June 26, 1998
ATTACKS ON ETHNIC CHINESE WOMEN IN INDONESIA
What You Can Do
Since the beginning of the current crisis in Indonesia, Human Rights Watch
has received hundreds of appeals for help every week from people around the
world who are concerned about recent violence against Chinese-Indonesians.
Of particular concern are reports of rapes of ethnic Chinese women during
the May 13-14 riots. Despite the efforts of nongovernmental organizations
in Jakarta, there is a clear concern that not enough is being done by the
Indonesian government to investigate the allegations, to offer assistance
to victims, or to prevent such abuse in the future. A prompt official
acknowledgment of the gravity of the allegations, the trauma of the
victims, and the need to undertake a thorough and sensitive investigation
is crucial.
* As a first step, Human Rights Watch advises concerned individuals
to send letters to Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission (Komisi
Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia Indonesia or KOMNAS-HAM) to give particular
attention to this issue and to establish safe and confidential
mechanisms to investigate the reported rapes.
Komnas itself has suggested that rioting might have been instigated, but
even if attacks on ethnic Chinese were carried out without the knowledge of
the Indonesian government, failure to thoroughly investigate the reports
would make the government complicit, by negligence or omission, in a grave
human rights violation.
In the course of such an inquiry, the Indonesian government must make every
effort to protect the identities of rape victims in order to prevent
further victimization through reprisals or stigmatization; it should ensure
that women receive appropriate medical and psychological care, as well as
legal assistance for those who wish to pursue prosecution of their
attackers.
*Letters urging the Indonesian government to take these important
steps can be sent directly to President Habibie with copies to local
Indonesian embassies, and to the Jakarta office of KOMNAS-HAM.
The voice of the international community is also critical.
*Concerned individuals living outside Indonesia should appeal to
their own governments through parliamentarians (in the U.S., members of
Congress) to press the Indonesian authorities to investigate these
reports.
*Indonesia's international donors must press Indonesia to ensure
human rights accountability as a key to the country's political reform.
They should be urged to raise two issues in particular during the annual
meeting of the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) when it meets in
Paris on July 29-30, 1998: the anti-Chinese violence and the
disappearance of political activists.
To find out the names of delegates to the CGI meeting from your country,
contact the Indonesia desk of the bilateral aid agency of your government.
Selected addresses are provided below.
*Persons with information about recent attacks in Indonesia should
inform Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations Special Rapporteur on
Violence against Women. Expressions of concern should also be copied to
the relevant Indonesian authorities.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The Indonesian National Human Rights Commission can be reached at:
Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia Indonesia (KOMNAS HAM)
Mr. Baharudin Lopa, General Secretary
Jl. Latuharhary No.4B
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
Phone: 62 21 392 5230
Fax: 62 21 392 5227
Persons wishing to contact the Indonesian Government directly can send
their comments to President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie at email:
habibie@ristek.go.id or via internet at:
http://habibie.ristek.go.id/kontak/addguest.htm.
RADHIKA COOMARASWAMY:
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES)
No. 8 Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka
fax: 94 1 696 618
SELECTED ADDRESSES FOR BILATERAL AID AGENCIES:
Canada
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Phone: 819 997-5006
Toll free: 1-800-230-6349;
Fax: 819 953-6088
For the hearing and speech impaired (TDD/TTY): 819 953-5023
Internet address: http://w3.acdi-cida.gc.ca
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Japan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-100-0013
Phone: 03-3580-3311
http://www.mofa.go.jp
Sweden
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
S - 105 25 Stockholm
Phone - Int + 46 8 - 698 50 00
(Information Centre 698 55 80)
Fax: Int + 46 8 - 20 88 64
(Information Centre 698 56 15)
Email: info@sida.se
United States
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Information Center
Ronald Reagan Building
Washington, D.C. 20523-0016
Phone: 202-712-4810
FAX: 202-216-3524
http://www.info.usaid.gov/about/
email: pinquiries@usaid.gov
Germany
Deutsche Gesellschaft f_r Technische Zusanmenarbeit (GTZ)
Dag-Hammarskjold-Weg 1-5
65760 Eschborn Germany
Phone: (+49 61 96) 79-0
fax: (+49 61 96) 79-1115
INDONESIAN EMBASSIES IN SELECTED ASEAN AND CGI COUNTRIES
Malaysia
Indonesian Embassy
No 233, Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
P.O. Box 10889
Phone: (03) 984 2011, 984 1354,
Fax: (03) 984 7908, 983 0737
Philippines
No. 185 Salcedo Street
Legaspi Village P.O. Box 1671
M.C.P.O. Makati 1200
Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: 855 061 to 855 068
Fax: 818 4441
Singapore
Embassy of Indonesia
7 Chatsworth Road, Singapore 1024
Phone: 737 74 22
Fax : 737 50 37, 235 57 83
Thailand
Embassy of Indonesia
600-602 Petchburi Road
Phyathai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Phone: 252 31 35 to 40, 252 31 75, 252 31 80
Fax : 252 12 67
Vietnam Socialist Republic
Embassy of Indonesia
50, Ngo Quyen Street-Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: 256316, 253353, 253324, 252788
Fax: 84-259274
Telex: 411434 INDOHA VT
Cable: INDONESIA HANOI
Australia
Embassy of The Republic ofIndonesia
8, Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla
A.C.T. 2600, Canberra, Australia
P.O.Box 616 Kingston 2604
Phone: (06) 258 6000
Fax: (06) 250 8666
Canada
Embassy of Indonesia
287 Maclaren Street, Ottawa
Ontario, Canada K2P OL9
Phone: (613) 236 7403
Fax: (613) 563 2858
Denmark
Indonesian Embassy
Orehoj Alle 1, 2900 Hellerup
Copenhagen - Denmark
Phone: 45.31 - 624 422, 624 184
Fax: 45.31 - 624 483
France
Embassy of Indonesia
47-49, Rue Cortambert 75116
Paris, France
Phone: (01)45030760, 5030760
Fax : (0033-1) 45045032
Telex: 42-648031 INDON F,42-648036 INDON F
Cable: indonesia paris
FRANCE
Germany
Indonesische Botschaft
Bernkasteler Strasse 2 53175 Bn
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Phone: 0228-38 2990
Fax: 0228-31 1393
Japan
Indonesian Embassy
5-2-9 Nighashi Qotanda
Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo 141 Japan
Phone: (81-3) 3441 4201
Fax: (81-3) 3447 1697
Italy
Embassy of Indonesia
Via Nomentana, 201
00161 Roma, Italy
Phone: (01)8542109
Fax : (0039-6)4880280
Telex: 06/622183 INDORO 1, 06/6220087 INDORO1
Cable: indonesia roma
United Kingdom
Indonesian Embassy
38, Grosvenor Square
London Wix 9AD
United Kingdom
Phone: 44 171-499 7661
Fax: 44 171-491 4993
United States of America
Embassy of Indonesia
2020 Massachussetts Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 775-5200
Fax: (202) 775-5365
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