Protests color summit

Protests color summit

Protests colored the closing day of the West Java Infrastructure
Summit on Friday when about 500 people from Jatigede, Sumedang
regency, staged a rally outside the venue at the Savoy Homann
hotel in Bandung.

The protesters were objecting to the ongoing dam project in
their area, claiming that they had been cheated in the land
acquisition compensation payment.

West Java Governor Danny Setiawan has refused to hold talks
with the residents, saying the issue had been settled last year.
He also claimed the dam construction has received loans from
China during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's visit to the
country last month.

"The dam project is under the authority of the government. The
government has allocated a loan from China of about Rp 2.7
trillion (US$270 million) and we hope the project development
will start next year," Leks Laksmana, the West Java governor's
assistant for economic affairs, said. -- JP