TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Editorial: Sacrifices in Sidoarjo

Monday was the Muslim day of sacrifice, but for Muslim and non-Muslim mudflow victims in Sidoarjo, East Java, it was just another day of sacrifice

The Jakarta Post
Tue, December 9, 2008

Share This Article

Change Size

Editorial: Sacrifices in Sidoarjo

Monday was the Muslim day of sacrifice, but for Muslim and non-Muslim mudflow victims in Sidoarjo, East Java, it was just another day of sacrifice.

These refugees have been living hard lives for the past two-and-a-half years. Many lost not only their homes, land and rice fields, but also — worst of all — their livelihoods. Many are still living in “temporary” shelters at a nearby market, with no government agency taking care of them.

The refugees come from four villages in Sidoarjo — Renokenongo, Kedungbendo, Jatirejo and Siring — that were completely submerged by an uncontrolled mudflow that first erupted at the site where oil and gas company Lapindo Brantas was exploring for gas.

Yes, most of these victims did receive 20 percent of promised compensation from Lapindo Brantas (through its subsidiary Minarak Lapindo Jaya) but, sadly, many have spent most if not all of it already.

The refugees have been forced to wait to receive the remaining 80 percent of this amount. Unfortunately, a debt crisis hit the Bakrie family who ultimately own Lapindo, and compensation payments stalled.

A group from Sidoarjo representing the refugees went to Jakarta to demand the government intervene. Fortunately, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono acted quickly, saying he felt “inconvenienced by this problem”. All related parties, including the Bakrie family, were summoned to resolve the problem.

After tough negotiations, an agreement was finally reached last Wednesday. The Bakries, represented by Nirwan Bakrie, agreed to settle the remaining debt in monthly installments of Rp 30 million (US$2,500) per household.  

One day later, however, the refugees protested in Sidoarjo, effectively blocking an arterial road linking Surabaya and the eastern part of East Java. They were angry because Minarak Lapindo Jaya had previously agreed to pay the remaining compensation in a lump sum by December.

The core of this problem lies in the government’s mishandling of the mudflow disaster. The administration established two teams to tackle the problem, but failed to help victims because neither had legal authority over the compensation payments. The existing team, the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS), has no legal say in the current compensation dilemma.

A 2007 presidential decree requires Lapindo Brantas pay a total of some Rp 3.2 trillion in compensation to the victims, which the company agreed to do, while BPLS was tasked to stop the mudflow and repair damaged infrastructure.

Until now, however, the mud volcano is still erupting and the damaged toll road has not been fixed.

The government’s mistake was to entrust the responsibility of looking after these thousands of refugees to Lapindo — a company hated so much by the Sidoarjo community.

And now that the company is facing financial problems, the government apparently does not want to intervene and help its own people who have been suffering for so long. Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said recently the victims were unlikely to get a better offer.

In fact, the problem lies with the President himself and his chief welfare minister, Aburizal Bakrie, who is also a key member of the Bakrie family.

As the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, Aburizal is supposed to take care of the mudflow victims. But apparently he can not do so, because if he did, he would be accused of helping Lapindo, a company his family controls. There is simply a conflict of interest here.

President Yudhoyono also seems reluctant to involve the government to take over Lapindo’s job to compensate the victims. If he did, he too would be accused of helping his friend Aburizal, and Lapindo. Yudhoyono, similarly, faces a conflict of interest.

We are of the opinion that for as long as Aburizal remains in Cabinet, the situation will be difficult for both himself and Yudhoyono with regards to the mudflow victims.

And since the global financial downturn hit the Bakrie group of companies, it has complicated the situation more so. Ultimately, the unfortunate refugees become victims again.

The solution for this problem is clear, but neither of these two gentlemen wants to make the first move, and at this rate it is unlikely we will see a solution any time soon either.

It looks like the people in Sidoarjo will have to bear many more long days of sacrifice.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.