Parung clash blamed on legal inconsistency<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The clash between Cibentang residents and police
\nofficers over the installation of high-voltage electric cables
\nresulted from legal inconsistencies, a lawyer says.<\/p>\n
Senior lawyer Luhut M. Pangaribuan, director of the Legal Aid
\nInstitute, said Saturday he wondered why the Ministry of Mines
\nand Energy had enacted Decree No: 15\/1992, which excluded paying
\ncompensation for land and other properties passed by high-voltage
\nelectricity cables.<\/p>\n
This decree says, people can live under the stretch of a high-
\nvoltage electric cable, while Luhut said; "Living under high-
\nvoltage electricity cables is very dangerous".<\/p>\n
Luhut was discussing the dispute between the Cibentang
\nvillagers and the state-owned electricity company PT PLN, which
\nis backed by military and police officers.<\/p>\n
The dispute began after residents' demands for land
\ncompensation was refused by PLN. The authorities are of the
\nopinion that the residents do not deserve land and building
\ncompensation because they did not need to sacrifice their land
\nand houses to make way for the cable. PLN provided compensation
\nonly for the plants and trees cut down during the cable
\ninstallation.<\/p>\n
Cibentang village is located in the Parung district, Bogor, 60
\nkm south of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The dispute reached its peak Thursday when, according to eye
\nwitnesses and residents, anti-riot policemen beat the protesting
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
Many residents were injured.<\/p>\n
Police have denied the beating, alleging the defunct
\nIndonesian Communist Party was behind the residents' protest.<\/p>\n
Luhut said he believed nobody would be held responsible if an
\naccident befell those living under the 500-Kilo-Volt cable. "It
\nis possible the cable could fall and hit the houses," he said.<\/p>\n
Radiation<\/p>\n
He said there had been reports that high-voltage electric
\nradiation caused health problems.<\/p>\n
Luhut said the Ministerial Decree No: 15\/1992 should have
\nfollowed the higher-level regulation. "The decree is not in
\naccordance with Law No.15\/1985 on energy plants. This law
\nguarantees compensation for land and houses which are passed by
\nelectricity cables," he said.<\/p>\n
He said the Cibentang residents could file a lawsuit against
\nthe ministry for violating the law.<\/p>\n
Luhut said the Cibentang clash reflected a kind of business
\ncollusion between the government officials and military and
\npolice officers.<\/p>\n
The security officers not only guarded the technicians, but
\nthey were involved in the installation, he said.<\/p>\n
He said government officials should behave properly to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
"I don't think the police officers understand how to properly
\nuse their authority," he said.<\/p>\n
He cited former justice Bustanul Arifin's recent comment that
\nlaw enforcement had been much weakened due to rampant, overt
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
"The bureaucracy is now offering services for money," Luhut
\nsaid quoting the Justice. (07)<\/p>",
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