Indonesians to sue Japan govt over ODA dam project: Report
Indonesians to sue Japan govt over ODA dam project: Report
Dow Jones Newswires, Tokyo
Citizens of Indonesia's Sumatra Island plan to sue the Japanese government and its affiliates in September for damage caused by a Tokyo-funded hydropower dam on the border of West Sumatra and Riau, Kyodo News reported Monday.
The case would mark the first legal challenge over a project paid for by Japan's official development assistance, Kyodo added.
About 3,000 people from 13 villages on the island are planning to file a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court to seek compensation from the Japanese government, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Tokyo Electric Power Services Co., the report said.
JICA and JBIC are affiliated with the Japanese government, while TEPSCO belongs to a business group headed by Tokyo Electric Power Co.
The four were involved in building Kotopanjang Dam, which caused the plaintiffs and 20,000 other villagers to be forcibly resettled, Japanese supporters of the plaintiffs said.
The dam was completed in 1997 at a cost of 31.18 billion yen paid for by a yen-denominated government loan, according to the supporters. It is located in the middle of the island on the border between Riau and West Sumatra provinces.
"The construction of Kotopanjang Dam was proposed by a Japanese consulting agency, the funds for it were extended by Japanese government-affiliated bodies, and a Japanese contractor, together with local construction firms, received the order," one supporter said, according to Kyodo.
According to the supporters, the local residents have been left without proper living facilities, such as clean well water on the resettled land, and haven't been guaranteed job opportunities there, becoming "developmental refugees."
"The plaintiffs and local residents are seeking restoration of their living conditions and natural environment, while a growing number among them are calling for the dam to be dismantled," said Akihiko Oguchi, who heads the Japanese lawyers representing the plaintiffs. "We may include its removal in our demands when we file the suit."
According to Oguchi, it will be impossible for the plaintiffs to seek Tokyo's decision to remove it because the dam is now owned by the Indonesian government, but "at least we will urge the Japanese government in court to recommend its Indonesian counterpart to do so."
The amount of compensation that the plaintiffs will demand hasn't yet been decided, the supporters said.
Oguchi also said the Japanese supporters will soon file a taxpayers' suit claiming that the government misused public funds to foot the bill for the controversial dam project.
Japan's Foreign Ministry and TEPSCO said they can't comment on the planned lawsuit before it is filed, Kyodo reported.