JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Hundreds of desperate ethnic Chinese headed to Jakarta's international airport Thursday, hoping to escape rampaging mobs of rioters who have targeted their shops and homes.

Airport hotels were fully booked and many people were turned away from ticket counters as they tried to buy tickets on flights out of the capital, where rioting raged for a third day.

"I'll go anywhere - Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia," said John Lee, who was skeptical he could find seats for his 20 family members.

The ethnic Chinese minority makes up just 4 percent of Indonesia's 200 million people but dominate commerce and industry. They are frequent scapegoats in tough times.

Many Chinese boarded flights to Batam, a small Indonesian resort island near Singapore. By staying in Indonesia, they avoided a $100 departure tax.

'Like a war zone'
Some families had to fly to different destinations to get out of the country.

Fred Fuller, a 40-year-old businessman, waited in line to buy 10 tickets for family members to Melbourne, Australia.

"I heard that's the closest flight available," Fuller said. "It's not that I think it's unsafe for me. It's for my kids. They shouldn't have to experience this."

At the airport, many nervous Chinese stood by luggage carts stacked high with boxes and suitcases and talked incessantly on cellular telephones.

"Jakarta is on fire. We'll go anywhere," said Siaumei Wen, a 27-year-old Chinese woman who was trying to buy plane tickets for her family. "It's like a war zone."

She said rioters stopped her brother on his motorcycle Wednesday and asked him to remove his helmet to see if he was Chinese.

"Fortunately his skin is dark enough. He can pass for Indonesian," Wen said.

Rioters overran large stretches of the city, burning shops, banks and homes. Police were unable to control the looting.

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