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)