J

uly 27, p. 2

When Hari Suwandi’s 25-day trek from Porong, Sidoarjo in East Java to Jakarta wrapped up on July 8, many considered it a triumph of the human spirit against the injustice that had befallen victims of the Lapindo
mudflow.

Upon reaching Jakarta, Hari said the journey had been the least he could do after years of unsuccessful attempts to obtain the remaining compensation promised by oil and gas company, Lapindo Brantas.

On Thursday, however, he became the subject of ridicule and contempt from fellow Lapindo victims, after appearing on national television and formally apologizing to Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who owned PT Lapindo Brantas, which has been blamed for the disaster.

In a 12-minute interview with Bakrie-owned news channel tvOne, Hari apologized to Aburizal and his family for staging the protest that they felt had besmirched the Bakries’ good name.

“We have been here for 16 days but no government official was willing to meet us. So, I decided to change my mind,” Hari said in his introductory statement.

Your comments:

Those of us who have always deeply sympathized with the Lapindo Brantas victims and who have always strongly condemned the inhumane treatment they have received from the owners of PT Lapindo Brantas and the government are, of course, shocked by Hari Suwandi’s sudden change of heart as was shown on Bakrie-owned TVOne.

Although I myself am genuinely disappointed by Hari Suwandi’s about-face, and deeply regret his change of opinion and his deplorable act of asking Aburizal Bakrie for forgiveness, this sudden turn of events has shed a light of clarity on many previously inexplicable things that were formerly hidden from us, the Indonesian people.

Hari Suwandi, a simple bag-maker from Sidoardjo who has been reduced to poverty and has been under tremendous stress during the past six years, was and is, of course, no match for Aburizal Bakrie and his veritable army of well-educated, sharp-witted, subservient subordinates that are completely and slavishly at his beck and call – among others, the management and personnel of TVOne.

If Aburizal Bakrie had any feelings of honor, integrity and any sense of justice and shame, he would have courteously welcomed Hari Suwandi and the fellow Lapindo Brantas victims who came to Jakarta with him, and would have openly and honestly discussed ways and means of restoring the livelihoods and possessions of all the victims — and this discussion could have been aired on TVOne.

If Aburizal Bakrie had done this right and honorable thing, then we, the Indonesian people, might be willing to consider him for our next president.

However, based on the detestable treatment that Hari Suwandi experienced after he arrived in Jakarta, which leaves an extremely bad taste in the mouths of everyone who received the information via the media, we, the Indonesian people, can easily conclude upon what kind of figure we want for our next
president.

Tami Koestomo

Donor countries have supported this behavior and treatment by giving money for years to the Indonesian government.

Give directly to the poor people of Indonesia — not via the government. Remember where all the tsunami aid money went?

Baz

This is a story of self-embarrassment and disrespect. He cheated the victims of the Lapindo mudflow.

Furthermore, please be aware that this is an example of the negative fallout when our TV stations are controlled by only a handful of tycoons.

Halim Mahfud