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Jakarta remembers 1998 tragedy victims

Jakarta Post - May 14, 2016

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Agnes Anya, Jakarta – Eighteen years have passed since May 1998, when the capital saw more than 1,000 people killed and dozens of female residents raped over three days of total chaos, a tragedy that should not be forgotten.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) praised the Jakarta administration on Friday for erecting a monument last year in the Pondok Rangon public cemetery in Cipayung, East Jakarta, to remember the victims of the tragedy.

"We appreciate the administration's gesture with the Pondok Ranggon memorial. [...] We further hope that it will make regular commemorative events so that people will not forget the tragedy," said Komnas Perempuan commissioner Mariana Amiruddin during a press conference at City Hall.

Mariana added that Komnas Perempuan also hoped the administration would establish a museum dedicated to the 1998 tragedy so that future generations would be able to learn about and commemorate the events by visiting the museum. She said that such measures were needed to avoid a similar tragedy happening again in the country.

From May 13 to 15, 1998, bloody riots rocked Jakarta and the surrounding areas, preceding downfall of president Soeharto.

A report entitled Sujud di Hadapan Korban Tragedi Jakarta Mei 1998 (Kneeling in front of the May 1998 Jakarta tragedy victims) by Volunteers for Humanity records that the riots claimed at least 1,217 lives, injured 91 and led to the disappearance of 31 people.

Aside from killings and kidnappings, widespread sexual violence, which mainly targeted Chinese-Indonesian women, left many people traumatized.

The report's joint fact-finding team, comprising civilians, police officers, military personnel and NGO representatives, investigated the sexual violence that occurred during the May riots and found that 85 women suffered from trauma because of sexual attacks.

Of the 85 women, 52 were victims of gang rape, 14 were victims of rape and torture, 10 were victims of sexual assault and torture and nine were victims of sexual harassment. Eighteen years after May 1998, the tragedy remains unresolved.

Aiming to help the recovery of the victims, Komnas Perempuan has been working with several parties, including the Jakarta administration, to assist victims and their families.

Friday's conference was held to display the commission and Jakarta administration's commitment to keeping alive the memory of the 1998 tragedy. However, no administration officials attended the event.

On the same day, Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said separately that he could not attend the event due to more urgent things on his agenda. However, he added, he had assigned Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat to attend the event.

In response to Komnas Perempuan's requests, he said the administration planned to hold a series of events this year to commemorate the tragedy, and particularly the sexual attacks. However, it was still discussing the format of the events with relevant parties, including Komnas Perempuan.

He said the administration currently had no plan to establish a museum for the 1998 tragedy, however it was likely to consider the proposal in the future.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/14/jakarta-remembers-1998-tragedy-victims.html.