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.