Indonesians living and working in Macau have said they were stunned by the suicide bombings at three Christian churches in Surabaya, East Java province, on Sunday as some of them have family and friends in that city.
Uly Meytawaty, an Indonesian who has worked in Macau for more than a year, told Kumbang Toh News that she was worried after hearing about the attacks as her brother attends one of the three bombed churches every Sunday.
“My brother is OK, praise God,” Meytawaty said. She said her brother usually attended the morning service in his church but it happened that he had gone to renew his driver’s license last Sunday when the church was attacked.
Ivone Susan, a Macau permanent resident of Indonesian origin, said her friend’s brother, who used to attend Santa Maria Tak Bercela Catholic Church, one of the three that were attacked, had avoided possible injury as he was arranging to send his father to Singapore for an eye operation at the time of the atrocities.
Ruth Louis, another Indonesian with permanent residency in Macau, said she was relieved after learning that her former paster, who had served in Macau for several years, was safe in her home town of Surabaya.
They all hoped that the Indonesian government would tackle growing terror threats and ensure the country’s safety.