
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Fadli Zon dismisses the May 1998 mass rapes as mere rumor. For the victims, it was a crime against humanity.
CULTURE Minister Fadli Zon is consistent when it comes to the mass rapes against ethnic Chinese citizens in the May 1998 riots. Over the years, he has denied there were crimes against humanity in the run up to the Reformasi era. In his book Politik Huru-Hara 1998 (Politics of the 1998 Riots), which he wrote in 2004, Fadli claimed that the mass rapes were an incident that was exaggerated.
Two decades later, he brazenly states that the mass rapes are an unproven rumor. This denial appears to be in line with the project he is currently leading: a rewriting of Indonesian history.
Involving 100 academics, the Gerindra Party politician wants to produce a positive narrative of history with the aim not to reveal the truth about the dark events of the past, but to determine what the public can and cannot know. This government version of the “official history” is dangerous because it erases major events that occurred in Indonesia.
Fadli rejected the use of the term mass rape because of the number of victims. United Nations Human Rights Commission documents define mass rape as rape that is widespread and systematic, committed by more than one person, and directed at victims from particular ethnic or religious groups.
The mass rapes in May 1998 fulfill these criteria. The May 1998 Riots Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) for the May 1998 Incident, established on July 23, 1998, concluded that the mass rapes were carried out by a number of people in various locations at almost the same time—in North and West Jakarta, as well as a number of regions in Tangerang and Bekasi. These locations were known to be places where ethnic Chinese people lived and worked. They became the targets for organized terror because of their race.
Look at what Agatha—not her real name—experienced. Through an electronic message to Tempo on June 21, 2025, she recounted the prolonged trauma caused by the events of May 14, 1998. The woman of Chinese descent who had just graduated from high school was raped by a number of men at her home in West Jakarta. She was taken to a safe house and eventually evacuated abroad. Every May, her body often trembles as she remembers the events of that fateful day.
These sexual crimes occurred in a number of areas where looting also took place. The modus operandi was the same. The perpetrators were unknown to local people and shouted anti-Chinese slogans. The women who avoided rape were those who were rescued by local people.
The TGPF recorded, from May 13-15, 1998, at least 52 women were raped, 14 were raped and persecuted, 10 were sexually assaulted and nine were sexually harassed. Most of the rapes occurred in homes that had been looted. Some of the victims were gang-raped, and most of the rapes were committed in front of other people, including the victims’ families.
Testimony from former members of the TGPF, eyewitnesses, and those who supported the victims, and whom Tempo met with again, confirmed these findings. And investigations by this magazine also uncovered indications of the involvement of soldiers who tried to silence doctors who had treated rape victims.
The government has previously admitted this tragedy happened. In his first speech as President on August 16, 1998, B. J. Habibie confirmed there had been mass sexual violence against ethnic Chinese women. It also prompted the government to establish the National Commission on Violence Against Women. In his second presidential term, Joko Widodo acknowledged the May 1998 riots, including the mass rapes, as one of the gross human rights violations.
The administration of President Prabowo Subianto now wishes to erase the Indonesian people’s collective memory of this incident. It is hard not to suspect that Fadli Zon is protecting his boss over the 1998 riots, which are estimated to have killed more than 1,200 people. In the TGPF recommendations, Prabowo, then Commander of the Army’s Strategic Reserve Command, along with Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Commander of the Jakarta Military Region Command who is now Minister of Defense, were among those who should be held accountable.
Concealing this tragedy will not improve Indonesia’s image. Admitting the mass rapes and other dark incidents in the past would prove that the Indonesian people do not easily succumb to tantrums when looking at the past.
Online Ojek Drivers to Protest Again at Palace Over Unmet Demands
12 jam lalu

The government has not yet responded to demands made by online motorcycle taxi or online ojek drivers during their May 20 demonstration.
Prabowo Optimistic Indonesia's Economy Will Grow 7% in 2025
1 hari lalu

President Prabowo Subianto claims that Indonesia's economy is on the right track and promising.
Prabowo Denies G7 Snub in Russian Forum
1 hari lalu

Prabowo said he has committed to attending the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025 in Russia before the G7 Summit.
Prabowo Introduces Danantara at SPIEF 2025: 'We're Not Asking for Handouts'
2 hari lalu

Prabowo Subianto introduces the Indonesian Investment Management Agency, Danantara, at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025.
Prabowo Recalls Russia's Historic Aid to Indonesia Post-Independence
2 hari lalu

Prabowo mentions that a significant amount of development in Jakarta and other major cities is a result of assistance from Russia.
Putin Says Indonesia Plays a Crucial Role in BRICS Cooperation
2 hari lalu

Putin believed Indonesia's presence "would enhance BRICS' potential and strengthen the bloc's cooperation mechanisms".
Prabowo Opens to More Direct Flights with Russia, After Moscow-Bali Route
2 hari lalu

Currently, the Moscow-Bali flights have a schedule of three to four times a week.
Indonesian President Prabowo Gifts Putin Garuda Statue, Balinese Keris
2 hari lalu

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto presented two symbolic gifts to Russian President Vladimir Putin after a bilateral meeting in St. Petersburg.
Prabowo and Putin Witness Exchange of 4 MoUs Between Indonesia and Russia
2 hari lalu

On Thursday, June 19, Putin received Prabowo at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Saint Petersburg, during the latter's two-day state visit to Russia.
The Squared Circle of Saving Garuda
2 hari lalu

Garuda is to receive a capital injection of Rp20 trillion from Danantara. The danger of Prabowo's narrow nationalistic ambitions.