Security forces disperse protesters in Bintan; 13 hurt
Security forces disperse protesters in Bintan; 13 hurt
SINGAPORE (Agencies): Thirteen people were wounded Sunday
morning when Indonesian forces dispersed villagers camped outside
resorts in the island of Bintan near Singapore to demand
compensation for land they claim was practically robbed from
them.
Separately, Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who
visited Jakarta 10 days ago, urged the Indonesian government to
protect foreign investors on the resort island of Bintan.
"I will leave it to the Indonesian authorities to handle this.
They have to protect foreign investors," Goh said, quoted by the
Sunday Times, as he returned from a six-day trip to India.
At about 5:30 a.m. local time, police and military forces
moved in to disperse the demonstrators gathered at the back gate
of the Bintan International Resort, Singapore government-linked
conglomerate SembCorp Industries said in a statement.
Thirteen people were reportedly injured, four of them
seriously, said SembCorp, which jointly developed the resort with
Indonesian partners.
Those with serious injuries were evacuated to Tanjung Pinang,
in the center of the island, by speedboat, the statement said.
An eyewitness who asked not to be named said he saw two men
and one woman with gunshot wounds to the abdomen being carried
onto a boat.
He also saw police round up 30 people, load them onto a truck
and drive them to the resort's headquarters. Later, they were
sent by ferry to Tanjung Pinang.
Another eyewitness who requested anonymity said that police
rounded up six student activists who had taken part in the
protests.
She said Indonesian forces first fired shots in the air, but
then aimed at the students when they did not surrender. One
student was shot in the leg, she said.
The villagers have been camping for over a week outside the
resort area to demand compensation for land they claim they were
forced to sell at low price in 1991 to make way for an industrial
estate and beach resorts.
The villagers claim that developer PT Buana Mega Wisata paid
them only about Rp 100 per square meter of land in the early
1990s (four dollar cents on the then prevailing rate), far below
the market price of Rp 10,000.
On Saturday, Jakarta sent about 200 troops to Bintan to beef
up its security presence there after the protesters canceled a
trip to Jakarta to meet with President Abdurrahman Wahid.
The president had agreed to their demands for talks.
Goh said it now happened to a Singaporean investor. But the
basic message must be the Indonesian government had to protect
foreign investors.
"It is regrettable that force had to be used to disperse the
demonstrators. This past week has been a harrowing time for all
of us who have a stake in Bintan -- both the villagers as well as
the investors," said Tay Siew Choon, managing director of
SembCorp Industries.
"There are no winners in such a situation. In the end both the
people of Bintan and investors like us lose out. If the
confidence of international investors is shaken, jobs and
businesses on Bintan will be affected," Tay added.
SembCorp said "the proper way to resolve this dispute is
through legal and peaceful channels where fair restitution can be
made to any valid grievances found."
Goh said he was "rather sad" at what was happening at the
resort, especially since he traveled to Jakarta 10 days ago
Indonesia to help Jakarta woo back foreign capital.