Kupang riot traumatizes children and parents alike

Kupang riot traumatizes children and parents alike

By Jupriadi

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Baharuddin Mide, 45, was
having lunch with his family in the village of Oesapa in Kupang,
East Nusa Tenggara, when a crowd rose in anger and set fire to
several mosques and houses.

He rubbed his eyes, as if unable to believe what he could see.
Oesapa, once a place of harmony, was now fraught with chaos and
disorder.

He snapped to his senses and, remembering his family, Mide ran
off in the direction of his home to make sure they were safe and
well. Later his family fled to the forest with other Bugis-
Makassar residents, while others went out to sea in search of
safety.

"At that time, only one thing crossed our minds. The safety of
our families and property," he commented.

The riot occurred on Nov. 30, eight days after 14 people died
and 22 churches and a number of Christian schools were burned and
vandalized in Ketapang, Jakarta.

Kupang in West Timor is a predominantly Christian area, but is
also home to a large immigrant Moslem community. After the riots,
a huge number of Bugis-Makassar people who lived in Kupang
decided to return to their homes in South Sulawesi.

"Kupang is no longer safe," Mide told The Jakarta Post on Dec.
4 as he arrived in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, from Larantuka
in Flores.

Mide was among 520 people who arrived in South Sulawesi from
the villages of Oesapa, Oeaba and Nun Bau Sobo in Kupang, where
the Bugis-Makassar population were largely concentrated.

In all three areas, the migrants had become well integrated
into their new surroundings, with some marrying into local
families. Although they were living in a predominantly Christian
community, religious tensions were never felt.

"We had a good relationship and were always tolerated," said a
man named Komaruddin, who had lived in Kupang for 15 years.

Komaruddin, 35, said that strong understanding and tolerance
had enabled him and his wife to live in Kupang, where they worked
as fishermen.

Most immigrants from South Sulawesi became fishermen or opened
their own businesses, with only a few farming the land for a
living.

Another refugee, Anci, said that local residents were normally
very humble, making it even harder to accept what has happened
over the past few days. "My parents are still there. We got
separated when crowds began to burn mosques and houses. I do not
know if they are safe or not," he said, obviously worried.

Those who fled Kupang consist largely of the elderly, women,
and children.

The 520 people now here are from among these who sought
protection in a military base and mosques during the trouble.
From there they were evacuated to Larantuka and then later
dispatched to Ujungpandang aboard the Sirimau. At sea, they came
across other refugees who fled Kupang in a wooden boat.

"When the riot broke out, people who did not make it to the
military base took to sea," Jamaluddin said.

"I was stranded at sea for two days before I was found by the
Sirimau," he explained.

Jamalludin has lived in Kupang for 23 years and all of his six
children were born there. He said he was most worried about the
people who fled into the forest. "I have no idea where they are
now," he said.

Hamsyah, a middle-aged mother who lived with her husband and
four children by the sea at Oesapa, said that her life's work had
been lost in a matter of seconds.

Hamsyah, who has lived in Kupang for 28 years, said that she
and her husband, Nohong, took refuge in a military compound
during the riot. When she and her children were evacuated, she
had to leave her husband behind.

"I do not know how he is now," she said with tears rolling
down her cheeks and cradling her children.

A refugee named Abdul Gani said the official number of 520
refugees was much less than the actual number. There are lots of
people who made it to Ujungpandang under their own steam, he
said.

He also said the number of buildings burned and damaged during
the riot was well above the official figure. "From Oesapa, where
we came from, at least 200 houses were burnt to ashes."

Abdul said that at least 800 people were still stranded in
Kupang. "And that estimate does not include those who fled to the
forest," he added.

This alarming situation was confirmed by Wirabuana Military
Commander Maj. Gen. Suaidi Marasabessy, who admitted that many
migrants from South Sulawesi were still stranded in Kupang.

"We are liaising with the South Sulawesi governor and the East
Nusa Tenggara governor over the matter. We wanted to evacuate
them from the area, but the military has guaranteed their safety
in Kupang, so we changed our plans," he said last Sunday.

Suaidi said he had instructed people not to believe rumors
which might worsen the situation.

Some believe that the incidents in Jakarta, Kupang and a
subsequent church burning incident in Ujungpandang might be
linked, a suggestion Suaidi denied.

"The trouble in Kupang was a local eruption of anger. It was
the result of some unfinished paperwork required to grant
permission to establish a place of worship," he told The Jakarta
Post.

Suaidi said that the evacuation of refugees to Ujungpandang
was a temporary measure, adding that they would be returned to
Kupang once the situation has improved.

"It is a similar situation to East Timor a few years ago." he
said, referring to riots which resulted in an exodus of Bugis-
Makassar people from the troubled province.

"When East Timor was once again safe, half of the Bugis-
Makassar people who fled choose to return," he added.