TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon’s recent remarks, in which he dismissed the mass rapes that occurred during the May 1998 riots as nothing more than rumors, have sparked widespread public outrage.
He claimed that the accounts of sexual violence targeting ethnic Chinese women during the tragedy 27 years ago lack sufficient evidence to warrant inclusion in Indonesia's official historical records.
"Mass rape, who said that? There's never been any proof of it. It's just a story. If there is, show it, is it in the history books?" said Fadli during an interview with senior journalist Uni Lubis from IDN Times, as quoted from the media outlet's YouTube broadcast on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Fadli Zon is currently at the helm of a government-backed project to rewrite Indonesia's National History, a program overseen by the Ministry of Culture. The updated version of the national history is expected to be released in August.
Fadli stated that the purpose of this revision is to clarify a number of narratives that he says have long been regarded as historical fact despite a lack of verifiable evidence. Among these, he pointed to the mass rape incidents, which he believes require clarification.
His statement has been widely criticized for reopening painful wounds while simultaneously obscuring the historical facts of the 1998 riots. Tempo previously published a special report documenting the testimonies of sexual violence survivors from that period. One of those testimonies appeared in Tempo.co article titled "Hidup yang Terenggut: Cerita Para Korban Pemerkosaan Mei 1998", published on May 18, 2003.
In that report, Tempo featured direct accounts from victims and those who helped them, including the story of Mrs. Wati (a pseudonym), a cake vendor who supported several Chinese-Indonesian rape survivors in the aftermath of the riots.
Wati recounted helping a girl named Lina (not her real name), who was only 14 years old at the time. On May 14, 1998, after school, Lina would typically assist her mother in preparing cakes to sell at their store. But on that day, while on her way there, she was intercepted by a mob linked to the rioting.
Lina attempted to flee and return home, but she was chased by a group of men. "But about a dozen men chased her. Lina was then gang-raped," Wati recalled of the horrific event.
The trauma from Lina’s rape ran deep. She suffered severe psychological distress and an overwhelming fear of men. The attack also resulted in a pregnancy.
According to Wati, after discussing the matter with a doctor and a religious advisor, Lina’s family decided to terminate the pregnancy. Two years after the incident, Lina moved to Taiwan with her aunt, leaving behind the country that had become a source of anguish for her.
A similar experience was shared by Dini (pseudonym), another survivor of the May 1998 sexual violence. She was 29 years old at the time and told Tempo that she had been raped by three muscular men with crew cuts on May 15, 1998.
Her ordeal began on her way home from work in Jakarta's Sudirman area. While waiting for public transport, a taxi suddenly pulled over in front of her. One man exited the vehicle and shoved her inside while brandishing a machete. The car later picked up two more men wearing black T-shirts.
Terrified, Dini remained silent between the three unknown men. "I was very scared. They laughed and told each other that they had raped Chinese women in Glodok and Tangerang," she said in Tempo's May 18, 2003 report.
Dini believed the taxi was headed toward Bekasi. It eventually stopped in a secluded rice field, where she was pulled out and stripped. She lost consciousness at the scene.
She regained awareness at dawn. Her body ached, especially in the pelvic area. Dini wept uncontrollably, realizing that she, too, had become a victim of the mass sexual violence that occurred during the May 1998 riots.
The stories of Lina and Dini are just two among many. A report released by the Joint Fact-Finding Team on October 18, 1998, documented at least 92 cases of rape and sexual assault committed during the riots.
Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced or witnessed sexual assault, harassment, and/or gender-based violence, please contact the nearest authorities and organizations. If you’re in Indonesia, you can call Pulih Foundation at (021) 78842580, Komnas Perempuan at (021) 80605399, or the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection’s SAPA Service 129 at 08111 129 129. For immediate dangers, call the police at Call Center 110.
Dani Aswara, Dian Rahma Fika, and Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the writing of this article.
Editor's Choice: Komnas HAM Reaffirms 1998 Mass Rape as State-Recognized Serious Human Rights Violation
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
