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.