Indra Harsaputra, Sidoarjo – Victims of the Lapindo mudflow disaster have been claimed to be the targets of the political elite running in the local elections.
Khoirul Huda reportedly once took to the streets along with victims, protesting for compensation from Lapindo Brantas Inc., the company blamed for the disaster. Nowadays, he is courting support from the people as he is vying the Sidoarjo regency top helm, pairing with Bambang Prasetyo Widodo, the operational director of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, the subsidiary of Lapindo.
"I want change in Sidoarjo and if elected, I want compensation (being paid) soon for mudflow victims," he told The Jakarta Post recently.
Khoirul, who is running on the nomination ticket of Golkar Party, is up against Yuniwati Teryana, the vice president of Lapindo Brantas Inc. in charge of social affairs. She is pairing with Sarto.
Nominated by the Democratic Party, Yuniwati declared her candidacy a few days after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is also the party's patron, urged Lapindo Brantas Inc. to spur cash compensation in his visit to the mudflow site in March.
The other two pairs for the elections, scheduled in August, are Emy Susanti-Win Hendarso and Agung Subali-Samsul Wahid. Emy is the wife of incumbent regent Saiful Illah.
The nomination of the two candidates coming from the company owned by Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie has allegedly caused a split between mudflow victims. Those who are close to them are said to receive their compensation immediately.
Yayan Sakti Suryandaru, an expert of political communication from Airlangga University, said the elections could provide a deflecting topic from mudflow.
"Their nomination is indispensable to the company's interest to maintain its asset in Porong," he said at a seminar. Porong is the mudflow site.
Pitanto, a victim, said they had been getting used to being wooed by candidates using food and money. When elected, he said they forget their promises.
"We are tired of shouting support for candidates. We just want to live a better life after the mudflow destroyed our homes," he said, adding that he was not supporting any candidate for the regent elections
Maksum Zuber, who runs an Islamic boarding school, said mudflow victims were not consistent anymore in their demand for compensation.
"They fell to conflict between them. Those who refuse to support particular candidates are deemed as being outside their circles and consequently their compensation stalls," he said.
Paring Waluyo, an activist who provides counseling for the victims, said practices of middlemen were rife, in which a group of people were willing to mediate for the acceleration of compensation disbursement but chargied between 15 and 25 percent from the sum as service fees.
"If the government and Lapindo were serious in handling the compensation affairs, such practices might not exist," he said.
Adib, another victim, said East Java Governor Soekarwo had not met his promise made during the campaign that mudflow victims would be relocated soon if he was elected.
"The government stated two years ago that our homes were unworthy to live in. But we haven't received compensation," he said.
He said hundreds of residents were living on hot spots around the mudflow where they were facing risk of dislocation and toxication.
Mudflow in data
May 29, 2006: The drilling wells operated by PT Lapindo Brantas at Renokenongo village, Porong district, Sidoarjo regency, leaked and sprouted gas with hot mud.
June, 2006: Hundreds of residents were evacuated. Some 130 people around the mudflow area at Porong received medical treatment for respiratory problems; Dozens of factories were closed and hundreds of workers dismissed. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked PT Lapindo Brantas to provide compensation to victims of the mudlow; general manager PT Lapindo Brantas Imam Agustino was questioned as witness by the East Java Police.
July 2006: The police named six suspects in the mudflow; another three officials of Lapindo were named suspects on the charge of environmental crime.
Aug. 2006: Three villages – Renokenongo, Jatirejo, Kedungbendo – covering a total area of 80 hectares, were inundated with mud measuring 3 meters deep. Houses, schools and factories were identified only by visible roofs. Thousands took refuge to Pasar Baru Porong.
Sept. 2006: A mudflow controlling team was formed with the task to handle the disaster. Two other villages were inundated by the hot mud following the breakdown of the dikes. Land surface was reported to have sifted down between 20 and 80 centimeters in the last month. The turnpike was flooded by the mud, 1.5 meters deep.
Oct. 2006: Pertamina gas pipes beneath the dikes holding the mudflow at the southern side of Porong-Gempol turnpike exploded. The seven monitoring the mudflow were killed.
Dec. 2006: Lapindo and victims agreed on compensations.
Feb. 2007: Lapindo refused to pay compensations to 14,000 residents of Perumtas I.
March 2007: A truck driver working to strengthen the dike was killed when his vehicle capsized.
June 2007: Former president Gus Dur asked the government to be serious in handling the disaster.
Nov. 2007: The Jakarta District Court ruled PT Lapindo Brantas had fulfilled its obligation in handling the mudflow, by which the court rejected a lawsuit by Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), which had sued the company and the government for negligence.
Jan 2008: The East Java Police chief stopped the Lapindo investigation.
March 2008: The enclave at the flowing center slid down.
June 2008: Methane gas was observed to spill from the rice farming land near the mudflow site.
Nov 2008: The dike at Renokenongo village collapsed.
March 2009: Oil content was identified from the mudflow.
Jan. 2010: The mud swamp was planted with mangroves.