Indonesian mud-flow victims mark second anniversary with prayer

The Earth Times - 29 May 2008 08:57:00 GMT

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Jakarta - Thousands of Indonesians left homeless by an out-of-control mud flow caused by an industrial accident marked the disaster's second anniversary Thursday with a prayer for immediate compensation from the government and company. Thousands of residents from more than 10 affected villages in Sidoardjo in East Java province took part in the service at a dyke near their submerged homes.

Thirteen people were killed and more than 50,000 displaced since the Indonesian company PT Lapindo Brantas hit an underground mud volcano while drilling a gas well at a depth of 3,000 metres on May 29, 2006.

The sludge, which has continued to ooze at a rate of more than 100,000 cubic metres a day, has submerged factories, railway tracks and toll roads and caused Indonesia's worst environmental disaster.

The Indonesian national commission on human rights said its own investigation had concluded that a "gross human rights violation" had occurred and called on the government to solve the problems and punish those responsible.

Prayer organizers told reporters they wanted the government to pressure Lapindo to immediately pay compensation for their destroyed land, houses and other property.

"We expect and hope that Lapindo will be consistent with its promise and immediately pay the compensation to the victims," said Agoes Ali Masyhuri, who led Thursday's prayers.

Masyhuri appealed to the mud-flow victims not to stage any more protests or block a nearby highway, promising that he would meet with the firm's leaders to help speed up the compensation, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Lapindo has agreed to compensate the victims in two stages and has so far disbursed 20 per cent of the funds with the rest to be paid this month.

Government attempts to halt the ongoing flow of mud by building a network of dams, channelling most of the mud into the sea, dropping concrete balls into the crater and even using paranormals claiming to possess magic powers have failed.

Lapindo, controlled by the family of business tycoon and politician Aburizal Bakrie, the welfare minister, was accused of not installing mandatory safety casings in the lower section of the drill hole, which would have prevented the mud from escaping.

Bakrie has insisted that the initial flow was a natural disaster triggered by an earthquake in Central Java two days beforehand, a claim discounted by international geologists.

Several Lapindo officials are under criminal investigation in connection with the disaster, but no one has been charged with any wrongdoing.

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