Rights commission to handle high voltage complaints

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights agreed yesterday to go to the government with the complaints of residents affected by the construction of high voltage cables in their areas.

Commission member Roekmini Koesoemo Astoeti told leaders of six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who represent the affected residents that she would help find a solution to their problems if she has to bring it all the way to the minister.

This is not the first time that such complaints have reached the commission. The commission's previous appeals to PT PLN, the state-owned electricity company, to resolve the problems were largely ignored.

This time, Roekmini said she would take the matter to the minister who supervises PLN.

The six activists taking part in yesterday's meeting were Ifdal Kasim of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), Sulaiman N. Sembiring of the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), Nunna Widagdo of the International NGOs Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Leonard Simanjuntak of the Pelangi Foundation, Arimbi Horoepoetri of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Dadang Trisasongko of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

Asmara Nababan of the rights commission also joined the discussion.

During the meeting, the NGO activists said there are at least six cases where the construction or presence of high voltage cables are endangering or causing severe discomfort to residents.

The residents are from Kiaracondong in Bandung, Singosari in Gresik, Sei Tuan in Deli Serdang, Ciledug in Tangerang, Waled in Cirebon, Kanayan and Koreng in Tarerang.

The NGOs said the government should avoid building high voltage cables over residential areas, because such projects could be hazardous to one's health.

In a press statement, the NGOs said many of these projects lacked transparency and that people are not informed about them in advance.

Acknowledging the increasing demand for electricity in the country, the NGOs said:

"It is regrettable if this has to come at the expense of violating human rights. There have been cases of rights violations in the construction of electricity transmission networks, such as the cases in Kiaracondong in Bandung and Singosari in Gresik."

In the case of Singosari, the 82 families have agreed to move out provided that they are properly compensated.

Among the health complaints often cited by residents were headaches, insomnia and other illnesses.

And while experts are still debating whether these complaints originated from the high voltage cables, the mere presence of these cables has been creating a feeling of insecurity among the residents, the NGOs said. (03)