Youths blast German embassy over cable

JAKARTA (JP): About 20 youths marched to the German Embassy yesterday to protest the electric cable installation project in Cibentang village, Bogor, as the project is partly financed by the German Government.

The protesters, who call themselves the Committee of Indonesian Youth for the People of Cibentang, blocked Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, for about an hour at noon.

There was no violence.

The protesters' spokesman, Hendra Gunawan, said they opposed the installation of the 500 kilowatt electric cable which has caused residents to protest. The villagers are demanding compensation for living under the highvoltage cables and for their properties which will be appropriated. The state electricity company PT PLN compensated the residents for their fruit trees but not for their land or houses.

Cibentang village is about 60 km south of Jakarta.

The protesters chanted the national anthem and carried banners which read: "Go to hell with your aid" and "Roll out the cable, but pay."

"The people from Cibentang village do not want to live under the cable ... the contractors have not yet paid for the land so they cannot move to new houses," one protester said.

The cables are being built and installed by a local and a foreign company, PT Bukaka Teknik and Swiss-Swedish firm Asea Brown Boveri (ABB).

The demonstrators handed a letter to embassy staff.

Germany's security attache Dieter Lamle said: "We have received their protest letter and ... after the ambassador reads it he will decide how to respond."

Lamle did not know how much money Bonn had put into the project.

Antara reported the embassy did not contact police about the demonstrators.

The dispute reached its peak last Thursday when, according to witnesses and residents, riot police beat protesting residents.

Residents said it was their fourth clashes with police. (07)