Lampung kiosk owners prepares lawsuit
Lampung kiosk owners prepares lawsuit
The Jakarta Post, Bakauheni, Lampung
Vendors at the South Lampung port of Bakauheni, whose kiosks were looted and burned down by angry villagers, has submitted lawsuits following attacks jointly carried out by officials of the port management (ASDP) and a group calling itself the United Dantar Ethnic Group Youth Front (PPAMD).
The kiosk owners objected strongly to the violence and suspected the attacks were closely related to plans to evict them from the port.
However, there were still few details available on the lawsuits.
Several traders admitted they were nonplused at the attacks that took place on Saturday as they felt that they had not breached any regulations or done anything wrong.
"We don't know what the port administration wants. Why do they always chase after us while pickpockets and ticket scalpers operate without hindrance at the port?" said a trader who withheld his name.
"My children and I were fast asleep when suddenly we were attacked and our kiosks destroyed. All we could think of at the time was how to save ourselves," said 42-year-old Rohaida, a street vendor.
PPAMD leader Zainal admitted that the Saturday attacks were spontaneous and no other parties were involved.
"Nobody ordered or financed the arson attacks. Our primary concern is the port, which now looks so shabby and dirty because of the traders," Zainal exclaimed.
During the violence, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, some 500 people demolished the kiosks and makeshift tents used by traders. The angry group, comprising villagers from eight villages in Panengahan district, later burned the kiosks and tents.
Port chief Hasan Aldin said the port did not want to be held responsible for the attack, giving the reason that the port administration had to be strict over relocating the traders.
"It was spontaneous. None of us knew what would happen. We are not responsible for what did happen and will not pay any compensation for the damage," he stressed.
For so long, he said, the administration had been lenient with the vendors, for the previous agreement stated that the traders would be located at sites prepared by the administration but if they were not allocated a site, they would still be allowed to trade inside the port.
"We've had to tidy up their sites because the operations of small-scale vendors (who do not have proper sites) are often disruptive to port visitors," Hasan said.