall. His comments drew swift condemnation from lawmakers, civil society groups, and women's rights activists.
Presidential Communication Office (PCO) Head Hasan Nasbi on Monday urged the public not to jump to conclusions and instead allow historians – currently drafting an updated official version of Indonesian history – to complete their work without political pressure.
"Let the historians write it first. We will all examine and scrutinize it together. These are credible historians who wouldn't risk their reputation for baseless claims," Hasan said during a press briefing at the PCO office in Jakarta.
The controversial revision project involves over 100 contributors, including writers and historians. Hasan stressed that the government is open to criticism, but called for restraint in speculating about its content until a draft is released for public review.
Fadli Zon later clarified that he was not denying the existence of sexual violence during the riots, but called for "academic and legal caution" when referring to the incidents as "mass rape," saying that such a term carries serious implications and must be backed by legally verified data.
He criticized the 1998 government fact-finding team (TGPF), arguing that their report listed numbers without detailed corroborating information such as names, locations, or perpetrators. "We must be careful because this affects national dignity and truth," Fadli said in a statement on his official Twitter account.
Jakarta city councilor Fatimah Tania Nadira Alatas condemned Fadli's statement, calling it unethical and an attempt to erase historical trauma.
"Historical wounds cannot be erased, especially not revised. The violence against women, particularly ethnic Chinese women, must be remembered so it never happens again," Tania said in a statement shared on the Jakarta NasDem Party's social media.
She urged the government not to politicize history or silence the voices of victims and survivors, and called for justice through formal recognition, access to state documents, and restoration of victims' rights. "History must not be written for power. The victims' voices must be respected, not erased," she said.
Women's rights activist Ellen Kusuma, writing for Magdalene.co, argued that the lack of physical evidence does not negate the occurrence of sexual violence. She said the legal system often demands unrealistic levels of proof, forcing victims to relive trauma while navigating an unempathetic judiciary.
"Victims live in bodies that are crime scenes, but that is rarely considered enough. In court, their pain is dissected, their truth doubted," she wrote, adding that digital spaces often further traumatize victims by subjecting them to public moral judgment.
Komnas Perempuan, Indonesia's National Commission on Violence Against Women, has long supported the findings of the TGPF and published reports containing testimonies of victims and witnesses. Activists say denying these findings is equal to historical erasure and further marginalizes survivors.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/backlash-grows-after-minister-labels-1998-mass-rapes-as-rumor