Another riot feared during trial in Bojong
Another riot feared during trial in Bojong
Theresia Sufa and Eva C. Komandjaja, Bogor/Jakarta
Alarmed by escalating tension between a dump site operator and
residents of Bojong in Bogor, West Java, an influential local
councillor warned that another riot could occur if the dump was
reopened.
Councillor Dedi Mulyadi, who heads Bogor Regency Council
Commission C for environmental issues, said the operator of the
dump, PT Wira Guna Sejahtera, could see a repeat of the November
2004 riot if it went ahead with a planned trial run of the dump.
"If the company insists on conducting a trial operation, all
we can do is throw our hands up in the air," said Dedi. "They
will have to solve the problem on their own."
Dedi also said the council was prepared to summon Bogor Regent
Agus Utara Effendi for a full accounting should another riot
occur.
"The root of the problem can be traced back to the executive
branch," said Dedi. "They issued the dump's operating license in
the first place."
On Nov. 22, 2004, the last time the dump operator attempted a
trial run of the facility, residents gathered outside the site to
protest what they said would be the dump's harmful impact on the
surrounding area.
The protest soon turned violent and several residents had to
be hospitalized for their injuries. Twenty-four police officers
were severely reprimanded for using unnecessary force to quell
the protest, and 18 Bojong residents were jailed for causing Rp 8
billion (US$865,000) in damages to the dump.
Members of the Bogor Regency Council, who had just been seated
at the time of the November violence, have stated that they would
prefer the dump, constructed in 2003, to suspend its operations
indefinitely and, if possible, find a new site.
On Sunday, a rally in support of the dump was attended by
about 200 people. Villagers and non-governmental organizations
insisted that the rally was staged by "thugs" paid by PT Wira
Guna Sejahtera.
Hermawanto of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation said the thugs
patrolled the area around the dump, threatening residents with
violence if they removed banners supporting the dump.
Sunday's rally prompted hundreds of Bojong residents opposed
to the dump to stage a demonstration in front of the National
Police Headquarters in South Jakarta on Monday.
"Residents would rather stay at the police headquarters than
go home because they fear the thugs," said Erwin, a protest
coordinator.
Erwin said the residents "were forced" to take their case to
the National Police Headquarters because the Bogor Police had
done nothing to protect them from the "thugs."
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Aryanto Boedihardjo said
the West Java Police and Bogor Police would be contacted about
this issue.
In response to the rallies, the Bogor Police asked both sides
to remain calm while they investigated the alleged intimidation.
A senior officer at the Bogor Police, Comr. Irfan, said
officers would conduct operations shortly to "prevent any clashes
and to thwart any 'infiltration by outsiders'".
When fully operational, the Bojong facility would have the
capacity to process 2,000 tons of waste. Jakarta currently relies
on just one dump, located in Bekasi, West Java, to handle its
6,200 tons of daily waste.