Eyewitnesses tell of the burning of Doulos complex

JAKARTA (JP): The victims of an arson attack at the Doulos humanitarian foundation on Jl. Tugu in East Jakarta on Wednesday night were mostly students studying for their mid-semester theology examinations, witnesses said on Thursday.

Theology student Sariman, 31, died during the attack. His teacher mourned him as a "potential reverend".

Serious injuries were sustained by at least 17 people, all of whom are receiving treatment at the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) Hospital in East Jakarta. At least four local residents were reportedly wounded by spears.

Eva Andayani Sukmarahayu, 28, a third-semester theology student, said she was studying with her friends till about 9 p.m., and then heard banging and items being thrown against the buildings' walls.

"I went outside and saw the fire ... it was everywhere and it surrounded the entire complex. Myself and my two friends, Ati and Rudy who are in their first semester, ran out," Eva said, from her UKI hospital bed, where she is receiving treatment for severe head injuries.

"When we came out, the crowd saw us and ran after us. We ran to the nearby home of Pak Zakaria, one of our theology teachers. We stayed there for a while with Pak Zakaria and a nurse, and saw the fire licking the walls. We got very scared, got out, and again, were followed by a crowd.

"Most of the crowd had white handkerchiefs covering parts of their faces, and their clothes -- everything about them scared us. They had machetes, sickles and we don't know what else.

"They struck each one of us on the head. Each time they struck, they screamed. It rang in my ears, till I fainted."

Second-semester theology student Elsya Taniwel said she and other friends were studying in their rooms when the fire started in the women's dormitory.

"We ran to our lecturer's home nearby, but it was already on fire, and so the lecturer and his family ran through the parking lot. The attackers were already there," she said.

Taniwel said they repeatedly pleaded for the mob's mercy.

"But they wouldn't spare us and kept repeating: Bunuh saja, bunuh! (Just kill them!)"

She said that three of the students managed to flee by crawling under a barbed wire fence, while others stayed behind, including the lecturer, Reverend Zakaria Pattimukai, his wife and two children.

"I don't know what happened next, but I saw them hit Pak Zakaria on his back," she added.

Eva's friend Ati, who also suffered head injuries, said: "The men who were striking and burning, were mostly wearing kopiah (headdress) and selendang putih (white cloths)."

Doulos staff member Piter Kuaufwione said he suspected military officers were involved in the arson attack.

"The man who was guarding the main entrance gate when the crowd stormed the complex was the marine officer who used to work in the area.

"He was not wearing his uniform though, but a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. I haven't heard the latest news about him after the attack," Kuaufwione said at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital morgue.

"After the mob succeeded in breaking into the complex, they threw something on fire at the security post, and started to burn a motorcycle parked opposite the post. After that, there was only chaos."

Following the destruction and the burning which continued until early Thursday morning, dozens of children and adults in the Cipayung area arrived at the scene looking for items to loot.

"I think I could use this," a woman carrying a baby said, while picking up a plastic jug and melamine dinnerware from the almost completely destroyed dining room.

Children stole angklung (Sundanese bamboo music instruments) from the library.

"Hey look, these crazy kids have many toys to play with. Let's take them home," one of the children said.

An old man's face clouded with anger as he passed by the room, telling the children: "Hey, those things make too much noise, but what the heck, bring them along."

When one journalist investigated the state of the storage rooms, she discovered that somebody had recently defecated in a closet.

Nearby residents were determined to souvenir items from their visit to the destroyed complex, including side mirrors from the five burned cars.

Kuaufwione said that about all that remained after the contents of the house had been picked over was a motorcycle and an old scooter. (ylt/01)