Cimahi dump slide victims upset with Kalla

Cimahi dump slide victims upset with Kalla

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Victims of the garbage collapse at Leuwigajah dump created havoc
on Monday after missing out on an opportunity to talk
face-to-face with Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

At least 27 residents destroyed three trucks, an excavator and
broke the windows of the dump management office. They had
allegedly been about to set the trucks on fire when police
officers intervened.

The victims of the disaster -- which took place when mountains
of garbage at the dump collapsed last Monday, killing 107 people
and flattening 70 houses -- ran amok after learning that they
would not meet with Kalla.

"Our lives get worse by the day. The local administration does
not care about our future, and neither does the Vice President,"
said Agus, 50, a resident of Cilimus hamlet, Batujajar.

Earlier, the residents had attempted to stop Kalla from
leaving in his car, asking for a moment of his time. However,
Kalla was apparently unmoved by the request and the vice
president's guards ordered them to move away. Other high-ranking
officials at the site, including West Java Governor Danny
Setiawan, Bandung Regent Obar Sobarna and Cimahi Major Itoc
Tochija, were similarly unresponsive.

"Please Pak, give us attention, even if it's only for a
minute," yelled the residents.

Head of Cilimus hamlet Iman said the victims of the dump
disaster were seeking compensation from local administrations.
The dump received garbage from three areas: Bandung regency and
municipality as well as Cimahi municipality.

He said donations had been handed over to the victims,
including Rp 100 million (US$11,111) from the West Java governor,
Rp 75 million from Minister of Social Services Bachtiar Chamsyah
and Rp 100 million from Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare Alwi Shihab. Kalla had also handed over a donation of Rp
1 billion from the government.

"We want to live peacefully again -- in a safer place, with
brighter futures. We want a decent life -- like other people who
have homes. And we're tired of having to queue for food," said
another resident, Adi Sudrajat.

According to the residents, the local administrations in
charge of managing the dump are yet to approach the victims with
a relocation plan or an offer of compensation.

Some residents affected by the disaster said they would rather
receive compensation money than be relocated as they wanted to
choose their new homes for themselves.

Kalla said the disaster was caused by human error and that
residents' relocation was the responsibility of the local
administrations.

"We should manage our garbage much better," he said in his 20-
minute visit, adding the dump was no longer a suitable site for
waste disposal.

As of Monday, 107 bodies have been recovered from the disaster
area and 36 people listed as missing.

Search-and-rescue efforts will continue in the coming days,
despite an earlier announcement that they would be called off on
Monday.

Cimahi Police chief of detectives Adj. Sr. Comr. Irwanto said
that while Awan Gumelar, sole suspect in the case so far, had not
been arrested, action against him was being taken. Awan is
director of Bandung mayoralty sanitation firm PD Kebersihan.

"He (Awan) is not a criminal, but (he is) responsible for the
mismanagement of the dump, which caused the disaster," Irwanto
said.