PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Perempuan Penjaga Perdamaian (Oleh Linda Christanty)
RUANG kelas di satu sekolah menengah ini telah dipenuhi 35 murid. Semuanya perempuan. Usia mereka beragam. Dua puluhan, 30-an, 40-an, 50-an, 60-an… Bahkan dua nenek juga hadir dalam kelas. Ada pula ibu muda yang mendekap bayinya sambil menyusui. Beberapa membawa serta anak-anak yang masih balita. Tapi tidak ada tangis bayi atau jerit kanak-kanak dalam ruang.
Linda Christanty is an author and journalist. Her essay Militerisme dan Kekerasan di Timor Leste (Militarism and Violence in Timor Leste) won a Human Rights Award for Best Essay in 1998. Her collection of short stories, Kuda Terbang Maria Pinto (Maria Pinto's Flying Horse), won the Khatulistiwa Literary Award in 2004. Linda's novel Tongkat Sultan (Sultan's Stick) addressed the 30-year conflict in Aceh, and socio-political status of the post-Tsunami Aceh peace process that followed. From Java to Atjeh, her latest book (non-fiction), talks about syaria law, political conflict, ethnic nationalism and homosexuality. Linda is now living in Banda Aceh, Aceh province. She is chief editor of Aceh Feature.
