Lapindo Mudflow Victim Demonstrations End Peacefully

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000508

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SUBJECT: Lapindo Mudflow Victim Demonstrations End Peacefully

Reftel: Jakarta 00013 and previous


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Hundreds of residents displaced by the Lapindo
mudflow disaster (Reftel) demonstrated February 22 bringing Surabaya
rush hour traffic to a standstill. Protestors rejected local
political leaders' and the head of the National Mudflow Disaster
Management Team's (Timnas) relocation offer, demanding cash
compensation as promised by Lapindo and President Yudhoyono.
Demonstrations continued the morning of February 23 as over 5,000
people continued to blockade major East Java transportation
corridors. Police negotiated a peaceful end to the demonstrations
prior to Friday noon prayers. Our contacts say the media attention
and aid the recent Jakarta flooding victims are receiving angers
Lapindo mudflow victims and may have triggered the demonstrations.
Over 10,000 mudflow displaced victims remain living in cramped
quarters in the Porong Market. Timnas is concerned that future
demonstrations could hinder their ability to maintain dam walls
containing the 40 million cubic meters of mud already released. We
expect future demonstrations by Lapindo mud victims in an effort to
refocus national attention on their plight. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Hundreds of residents displaced by the Lapindo mudflow
disaster demonstrated February 22 to demand compensation payment
from PT. Lapindo Brantas (Lapindo),a gas drilling company
controlled by Aburizal Bakrie, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare. The demonstrators brought rush hour traffic to a
standstill by blocking the main road from Surabaya to Sidoarjo at
Waru, cutting Surabaya off from Juanda airport. In a coordinated
effort, demonstrators also blockaded the Porong Road and the rail
line near the mud volcano in Porong. Surabaya traffic to and from
Sidoarjo and Malang in the south was snarled until well after
midnight.


3. (SBU) East Java Governor Imam Utomo, Sidoarjo Bupati Win
Hendrarso and the head of the National Mudflow Disaster Management
Team (Timnas) Basuki met with the demonstrators and offered them
relocation to alternate housing as a form of compensation. The
demonstrators rejected the offer, demanding "cash and carry"
compensation as had been previously promised by Lapindo and
President Yudhoyono. Hendrarso reportedly left the meeting in
frustration and told the demonstrators, "Do whatever you want."
Mobile Brigade police observing the demonstrations responded in a
non-confrontational manner. Police only briefly opened the
barricades to allow off-duty police to pass through on their way
home.


4. (SBU) The morning of February 23, the numbers of demonstrators
were continuing to increase as the publicity attracts people angry
with Lapindo and the government's lack of response to the mud
volcano disaster. At 9:30AM Suara Surabaya Radio reported over
5,000 people were demonstrating in the two locations. The
demonstrations continued to block the main Surabaya/Sidoarjo road,
Porong Road and the rail line. They also blocked the access road to
the airport. Republika Online reported police officials intervened
at approximately 11:00am to negotiate with the protestors. Police
explained that they wished to attend Friday payer and the
demonstrators needed to leave or police would use force to disburse
the growing crowd. The demonstration began to disburse shortly
after three water canon vehicles arrived at the scene. Heavy
afternoon rains dampened protesters remaining enthusiasm. There
were no reports of violence.


5. (SBU) Our contacts say the media attention and aid the recent
Jakarta flooding victims are receiving angers Lapindo mudflow
victims, who have been waiting nine months for some kind of GOI
action. The victims feel ignored by the central government and know
that their local governments and Timnas are impotent to solve their
problems due to a lack of financial resources. Demonstrations are
likely to continue occurring as Lapindo victims try t refocus
national attention back on them and therr efforts to pressure
Lapindo to pay cash compensation as promised.


6. (SBU) Representatives of te protesters met with Governor Utomo
at his offiiial residence. The protesters repeated their demad for
cash compensation. Utomo offered only restttlement or relocation.
The protestors reportedly threatened to occupy the Governor's
mansion if te ir cash compensation demands were not met.

JAKARTA 00000508 002 OF 002


protesters eventually left peacefully.


7. (SBU) Latest estimates on the numbers of Porong residents
displaced by the mud vary from 27,000 by Timnas (based on 7,500
homes destroyed) to 63,000 by the East Java government (based on
12,000 homes destroyed, flooded or made unusable by groundwater
contamination). The Porong Market continues to house over 10,000
mud refugees now crammed in to the open-air market and subjected to
rainy season conditions.


8. (SBU) Timnas leaders admitted that they had received minimal
victim compensation funds from Lapindo or the GOI in a recent
meeting. Timnas, the GOI authority currently responsible for
handling compensation issues related to the mud, has no ability to
provide cash compensation. The relocation offer was an effort to
appease the protestors, but there still is no financial capacity to
provide new housing behind it. Timnas is also concerned that
prolonged traffic blockages will hinder their ability to deliver
dirt to continue maintaining the earthen dam walls. Basuki told us,
"If dam wall work stops for as little as 48 hours, the mud will
overflow the walls and we could have a major breech. The southern
walls are under the most pressure and would collapse first, if left
unattended, allowing free flow of mud to the Porong River."


9. (SBU) ConGen Surabaya issued a Warden Message on February 23,
warning U.S. citizens about the demonstrations and to avoid
traveling through the protest areas through the weekend.

HEFFERN