VZCZCXRO5872
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0508/01 0540920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230920Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3430
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0469
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1358
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 5727
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
ZEN/AMCONSUL SURABAYA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000508 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS AND EB/ESC/IEC 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/EAP 
DOE FOR CUTLER/PI-32 AND NAKANO/PI-42 
COMMERCE FOR USDOC 4430 
 
FROM AMCONSUL SURABAYA #0019 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV EPET PGOV ASEC CACS ID
SUBJECT: Lapindo Mudflow Victim Demonstrations End Peacefully 
 
Reftel: Jakarta 00013 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Hundreds of residents displaced by the Lapindo 
mudflow disaster (Reftel) demonstrated February 22 bringing Surabaya 
rush hour traffic to a standstill.  Protestors rejected local 
political leaders' and the head of the National Mudflow Disaster 
Management Team's (Timnas) relocation offer, demanding cash 
compensation as promised by Lapindo and President Yudhoyono. 
Demonstrations continued the morning of February 23 as over 5,000 
people continued to blockade major East Java transportation 
corridors.  Police negotiated a peaceful end to the demonstrations 
prior to Friday noon prayers.  Our contacts say the media attention 
and aid the recent Jakarta flooding victims are receiving angers 
Lapindo mudflow victims and may have triggered the demonstrations. 
Over 10,000 mudflow displaced victims remain living in cramped 
quarters in the Porong Market.  Timnas is concerned that future 
demonstrations could hinder their ability to maintain dam walls 
containing the 40 million cubic meters of mud already released.  We 
expect future demonstrations by Lapindo mud victims in an effort to 
refocus national attention on their plight.   END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Hundreds of residents displaced by the Lapindo mudflow 
disaster demonstrated February 22 to demand compensation payment 
from PT. Lapindo Brantas (Lapindo), a gas drilling company 
controlled by Aburizal Bakrie, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for 
People's Welfare.  The demonstrators brought rush hour traffic to a 
standstill by blocking the main road from Surabaya to Sidoarjo at 
Waru, cutting Surabaya off from Juanda airport.  In a coordinated 
effort, demonstrators also blockaded the Porong Road and the rail 
line near the mud volcano in Porong.  Surabaya traffic to and from 
Sidoarjo and Malang in the south was snarled until well after 
midnight. 
 
¶3. (SBU) East Java Governor Imam Utomo, Sidoarjo Bupati Win 
Hendrarso and the head of the National Mudflow Disaster Management 
Team (Timnas) Basuki met with the demonstrators and offered them 
relocation to alternate housing as a form of compensation.  The 
demonstrators rejected the offer, demanding "cash and carry" 
compensation as had been previously promised by Lapindo and 
President Yudhoyono.  Hendrarso reportedly left the meeting in 
frustration and told the demonstrators, "Do whatever you want." 
Mobile Brigade police observing the demonstrations responded in a 
non-confrontational manner.  Police only briefly opened the 
barricades to allow off-duty police to pass through on their way 
home. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The morning of February 23, the numbers of demonstrators 
were continuing to increase as the publicity attracts people angry 
with Lapindo and the government's lack of response to the mud 
volcano disaster.  At 9:30AM Suara Surabaya Radio reported over 
5,000 people were demonstrating in the two locations.  The 
demonstrations continued to block the main Surabaya/Sidoarjo road, 
Porong Road and the rail line.  They also blocked the access road to 
the airport.  Republika Online reported police officials intervened 
at approximately 11:00am to negotiate with the protestors.  Police 
explained that they wished to attend Friday payer and the 
demonstrators needed to leave or police would use force to disburse 
the growing crowd.  The demonstration began to disburse shortly 
after three water canon vehicles arrived at the scene.  Heavy 
afternoon rains dampened protesters remaining enthusiasm.  There 
were no reports of violence. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Our contacts say the media attention and aid the recent 
Jakarta flooding victims are receiving angers Lapindo mudflow 
victims, who have been waiting nine months for some kind of GOI 
action.  The victims feel ignored by the central government and know 
that their local governments and Timnas are impotent to solve their 
problems due to a lack of financial resources.  Demonstrations are 
likely to continue occurring as Lapindo victims try t  refocus 
national attention back on them and therr efforts to pressure 
Lapindo to pay cash compensation as promised. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Representatives of te  protesters met with Governor Utomo 
at his offiiial residence.  The protesters repeated their demad  for 
cash compensation.  Utomo offered only restttlement or relocation. 
The protestors reportedly threatened to occupy the Governor's 
mansion if te ir cash compensation demands were not met. 
 
JAKARTA 00000508  002 OF 002 
 
 
protesters eventually left peacefully. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Latest estimates on the numbers of Porong residents 
displaced by the mud vary from 27,000 by Timnas (based on 7,500 
homes destroyed) to 63,000 by the East Java government (based on 
12,000 homes destroyed, flooded or made unusable by groundwater 
contamination).  The Porong Market continues to house over 10,000 
mud refugees now crammed in to the open-air market and subjected to 
rainy season conditions. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Timnas leaders admitted that they had received minimal 
victim compensation funds from Lapindo or the GOI in a recent 
meeting.  Timnas, the GOI authority currently responsible for 
handling compensation issues related to the mud, has no ability to 
provide cash compensation.  The relocation offer was an effort to 
appease the protestors, but there still is no financial capacity to 
provide new housing behind it.  Timnas is also concerned that 
prolonged traffic blockages will hinder their ability to deliver 
dirt to continue maintaining the earthen dam walls.  Basuki told us, 
"If dam wall work stops for as little as 48 hours, the mud will 
overflow the walls and we could have a major breech.  The southern 
walls are under the most pressure and would collapse first, if left 
unattended, allowing free flow of mud to the Porong River." 
 
¶9. (SBU) ConGen Surabaya issued a Warden Message on February 23, 
warning U.S. citizens about the demonstrations and to avoid 
traveling through the protest areas through the weekend. 
 
HEFFERN