A New Zealander Abroad Bandits And Outlaws Active Near Macassar

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29234, 18 June 1960, Page 10

A New Zealander Abroad Bandits And Outlaws Active Near Macassar

(Specially written for “The Press" by the Rev. KEITH CREE]

After my recent visit to the East, whenever the word Macassar is mentioned, I will see in my mind's eye a series of pictures. The first picture is of groups of people squatting on their haunches outside their elevated houses. They look unfriendly and suspicious. These are Moslem Indonesians who live by their thousands in the kampongs that cluster around the citv of Macassar.

This picture of the Moslem folk of Indonesia is very common, and to me it is always an unhappy and troubled memory.

The fanatical -Moslem, as distinct from the Moslem statistic or census Moslem, is a bitter-spirited man who can be easily inflamed into outbursts of physical violence with bloodshed. The second picture is of a wide river. It is only five minutes walk from the compound where I stayed as the guest of a delightful American couplemissionaries on the staff of the Theological Seminary. It is a peaceful-looking scene —the broad river, the dugout canoes pulled up on its mud bank, and, further out, some native boys playing round in the water with their domesticated water buffaloes. Across the river, however, a green wall of jungle, and behinfl its facade lurked bandits and outlaws whose activities during the last year or two have resulted in a reign of terror that the army has been powerless to check. For that reason it is extremely risky to venture far beyond the outskirts of the city.

My friends told me that they often hear sounds of shooting within a half-mile of their home. Cars on this road have been held up. and their occupants killed. A German doctor from the hospital in Macassar has been missing for a year. He was captured after his car had been stopped, and the story has gone round that he is being held by the outlaws —his life being spared in return for services rendered. Many of these bandits have been shot and, no doubt, as many more wounded, so that to have a doctor available would be a decided asset. It is usual for cars to travel in convoy under armed escort. The outbursts are sporadic and unpredictable. There may be an unrising in this locality tonight, and

20 miles away tomorrow nirtt and then for days there wil] u peace. The atmosphere is un. healthy, to say the least of it The third picture is connected with the others—its domin»M colours aie jungle green blood red. It is of a village in t part of the country which » largely Christian. A band of fanatical Moslems and bandits descended on the village, shootine to kill. The villagers fled, le*y* ing a few of their number cap. tured and others lying dead or wounded. One of the captives was the father of Daniel Colombo a student for the ministry in the Macassar seminary. This man was a prominent Christian, s leader of the local community. He was led out into the jungle and was crucified. He is not the only one to die such a martyr’s death, for these disturbed times in the Celebes have produced a terrible toll of human life and thmmanH, of village folk have left their all and come to Macassar as refugees Disturbed Times The third picture that will come to my mind at the mention of the word Macassar will be this scene of the interior of the chapel connected with the seminary. A young student was conducting morning prayers at 7.30 before the lecture period began. With us in the congregation were to students drawn from many islands in East Indonesia. They were all students for the ministry. Many had come, like Dan, from these disturbed areas. Many hear from their parents only at Infrequent intervals, for the distuAances have disrupted communications. They will, at the conclusion of their five-year course, be returning to their home, villages to become local pastors to the growing numbers of converts to Christianity. But how different it this picture! The others were dark and treacherous, but this was bright and hopeful. On the one hand unhappiness bred of ignorance and fear, but here was peace and joy even in the midst of suffering. For me, this last picture, with its happy smJiag faces—its radiance and strength —was the sign of the new and wonderful thing the Christian message has brought into the world. It is the evidence of the triumph of light over darkness.