OpinionMerry Christmas from Indonesia’s bustling Surabaya, where IS-linked bombings are still raw

Six months ago, the city was rocked by a series of suicide bombings, targeting churches and a police station, killing 28

Many families had empty seats at the dinner table. Others are counting themselves lucky

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Pak Andi, a 52-year-old Surabayan native, recalls the May 13 bombing that injured his family. Photo: Bayu Mahardika

Published: 12:00pm, 27 Dec 2018Updated: 2:44pm, 27 Dec 2018

Merry Christmas! Selamat Hari Natal from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city. With a population – including suburbs – of well over 8 million, Surabaya is a vital business centre. It’s an industrious place, crammed with factories, warehouses and shopping malls. However, this year, Christmas celebrations in the city were more solemn.

Six months ago, Surabaya was rocked by a series of suicide bombings. Three churches and a police station were attacked. A bomb also exploded in a block of flats in nearby Sidoarjo during a police raid. All in all, 28 people died and 50 were injured.

So, as the city prepared for Christmas – indeed there were carolers in the centrally located Tunjungan Plaza – team Ceritalah spoke with 52-year-old Pak Agustinus Dono Chrismiandi, better known as Pak Andi, whose family were injured in the attacks.

Due to the bombing, Pak Andi’s father is now deaf and needs a hearing aid. Photo: Bayu Mahardika

Pak Andi is a Roman Catholic and father of two. The Surabaya native is barely a metre and a half tall, but his firm build and prominent cheekbones speak to his poise and charm.

On May 13, his family were at the Santa Maria Tak Bercela Church on Jalan Ngagel, in downtown Surabaya. The attack on the church was orchestrated by Islamic State-linked Jamaah Anshar Daulah, but carried out by two teenage brothers, Yusuf and Firman Oepriarto, aged 17 and 15. Their parents – Puji Kuswati and Dita – and two sisters detonated explosives at two other churches, taking their own lives in the process.