Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Polonia Airport in Medan was paralyzed for almost three hours Monday when thousands of protesters staged a rally and blockaded the airport's entryway.
The protest, which involved more than 5,000 residents of Sari Rejo subdistrict, was peaceful, but airport authorities were forced to cancel a number of flights because crew members were unable to get through the blockade, while arriving passengers had a long wait to leave the airport.
Airport security deputy chief B. Sinaga confirmed the incident had disrupted airport activities and had caused flight delays because the crowd had prevented passengers from coming in.
The protest, involving members of the Sari Rejo People's Forum, also blocked a number of transportation routes to the airport.
A demonstrator, Dedi Pariadi, 36, said the protest was aimed at paralyzing the airport. He added that around 5,000 Sari Rejo residents were mobilized to take part in the rally, using 12 buses, 23 trucks, 25 private cars and 500 motorbikes.
"We intentionally assembled a large crowd because we want to paralyze the airport. This way, we can draw the attention of the provincial administration and central government because Sari Rejo residents are currently defending their rights to a 260-hectare plot of land which the Air Force wants to take over," Dedi told The Jakarta Post.
Dedi said that four months ago, the Air Force pressured the residents to give up the land they lived on, claiming it belonged to the Air Force.
The Air Force also recently prohibited state electricity company PLN, state tap water company PDAM and state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom from serving residents in the area, according to a letter dated Nov. 15, 2007, and signed by Medan Air Force base commander Col. Agus Dwi Putranto.
"This is far too much because people have the right to water and electricity, as is stipulated in the 1945 Constitution. This is a form of intimidation committed by the Air Force, which indirectly wishes us to leave. The land we are occupying now is ours because we have been living here for dozens of years," said Dedi.
Another protester, Pahala Napitupulu, said the land on which residents had living was not disputed, according to a decision by the Supreme Court. "In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that the land was owned by the residents. The problem is, the National Land Agency (BPN) has not yet issued a certificate for the land," said Pahala.
Pahala said 1,300 ha of land around the airport had been disputed previously, but residents were later entitled to the 260 ha of the land they lived on while the remaining area was designated Air Force property.
"The Air Force has sold most of the land to third parties to develop exclusive real estate. We heard that the residents' land will also make way for upscale housing," said Pahala.
Air base commander Col. Agus confirmed the rumor, saying that the land currently occupied by the residents was an Air Force asset that had been inherited from the Dutch administration by the state now.
Agus said the Supreme Court had ruled the residents were only entitled to 5.6 ha. "They are twisting the facts. The Supreme Court ruling authorized only 87 residents over a 5.6 ha plot which we no longer dispute because it is under the ownership of the people and received BPN certification," Agus told the Post on Monday.
Agus described the letter ordering electricity and water supplies to the area be cut as "just a request" and said it was not intended to restrict the rights of the residents. "It's just a request. If PLN, PDAM and Telkom want to provide services to Sari Rejo residents, please do so, because there's no restriction," said Agus.