MUZI - Lateline News

Taiwan warned Indonesia Monday against condoning a spread of human rights abuses and sexual assaults against ethnic Chinese.

"Ethnic Chinese have been a major power behind Indonesia's economy," Foreign Minister Jason Hu Chih-chiang said. "If this anti-Chinese sentiment continues, the country will suffer great harm."

Scores of people demonstrated at Indonesia's representative office in Taipei to condemn its authorities for the violence against ethnic Chinese during rioting in May.

Women's groups say gangs committed at least 168 rapes and that most of the victims were ethnic Chinese.

Lawmaker Pan Wei-kang said some of the victims, who were aged nine to 60, had committed suicide or suffered breakdowns.

She accused Indonesian authorities of hampering probes launched by human rights groups and stopping the women seeking medical treatment abroad.

Ahmed Beysofwan, deputy head of the Indonesian mission in Taipei, said his Government had severely punished those who engaged in violence, but that further unrest had hampered action.