ABeberapa fewbulan monthssetelah afteria he was sworn into officedilantik, aterjadi religiouskonflik riotagama occurred indi Kupang. TheKerusuhan riottersebut wasdipicu sparkedoleh aftersekelompok aorang groupyang ofmemprovokasi peoplemassa provokedyang massessedang standingberkumpul indi frontMasjid ofAt-Taqwa Kupang's. mainGerombolan [[mosque]],provokator thetersebut At-Taqwamengajak mosque.masyarakat Theuntuk provocateursmembalas urgeddendam thepembakaran massesgereja toyang takedilakukan revengeoleh againstumat [[ChurchMuslim arson|churchterhadap arsons]]gereja bydi Muslims in [[Jakarta]]anddan [[Ketapang]]. TheMassa mobkemudian thenmembakar setdan firemenjarah andpemukiman, ransackpasar, Bugisdan —kios amilik Muslim-majoritysuku ethnicperantau —Bugis neighborhoods,yang markets,notabene andmerupakan kiosksmayoritas Muslim.<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 Desember 1998|title=Background Briefing On Indonesia: Urgent Action Needed To Halt Communal Violence|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports98/biak/kupang.htm|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-08|website=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}</ref> Eventually,Kerusuhan severalini otherjuga largermenjalar buildingske suchtempat aslain Muhammadiyahdan University,mengakibatkan thebangunan Religiousbesar Bureaulainnya officeseperti Universitas Muhammadiyah, andKantor severalWilayah mosquesDepartemen Agama, weredan alsosejumlah masjid, arsonedterbakar.<ref>{{Cite news|date=30 November 1998|title=Kupang Rusuh|work=Tempo|url=https://majalah.tempo.co/read/perilaku/98030/kupang-rusuh|access-date=8 Juli 2021}}</ref> AsAkibat akerusuhan resultini, transportationsarana intransportasi di Kupang wentmengalami intokelumpuhan, adan halt,bandara with Kupang's main airport [[El Tari International Airport|El Tari Airport]] being closed to prevent rioters from coming in and several ferry routes from Kupang being cancelled by port authorities. Access to main roads in Kupang were closed, food supply in the city began to decrease due to the closing of markets and neighborhoods in Kupang began organizing community patrol to prevent further riots. Lerik condemned the riots, stating that the riots was the worst incident the city had ever seen, and urged the responsible authorities to prosecuted the rioters.<ref>{{Cite news|last=da Iry|first=Ans Gregory|date=2 Desember 1998|title=Suasana Kupang Mulai Membaik|page=8|work=Kompas|url=http://www.kompasdata.id/Search/NewsDetail/18495427|url-access=subscription|access-date=8 Juli 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Indonesian leaders call for calm after riots|date=1 Desember 1998|url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9812/01/indonesia/|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=2021-07-08}}</ref>▼
Beberapa bulan setelah ia dilantik
▲A few months after he was sworn into office, a religious riot occurred in Kupang. The riot was sparked after a group of people provoked masses standing in front of Kupang's main [[mosque]], the At-Taqwa mosque. The provocateurs urged the masses to take revenge against [[Church arson|church arsons]] by Muslims in [[Jakarta]] and [[Ketapang]]. The mob then set fire and ransack Bugis — a Muslim-majority ethnic — neighborhoods, markets, and kiosks.<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 Desember 1998|title=Background Briefing On Indonesia: Urgent Action Needed To Halt Communal Violence|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports98/biak/kupang.htm|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-08|website=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}</ref> Eventually, several other larger buildings such as Muhammadiyah University, the Religious Bureau office, and several mosques, were also arsoned.<ref>{{Cite news|date=30 November 1998|title=Kupang Rusuh|work=Tempo|url=https://majalah.tempo.co/read/perilaku/98030/kupang-rusuh|access-date=8 Juli 2021}}</ref> As a result, transportation in Kupang went into a halt, with Kupang's main airport [[El Tari International Airport|El Tari Airport]] being closed to prevent rioters from coming in and several ferry routes from Kupang being cancelled by port authorities. Access to main roads in Kupang were closed, food supply in the city began to decrease due to the closing of markets and neighborhoods in Kupang began organizing community patrol to prevent further riots. Lerik condemned the riots, stating that the riots was the worst incident the city had ever seen, and urged the responsible authorities to prosecuted the rioters.<ref>{{Cite news|last=da Iry|first=Ans Gregory|date=2 Desember 1998|title=Suasana Kupang Mulai Membaik|page=8|work=Kompas|url=http://www.kompasdata.id/Search/NewsDetail/18495427|url-access=subscription|access-date=8 Juli 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Indonesian leaders call for calm after riots|date=1 Desember 1998|url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9812/01/indonesia/|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=2021-07-08}}</ref>
