Komnas HAM Reaffirms 1998 Mass Rape as State-Recognized Serious Human Rights Violation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asserts that the mass rape of Chinese-descent women during the May 1998 tragedy is a serious human rights violation acknowledged by the state. This statement comes in response to Minister of Culture Fadli Zon's recent claim that there was no evidence of mass rape in the incident, dismissing it as a "rumor that needs to be clarified."

Komnas HAM Chairperson Anis Hidayah said that various acts of violence occurring between May 13-15, 1998, had undergone a thorough investigation. This investigation was conducted by an Ad Hoc Team formed by Komnas HAM in March 2003, with the 1998 mass rapes being one of the dark events examined.

"Minister Fadli Zon's statement is inaccurate. The state has already acknowledged it, and some victims and families have received recovery services," Anis said, as quoted from a written statement on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Anis explained that the investigation was carried out based on Law Number 26 of 2000 concerning Human Rights Courts. The findings concluded that the incident met the criteria for serious human rights violations, specifically crimes against humanity.

According to Anis, the documented forms of violations in the investigation included murder, torture, deprivation of freedom, persecution, as well as rape and other forms of sexual violence. These findings were officially submitted to the Attorney General via a letter from Komnas HAM on September 19, 2003.

Furthermore, Anis said that the state's recognition of the incident was reaffirmed through Presidential Decree Number 17 of 2022. This regulation serves as the legal basis for the establishment of the Non-Judicial Settlement Team for Serious Human Rights Violations (Tim PPHAM). In January 2023, President Joko Widodo or Jokowi officially declared that the May 1998 riots, along with 11 other incidents, are recognized by the state as serious human rights violations.

The government also issued Presidential Instruction Number 2 of 2023 to implement non-judicial resolution recommendations for these violations. In December 2023, according to Anis, victims and their families also began receiving services from both the central government and the Jakarta Provincial Government.

"Statements that doubt the existence of rape during the May 1998 riots are contrary to legal evidence and the state's official recognition," she concluded.

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