Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Central Board of Women of the Nation, an organization under the National Awakening Party or PKB, criticized the statement made by the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon who claimed that the mass rape cases during the May 1998 riots did not have enough evidence to be included in Indonesia's official history.
The Chairperson of the Central Board of Women of the Nation, Nihayatul Wafiroh, said that the denial not only hurt the feelings of the victims and their families, but also illustrated ignorance and neglect of the dark historical records that had occurred.
"Anyone who claims that these rape tragedies did not occur is highly inappropriate," said Nihayatul in a written statement obtained by Tempo on Monday, June 16, 2025.
She continued that the rape of ethnic Chinese women during the May 1998 riots was a real humanitarian tragedy that had been widely acknowledged, both by independent institutions within the country and abroad.
Nihayatul reminded that instead of denial, the state should come forward with a firm commitment to resolve the cases. The voices of the victims, their families, and the findings of the Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) have long been loud in demanding a complete resolution to this case.
"Law enforcement should be carried out firmly on this case, not denial of the painful truth," she said.
According to Nihayatul, the facts of these rape cases were also recorded in the reports of the National Commission on Violence against Women, TGPF, and have received attention not only in Indonesia but also internationally. "Denying these facts is the same as demeaning the dignity of the victims and closing the space for their recovery," Nihayatul said.
Meanwhile, the denial regarding the rape cases during the May 1998 riots was expressed by Fadli Zon during an interview about the rewriting process of history with the Editor-in-Chief of IDN Times, Uni Zulfiani Lubis, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
In the interview, Fadli Zon stated that the rewriting of history was aimed at clarifying rumors that had long been regarded as historical facts. One of them was related to the alleged mass rape cases during the May 1998 riots.
"Mass rape, who says that? There's never been any proof. It's a story. If it exists, show it, is it in the history books?" said Fadli Zon in an interview aired on the IDN Time's YouTube channel on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Uni Lubis has allowed Tempo to quote Fadli Zon's statement in this interview.
The Commissioner of the National Commission on Violence against Women, Dahlia Madanih, stated that the mass rape against ethnic Chinese women during the May 1998 riots is a fact officially recognized by the state. "This denial is not only hurtful, but also extends impunity," said Dahlia on Sunday, June 15, 2025.
The Indonesian People and Students Union in the Netherlands for Historical Justice urged Fadli Zon to retract his denial that the mass rape cases in 1998 lacked sufficient evidence.
The representative of the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in the Netherlands, Syukron Subkhi, stated that the Gerindra Party politician should publicly apologize to the victims and their families.
He reminded that although dark and bitter, history must still be recognized as an important part in shaping the nation's journey. "It should serve as a reminder so that the dark violence of the past is not repeated," said Syukron on last Sunday.
Tempo once published an investigative report entitled "Rape: Stories and Facts" on October 6, 1998, after the repressive regime of the New Order in 1994.
The Coordinator of the Division Against Violence against Women from the Volunteer Team for Humanity, Ita Fatia Nadia, in Tempo's report entitled "The Long Journey of That Tragedy: Was There Really a Rape in May 1998", said that the rape of ethnic Chinese during the May 1998 riots was similar to the mass rape in Bosnia in December 1992.
Tempo's report titled "Pemerkosaan Mei 1998: Susah Mencari Saksi Ahli, Apalagi Bukti" (Rape in May 1998: Difficult to Find Expert Witnesses, Let Alone Evidence) reinforced the previous report.
The problem mentioned in this report was the difficulty in proving the rape cases during the 1998 riots. One reason was that those who had handled the victims were reluctant to speak out for ethical reasons. Those referred to were doctors who had treated the sexual violence victims.
The Chairperson of the Indonesian Doctors Association, Merdias Almatsier, said that although it was stated that there were rape cases during the May 1998 riots, it was quite difficult for doctors to provide witness testimony.
The reason, he said, was not only ethical codes, but also laws prohibiting doctors from disclosing the medical condition of their patients. "This is what doctors must uphold to the grave," said Almatsier, October 1998.
– Dinda Shabrina and Dede Leni contributed to the writing of this article.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2017968/pkb-criticizes-fadli-zon-over-1998-mass-rape-denia