Families Anxiously Await End to Indonesia’s Unrest

Mimin Maria Rijken works 14 hours a day at Sudi Mampir restaurant in the hopes of raising enough money to help her struggling children in Indonesia.

She worries constantly about the recent economic and political unrest in her homeland, where per capita income has fallen to $300 a year. Millions of Indonesians face acute food shortages, while contending with high inflation.

Even the resignation last week of Indonesian President Suharto, whose place was taken by his protege, B.J. Habibie, did little to ease Rijken’s anxiety. Her five children, ages 8 to 24 and living with relatives, still call pleading for money.

“I want Indonesia to go back to normal and for the prices to go down so I can help my children,” said Rijken, who cooks and cleans dishes at the North Hollywood restaurant owned by her husband, John Rijken.

The Rijkens, like others in the small community of Indonesians living in the San Fernando Valley, have been tracking developments any way they can--through news reports, relatives and acquaintances.

Officials at the Indonesian Consulate in Los Angeles estimated there are fewer than 1,000 residents of Indonesian descent living in the Valley. There are about 10,000 Indonesians in the Los Angeles area, with pockets in Alhambra, Monterey Park and Loma Linda in San Bernardino County, consulate officials said.

With such small numbers, the Rijkens said it is no wonder that the restaurant is a central meeting place for Indonesians in the area.

Mimin Maria Rijken said the television in the dining room has been tuned to a news channel for several weeks and talk of the political tension in Indonesia has dominated conversation among members of the Indonesian community who frequent the restaurant.

Saul Han, 55, an Indonesian of Chinese ancestry who moved to Sun Valley in 1982, said that when he learned Suharto had resigned and turned power over to Habibie, he called the restaurant and several friends to spread the word.

“We were happy to see Suharto step down, but Habibie is the same person,” Han said. “He is almost like a stepson to President Suharto. He’s been with Suharto since he was very young.”

Sandos Satri, 64, a native Indonesian who has lived in Van Nuys for 28 years, said he does not think the Indonesian people will accept Habibie as president for very long.

“It cannot stand. It’s not the people’s choice,” said Satri, who has relatives in Indonesia. “They are a patient people, but they are a hungry people.”

John Rijken, a Dutch Indonesian who came to the United States in 1959, called Suharto’s resignation a break in the chaos.

“This is just a temporary stoppage so they can rebuild,” he said.

Rijken said the country’s turmoil is causing stress in the lives of area Indonesians.

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He said Indonesia’s financial crisis is forcing students to return home so that their families can save money. It also is keeping Indonesians from visiting the United States, he said.

Rijken said his own business is suffering because students and other visiting Indonesians account for 40% of his clientele. He would like to assist relatives, but doing so is difficult because Indonesian banks are unstable, he said.

“We’ve called on friends, but they are in the same boat,” Rijken said.

Residents said they are doing whatever they can to cope during an emotional period.

The Indonesian Christian Fellowship Maranatha in Reseda has been holding special prayer sessions, said Pastor Haryono Petrus.

“We make a special prayer for the whole week,” said Petrus, who came to the United States eight years ago. “We pray for their recovery.”

Petrus said the fellowship, begun 11 years ago, has about 70 members. The group meets each Sunday for worship and has prayer meetings on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Petrus said the fellowship is working with Indonesian leaders to find ways to better educate people about their differences.

Indonesia, in Southeast Asia, is in the midst of a power struggle that includes major political parties, religious groups, students, business leaders and the military.

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James Dharma of Canoga Park, who was at the Islamic Center of Northridge last week, said he makes a special effort to keep his two sons, ages 10 and 19, informed of the changing atmosphere in Indonesia.

Dharma, who came to the United States from Indonesia 20 years ago, said his plans to take his 10-year-old, Anthony, to Indonesia to visit his family for the first time have been put on hold.

“I tell [the boys] how bad it is over there and how Suharto abused his power,” Dharma said. “It teaches them that if you have power, you must stay human. You must keep balanced.”