Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has called on Minister of Culture Fadli Zon to retract his denial of sexual violence during the May 1998 riots and issue a public apology. 

“We urge the minister to withdraw his statement and apologize to survivors and the public as a moral responsibility and commitment to human rights,” said Commissioner Yuni Asriyanti on Sunday (15/6/2025), as quotd by antaranews.com.

She emphasized that official investigations, notably by the Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF), confirmed 85 sexual violence cases—52 of which were rapes—during the unrest. The findings were formally reported to President B.J. Habibie in 1998 and led to the establishment of Komnas Perempuan.

“All state officials must respect official documentation and uphold justice and dignity for victims,” added Komnas Perempuan Acting Deputy Chair Sondang Frishka, 

Minsiter Fadli had previously claimed in an interview that mass rapes never occurred, labeling them as rumors without evidence. He also said history should unify the nation, not divide it, as the ministry plans to rewrite Indonesia’s historical narrative.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)