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By John Aglionby in Jakarta

A women's rights monitoring group in Indonesia is investigating reports that dozens of women were raped during the rioting last month that contributed to the downfall of President Soeharto.

The Mitra Perempuan centre said there had been so many reports of women, particularly those of Chinese descent, being raped, abused and publicly humiliated, that it was to launch its own inquiry even though police reported no cases of sexual abuse during riots that swept Jakarta and surrounding areas from May 13 to 15.

"We think dozens of women were attacked, but it could be more than 100 by the time we finish our inquiries," the centre's volunteers co-ordinator, Dhanie, said. "It appears people have been paid to stay silent."

Most of the attacks happened in Chinatown in west Jakarta, where thousands of buildings were looted and burnt in three days of violence after security forces shot dead four students.

The authorities say 550 people were killed in the riots but, according to the country's official human rights body, the National Commission on Human Rights, the true figure is more than double that. The commission says it, too, is investigating cases of rape.

Ms Dhanie said the incidents ranged from "mild" cases of sexual harassment, such as 10 women who were taken from a bus, stripped and forced to bathe in a stagnant roadside pond, to extreme cases, including a pregnant mother and her three daughters who were either raped or molested in front of a cheering crowd.

One worshipper at a church in west Jakarta said an indigenous Indonesian woman had stood up during prayers on Sunday to ask forgiveness for not coming forward to report what she had seen in her street.

"This woman described how a mob surrounded a house with two Chinese women inside and said if they did not come out the house would be burnt. But the women preferred to die than be raped by the mob. They stayed inside and were burnt alive.

"It turned out after the service that almost everyone had heard similar stories."

Many victims have said that in most cases the perpetrators were not part of rampaging mobs of urban poor. "There are clear signs that much of the violence was orchestrated," said Christianto Ariswandi, a Chinese electronic goods shopkeeper whose premises were looted.

"Even with the history of hatred against us, the locals would not have considered causing so much damage. After all, it is their neighbourhood, too."

He and many others believe elements within the military co-ordinated the violence.

Ms Dhanie is not surprised that not one woman has reported the abuse to the police. "People are afraid they will either be raped again by the police or they won't be treated confidentially. There is a stigma about sexual abuse in Indonesia and women prefer anything to suffer the public humiliation of being raped."

Ms Dhanie says she doubts that the centre's investigation will change attitudes.

"Our society and culture are so patriarchal I believe it will take at least another generation before we have anything like equal rights here.

"Practically all the female victims said those doing the raping were cheered on by their friends."

Set up in 1995, Mitra Perempuan is the only organisation caring for abused women in Indonesia.

Ms Dhanie said: "The Government not only tolerates the repression of women, but actively supports it."

The Guardian