A real story submitted by a guy named Alex in Jakarta, Indonesia. Posted by IndoHuaren on Monday, 1 June 1998, at 11:59 a.m.:

My family is one of the victims of the brutal and inhuman riots that took place in Jakarta on last May 13, 1998.

They burnt our 3 stories one and only workshop in Krekot area. My father, Chinese-Indonesian, of course, built and started his business way before I was born. Chinese-Indonesian CANNOT work as government employee, NOT allowed to teach in the university or in schools, what else can we do but to open shops to make a living?

My father passed away few years back. I'm the youngest son out of 3 children. My mother and my sister lived in that workshop. That day, I wasn't suppose to be there, but I got this bad feelings about the conditions of my mother, my sister, our 2 maids (native) and my 8 dogs! So I took the chance to dare myself going to the workshop - on foot!

When I'm there, I saw the mass only few meters from our workshop - They looked like Aliens (bet y'all saw the movie) making their moves; There must be around 500 peoples, shouting, throwing rocks and fires, and some other destructive activities! It felt like you're trapped in hell - with the devils coming your way!

I immediately ran to the 2nd floor where I saw my mother and my sister praying together; I had opened all doors so my dogs can find their way out; Meantime, the 1st floor had already on fire - We ran to the roof and something miraculous happened: I saw a rope!! - I could not believe my eyes: a rope, in the roof! I'm positively sure that none of us would keep and put a rope in the roof - and the rope length is just enough for us to climb down to the ground!

So I broke the ceiling down below and tied the rope onto the log 12 times. I sent my mother to climb down first - The mass was down there, watching, but not only that, they threw rocks onto my mother - She fell down from the 3rd floor to the ground and broke her knee very badly - The mass did nothing but watching surround her and they yell: "Kill her! Kill her!" .... I saw one of our neighbors, an old Chinese Indonesian lady in her late 60's - jumped from the 2nd floor and broke her legs - The mass kicked her broken legs repeatedly and one of them sliced her stomach to death!

Meantime, my sister followed my mother and climbed down - she also fell from the 3rd floor to the ground and had her backbones broken, pulled out of its place! - And then I sent my 2 maids down - they also fell from the 2nd floor - but THE MASS CAUGHT THEM - so they did not touch the ground! (The maids are indigenous Indonesians thus they were rescued by the mob who aim their ferocious racist attacks to the Chinese-Indonesians only) They're doing just fine! I was the last one to climbed down and when my feet hit the ground and I moved to the left to my mother, the rope which had already burnt - was cut-off - just in time!

I saw very clearly the troops with guns only meters away from us, just watching - didn't do anything! Didn't try to help, NOTHING !!!

I looked into the mass that already pulled my shirts and my jeans looking for my wallet, I looked into their eyes, and I didn't see human eyes! I saw almost "devil" - this is true! not a sarcasm. I took out the money out of my wallet, it was only approximately 70 thousand Rupiah - and I threw the money on the air ... the mass went out of us and fought their own for the money!

Another miraculous things happened next, an ambulance, didn't know who called them and how they came, but they came and brought us to the hospital.

Within hours, we've lost EVERYTHING that we've worked for 2 generations, our tears, sweat and hard work. However, we deeply thank our dear Lord Jesus for His unconditional love and although our life will never be the same, we believe that behind every single things happen to us in this life, carries a sweet, extraordinary message and plan from Him, that will make us a better, stronger person!

My sister was 80% blind, 90% cripple and 100% cannot sleep! 8 Doctors said that after the operation 70% of her body will remain cripple and she will experience 30% blindness! But our Jesus is the Lord of mercy: Now, my mother and my sister are 100% normal - they look PERFECT!

We lost everything during that cruel, evil, animalistic tragedy - but we're grateful we still have each other, we still have our faith to our savior, Jesus Christ, and we have you all, kind hearted people who sympathized and care to our misfortune.

After I got out the hospital I went to my "land" and found the bodies of my 8 dogs. I was so sad, so hurt; I loved my dogs very much. A man came and said "The conditions of this one (our workshop) is the worst one among the others, I wonder if the owners are alive?!" - Then I answered, "I'm one of the owners and everybody are save and alive!" - He could not believe and asked the same question 3 TIMES!!!!

To all fellow Chinese-Indonesian who experienced the same tragedy and who may lost their loved ones - keep the faith, fight for your rights in the smart way, do not become one of them! Think about your children, their future, their life. There are nothing more important than to prepare and to give our beloved children, a better life, a both beautiful and challenging world, a strong and mature personality where they can see and face everything in life, with joy, confidence and an open mind.

And we can never achieve those without a proper and supporting environment, tools and life examples. All of which can hardly be found in this country.

Leave if you must, but be aware that wherever we are, there is no such as an easier life, but there's one thing for sure that we have to take chances in life, and we have to take any chances for the sake of the future of our children and our family.

You all have my love and you will be in my prayer - Stay strong, my friends!

God bless.

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From http://www.huaren.org Message Board

I've read this on the CNN Message Board, I think this is an interesting opinion from Ida Sihombing (an indigenous Indonesian woman)

This is not some head-up-my-backside economic theory - this is reality. I think it's important that everyone knows what's going on right now in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Ethnic Chinese homes are being looted and burnt down by mobs and the young women forced to strip naked and are then gang raped in front of their own parents and a crowd of on-lookers, including women wearing the jilbab.

Chinese women are scared to leave their houses for fear of being raped. These attacks are becoming an almost daily occurrence.

Chinese people who live on the Jl. Veteran are being forced to put down Moslem prayer mats (tikar sembahyang) in front of their own houses.

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