Land compensation protest continues in Bintan

Land compensation protest continues in Bintan

JAKARTA (JP): Despite calls for calm, thousands of residents
on the island of Bintan continued to rally on Tuesday in protest
of what they called the meager compensation they received for
their land.

The crowd refused to leave a power plant in the Bintan Inti
Industrial Estate in Lodam, North Bintan district, which they
have occupied for the past three days. Hundreds of protesters
also blocked an access road to the Lagoi tourist area and
gathered in front of the local legislature.

A student activist, Rafael, told The Jakarta Post from Bintan
that the protests would continue until residents' demands were
met. The protesters are demanding compensation of between Rp
5,000 and Rp 10,000 per square meter of land which was sold to
tourism company PT Buana Mega Wisata. The land owners received Rp
100 per square meter of land in accordance with a ruling issued
by the regent in 1991.

Rafael, from the Bandung Institute of Law, said
representatives of the protesters had held talks with a director
of PT Buana Mega Wisata, identified as Gunawan, but the
negotiations were deadlocked.

"The company insisted that the dispute over compensation was
already over because the residents had received the money. No
matter who decided the price, we will keep fighting the injustice
(of the situation)," Rafael said.

He said six people were injured by gunfire when security
personnel attempted to disperse protesters on Saturday. "They
have all been discharged from the hospital," Rafael said.

He said at least 10 students from the Underdeveloped People's
Defenders group had been involved in the movement to demand
higher compensation for residents since last November.

Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu expressed concern on
Tuesday over unrest and looting in Bintan, warning such actions
would only harm the fragile investment atmosphere and tourist
industry in Indonesia.

The minister said Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs
and Security Gen. Wiranto and Indonesian Military Commander Adm.
Widodo A.S. had pledged to restore order and enforce law in the
island.

"Investors' security and safety must be ensured. The incident
in Bintan is very worrisome," the minister said after meeting
with President Abdurrahman Wahid at Bina Graha presidential
office.

At least five foreign companies are located in the Bintan Inti
Industrial Estate, which employs more than 8,000 people.
According to data from 1997, the industrial estate was developed
and operated by a consortium comprising the Salim Group,
Singapore Technologies Industrial Corporation and Jurong Town
Corporation International of Singapore.

Bintan is located 40 kilometers from Singapore.

The protest erupted just one day after Singapore Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong completed a two-day visit to Jakarta,
during which he reiterated his government's interest in
developing islands like Batam, Karimum and Bintan which are
located near Singapore.

State Minister of Investment and State Enterprises Development
Laksamana Sukardi also deplored the protests in Bintan, and
called on residents not to act rashly but to take the matter to
the courts or the local legislative council.

Laksamana warned the incident would scare off Singaporean
investors and other foreign companies. "This is a state guided by
laws, not Rambos," Laksamana said after opening a seminar in
Batam on Tuesday.

Antara quoted Riau Governor Saleh Djasit as saying it was
difficult to fulfill the villagers' demand because they had been
compensated for their land in a legal transaction several years
ago.

"From a sense of justice we can understand their demand, but
they are just wasting time if they try to file a lawsuit," the
governor said. (prb/amd)