‘Resist forgetting,' say Chinese-Indonesians still seeking justice for mass rapes in 1998 riots
Calls are growing for the Indonesian government to formally acknowledge the mass rapes of the country's ethnic Chinese women during the May 1998 riots, as members of the minority community commemorate the tragedy with a vow to 'resist forgetting' even as justice remains elusive.
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The unrest that swept Indonesia 27 years ago was triggered by soaring food prices, economic collapse and mounting public anger at then president Suharto's authoritarian rule. He stepped down on May 21, 1998, after weeks of student-led protests – but in the days before his resignation, Jakarta and other cities were engulfed by deadly riots targeting Chinese-Indonesians.
Mobs looted and burned Chinese-owned shops and homes, and
numerous cases of sexual violence were reported. According to the Volunteer Team for Humanity, 130 rapes of Chinese-Indonesian women in Jakarta were documented between May 13 and 15 alone. The group reported the figure in July 1998 – but no perpetrators have ever been brought to justice.
The events remain a deep scar for Chinese-Indonesians. Eyewitness accounts gathered by the government's Joint Fact-Finding Team at the time suggested the anti-Chinese violence was orchestrated by provocateurs linked to the military.
One of the most chilling episodes came months later. Ita Martadinata Haryono, a Chinese-Indonesian member of the Volunteer Team for Humanity, was found murdered in her bedroom in October 1998. Her killing occurred just days before she was due to testify before the US Congress about the sexual assaults and killings. The group claimed her death was an attempt to silence activists.
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Today, the lack of justice still weighs heavily on survivors and their communities.
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