Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, responded to a statement by Fadli Zon who considered the mass rape incident in May 1998 as a rumor. He assessed that the Minister of Culture had no authority whatsoever to draw conclusions about past violence against women.
"Because he was never involved in an official investigation. He also does not have the authority to claim whether the mass rape incident occurred or not," said Usman in his video statement obtained by Tempo on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
According to him, instead of giving statements beyond his authority, Fadli Zon should have referred to the findings of the National Commission on Human Rights or the Joint Fact-Finding Team. Because, he said, his statement, which was not based on the principle of caution, has actually conveyed suggestive messages.
"The current Minister of Culture seems to be providing interpretative denials. I think this needs to be corrected," he said.
Usman stated his agreement with Fadli Zon's stance on the need for academic precision in the use of the term mass rape. However, he felt that Fadli Zon's view of the May 1998 mass rape incident as a rumor did not reflect scientific and academic values.
He said that Fadli Zon had neglected the principles of prudence and empathy towards the victims and families who had experienced mass rape in the past. "He should not have used the term 'rumor' to express doubt about the occurrence of mass rape," Usman said.
Previously, Fadli Zon stated that the mass rape targeting Chinese women during the May 1998 riots was just a rumor and lacked strong evidence. His statement was related to his ministry's plan to rewrite Indonesian history.
"Mass rape, who said that? There has never been any evidence of it. It's a story. If there is, show it, does it exist in the history books?" said Fadli Zon in an interview broadcasted on the IDN Times YouTube channel on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. The IDN Times editorial team has allowed Tempo to quote Fadli Zon's statement in the video.
In his recent statement, Fadli Zon considered that all historical narratives, especially regarding the mass rape tragedy in 1998, need to be re-investigated. This includes a report from the Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) formed by the Habibie Administration at that time.
According to Fadli, the findings concluded by the fact-finding team had no solid supporting data and evidence. "At that time, the TGPF only mentioned numbers without solid supporting data, such as names, times, events, locations, or perpetrators," he said in a written statement on Monday, June 16, 2025.
In addition to the fact-finding team's findings, Fadli also stated that to this day, there has been no comprehensive investigation report that proves the number of rape victims during the May riots. Moreover, he said, even the investigation report of a leading magazine in Indonesia failed to reveal strong facts about the mass rape incident.
The former member of the DPR (House of Representatives) realized that his decision to re-question the findings of the tragedy had sparked controversy in society. However, he said history must be written based on legal facts and evidence that have been academically and legally tested.
The Gerindra politician also highlighted the use of the word 'mass' which he deemed inappropriate. His reason being that the use of the term 'mass' is still a subject of debate among academics to this day. "Especially issues related to numbers and problematic terms," he said.
– Dede Leni contributed to the writing of this article.