Supreme Court's ruling draws furious reactions

Supreme Court's ruling draws furious reactions

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): The Supreme Court's ruling in
favor of displaced farmers to make way for the controversial
Kedungombo reservoir project has elicited furious reactions from
local officials.

Central Java Governor Soewardi plans to ask the Supreme Court
to review the decision while military commander Maj. Gen. Soeyono
has openly questioned its originality.

The officials' frustration over the verdict came amid mounting
calls from local legislators, activists and the public alike for
the government to carry out the court ruling.

"I see leeway that I can use to make the Supreme Court review
its decision," Soewardi told journalists here on Saturday.

The Supreme Court ruled that the government must pay Rp 50,000
(US$23) for each square meter of land to farmers in Kemusu
village and another Rp 2 billion for "non-material" losses.

The World Bank-funded US$166 million multi-purpose reservoir
project displaced thousands of farmers in a 6,700 hectare area in
Boyolali regency in the late 1980s.

Many had refused the compensation package offered by the
government because they considered it too small, and instead
chose to resolve the ongoing conflict through legal means.

The farmers lost their legal battle at the local level and
appealed to the Supreme Court in Jakarta.

The case covers an area of nine hectares. The court decided
that the government must pay 34 farmers Rp 50,000 for each square
meter of building area and another Rp 30,000 per square meter of
agricultural land.

Soewardi said the property cost too much and described the
Supreme Court's decision as "inappropriate." He added, "How can
it set the price at Rp 50,000 for each square meter of building
in the villages? Even in the city the cost isn't that high."

Maj. Gen. Soeyono suspected that the verdict might have been
falsified. He said the fact that the governor had not received
the official document by the first week of July further
heightened his suspicions.

"This is strange ... it should be checked if the document is
original," he said.

Chief Justice Purwoto Gandasubrata said in Jakarta last week
that in the "spirit of the verdict" the government must treat the
displaced farmers fairly.

Review

Lawyers from the Semarang chapter of the Legal Aid Institute
(LBH) who represented the farmers in the legal battle said
government officials have the right to ask the Supreme Court to
review its verdict, but added that they should pay the
compensation first.

Members of the provincial legislative council, who were quite
pleased with the verdict, have called on the government to
implement the ruling and take the verdict as a "lesson" in
handling development projects.

Ismawan DS, a councilor from the ruling Golkar faction, said
the government has no choice but to pay the compensation.

"I never imagined the people would win the legal wrangle
because they lost every single court battle at the local level,"
said defendant Witorejo.

Meanwhile, Dr. Muladi, rector of the Semarang-based Diponegoro
University and a member of the National Commission of Human
Rights, said the government should respond "realistically" to the
court ruling.

"Anyone who refuses to adhere to the court ruling is guilty of
contempt of court," he said as quoted by the Antara news agency.
(har/pan)