Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The National Commission on Human Rights declared on Wednesday that the 2006 mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, had been caused by a human error and announced that it had established a special team to investigate possible crimes committed by PT Lapindo Brantas.
Kabul Supriyadi, a member of the commission, also known Komnas HAM, said human error was clearly indicated in the Bakrie unit's failure to install a safety sheath during the drilling process.
"Our conclusion is that the mudflow was caused by human error and we've established an investigation team. We want to find out who is responsible for this disaster," Kabul said during a news conference on progress in human rights development.
According to Kabul, the team had begun its work two months ago and had summoned at least a hundred witnesses to testify.
He declined to say whether the team would summon Aburizal Bakrie, head of the Bakrie group, saying it would probe the people responsible for Lapindo's operations in Sidoarjo.
Kabul also said his commission had previously submitted a report on 18 suspected human rights violations in the Lapindo mudflow case to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the House of Representatives, the East Java governor and council members as well as the Sidoarjo district head.
"But I think they rejected the recommendations because they haven't followed up," he said.
Komnas HAM's conclusion contradicted results of an investigation by the National Police and House of Representatives, both of which concluded that the mudflow disaster, which has displaced tens of thousands of people and submerged thousands of homes, was not caused by human error.
Lapindo could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Under existing laws, the result of any investigation by Komnas HAM is to be submitted to the Attorney General's Office, which will then decide whether to press charges against persons targeted by the commission.
Meanwhile, Komnas HAM chairman Ifdhal Kasim said that the government had made no appreciable progress in terms of human rights this year.
"We cannot find any significant, serious or planned actions by the government to achieve human rights in economic, social and cultural issues," he said.
He added that cultural conflicts, labor problems, evictions, hunger and poor health services leading to high rates of mortality for infants and mothers continued unabated and that the government had always dragged its feet in dealing with human rights abuses.
"Settling past human rights cases is the government's responsibility," Kasim said.