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In the series of the systemic and organized rapes, as a nation we are facing the following phenomena:
A total destruction of the life condition of the woman in our society. All the ethical principles agree that the highest value of living together is the human soul (persona). Under this is animal, and then matter (res.). It is impossible to live together without acknowledging and carrying out this moral principle. The series of the systemic and organized rape is clearly to be the total destruction of the most respected principle that makes possible our living together. Persona has been violated and been considered as res. This is the politics destroying living together.
There is one way to repair this total destruction: by applying the hierarchical moral principle above. It means that we have to put the women, the victims (personae), which have been considered as "things", on their dignity as personae.. That is the urgency to help the victims as soon as possible, and not first to debate politically. The fact of the rape that many Chinese people had to suffer does not make it legal and acceptable. Rape is rape. An it destroys persons.. Rape is not acceptable for anyone, both Chinese or Javanese or Dayak or Irianese. Any government in this country with a conscience cannot avoid this urgent agenda to repair the total destruction.
From the modus operandi of the rape, filed until today, it is clear that the series of the rapes have a relationship with the destruction and the burning down of the buildings during the riots in middle May, 1998. As it is clear in Table 3 below, the series of rapes were carried out systematically and they were well organized, just like the riot. We civilians of this country demand the revelation of the network of the think tank and actors of the tragedies.
The revelation of the think tanks and actors of these activities is very urgent. While (a) the help and the direct assistance for the victims are being carried out, and (b) the volunteers who are helping them get security assurance, (c) the revealing of the mass rapists becomes a key for reforming our living together. It is not merely a juridical must, but also includes all urgent significance to the future. Without this, then, the government is legalizing the "rape" as the only way of how the politics in this country is carried out. Without revealing the network of the actors of the destruction, burning down, rape, the government is legalizing the destruction, the usage of criminals or the hired gangsters as the only way in the political practice in this country. So in the future history, we and our children will not be able to distinguish what is "good" and what is "not good" anymore, "civilized" and "uncivilized", in our lives together.
We write down this "Documentation" not to involve ourselves in the political intrigue and competition, but as a step that a lot of people of goodwill want, so that the net-work of the systemic and organized rape is uncovered. This "Documentation" is also our "nightmare" of the savage tragedy in this nation. Every effort to silence this demand of revealing the events denies the fact of the rapes. Since rapes did happen, stopping the publication of the fact means is a big lie and even criminal. To the victims, the rapes have destroyed their lives. To the ordinary civilians and the eyewitnesses, the uncivilized acts become unbearable memories.
"Since I saw the tragedy, I've been feeling disturbed in my life. When I close my eyes, the corpses of the women appear on my eyes. I've been very stressed. Since I cannot stand to face angst and fear, I decided to go home to my village." (An eyewitness, Muara Angke, May 14, 1998)
For many eyewitnesses, the border between "seeing" and "experiencing" is obscured, and so is the difference between "self" and "victim".
"After seeing accidentally a Chinese girl raped by many people, my young sister is so frightened and stressed. Her talking is disordered and her body is trembling every time someone comes near her. For two weeks she was in the hospital. I become doubtful if my sister only saw someone raped or she herself were also raped. Why her reaction is like that?" (A complaint of a girl's sibling, June 1998).
The phenomenon shows how the effect of the rapes has been so far destructive to the inner life and daily life of so many people. This is a total destruction of our living together.
So the events have been internalized by some groups of people with the imagination that is most sadistic and inhuman:
"...on June 12, 1998, in the angkot (public transport) around the West Jakarta, there were 3 men about 25-35 aged, with the clean shirts. The were talking the news on the newspaper concerning the case of the rape happened to the small girl and the corpse mutilation. "Her memek (vagina) should be cut off for souvenir", said one of them. The other said, "and that should be put in the chemical water." Then the third said, "O ya...the hairs are there." Then they laughed. Since I could not stand hearing such a dialogue, I got down before arriving at my place." (The witness, June 1998).
That is an example of the destruction of the imagination on our living together.