Jobless plan kite protest near airport

TANGERANG (JP): Disgruntled jobless residents living near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport here are threatening to fly 400 kites on Monday in protest at the airport management's disinterest in employing them.

Villagers in Karang Sari, Karang Anyar, Neglasari, Rawa Rengas and Rawa Burung, who are grouped in the Protesting Local Tangerang Residents (PDTM), said on Thursday they were upset because airport management firm PT Angkasa Pura II did not respond to a recent letter requesting employment.

Representing 570 jobless residents in the airport area, PDTM chairman Sarmili Ari said the protest was purposely planned in line with Angkasa Pura's anniversary on July 5.

"In the letter to representatives of the firm, we told them that people living around the airport area have great difficulty in finding jobs at the airport," Sarmili said.

"We even would cut grass. Any job would do. But the letter was not answered," he said.

According to Sarmili, 90 percent of the airport's employees were not Tangerang residents but landed their jobs through "special connections".

"Without connections, you can't work there ... we are protesting as there has been response to our request," he said.

Airport spokesman Arifin Rizak said security officers would be asked to stop the protest because the flying of kites in flight paths was dangerous.

"In commemoration of the firm's anniversary, we have donated soccer balls and volleyballs to the villagers to keep them from flying their kites," he said.

He added that the firm contacted village chiefs to request they mediate with villagers.

Arifin said rules of the International Civil Aviation Association state that kites are permitted to be flown at a distance of at least one kilometer from the runway at a maximum height of 20 meters, or two kilometers from the runway at a maximum height of 40 meters.(41/ylt)