Lapindo Mudflow Victim Demonstrations End Peacefully

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000508 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS AND EB/ESC/IEC DEPT FOR DS/IP/EAP DOE FOR CUTLER/PI-32 AND NAKANO/PI-42 COMMERCE FOR USDOC 4430 FROM AMCONSUL SURABAYA #0019 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EINV EPET PGOV ASEC CACS ID 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