A difficult holiday for Sidoarjo mud victims

Yuliana Thomas could only relish the memory of past Christmas celebrations, since the victim of the Sidoarjo, East Java mud disaster is now living in makeshift shelter at the Porong market.

"Christmas used to be fun because we, me and my family, went together to church for Mass," the 30-year-old told The Jakarta Post while shooing flies away from a half-finished rice packet, one of the meals provided to displaced residents in the market.

Her family attended Christmas Mass at Bethel Indonesia Church in Sidoarjo, where many natives of Ambon, like herself, used to go.

After Mass, she and husband Cornelis Bale and their three children would spend time in the church. The children played together while the parents socialized with other families.

Later, the family, who used to live in the Tanggul Angin Sejahtera housing complex, would visit neighbors who were also celebrating. "We would exchange Christmas greetings," she recalled.

But Christmas this year will be very different. In late May, hot mud began gushing from a gas exploration site run by Lapindo Brantas Inc. On Nov. 22, the gradual sinkage of land near the outpouring caused an underground gas pipeline to explode. Four days later, the hot sludge flooded their house. The family has been living in the market shelter ever since.

Another Christian victim from the same housing complex, Supriyadi, did not want to miss out on Christmas. "Maybe my family will go to the Catholic Church in Porong, which is close to the shelter," he told the Post.

His two houses, one in which he lived and another where he used to sell poultry feed, are now only a memory.

"Our village chief said the mud has engulfed our houses to their roofs," said the native of Kediri, East Java. He has been living in the shelter for more than two weeks.

Some 12,000 displaced residents have taken refugee at 50 shop-houses and 272 kiosks in the market, sharing space with other families.

Yuliana divided the 20-square-meter kiosk with a curtain. Clothing and important documents were piled in a corner while the kiosk's terrace housed cooking utensils.

"It's not bad, we still can sleep, although it's very hot inside," Yuliana said.

The women said three weeks in the shelter felt like a year, because it was crowded with thousands of other displaced people.

"When the morning comes, we have to be patient to get through the day," Yuliana said.

In the morning, the family has to struggle even to bathe, since there are only 22 bathrooms in the market for over 12,000 people.

When the water suddenly stops running, many have to skip washing. For families with children, the situation is even more difficult. A health post helps by providing free treatment for the refugees.

"My children are the most miserable. Two have started suffering from constant coughing and flu and the other one suffers diarrhea," Yuliana said.

East Java media spotlight women's issues

Kosmonita Radio manager Idah Ernawati was engaged in a serious discussion with a new announcer, Elly.

"I noticed that you constantly apologize to listeners when on the air. It sounds ignorant. We have to be sharp on air, at the same time conveying our thoughts to the listeners," said Idah.

"Maybe you could leave out the word 'sorry' and repeat the sentence without it," said Novie, a producer.

Elly listened closely, sometimes asking questions.

Discussing and evaluating radio programs is routine at Radio Kosmonita, which caters to female listeners in Surabaya.

"In general, Kosmonita wants issues surrounding women be resolved, partly through the programs we air. The approach may be slow, but the process of going toward that goal must be lively," Idah told The Jakarta Post.

Women's issues have reemerged this year in advance of Women's Day on Dec. 22. Once again, the discussions range from the role of women in the family, domestic violence, and women as second class citizens, to harassment against women, not only in Indonesia but worldwide.

Women still appear to be at a disadvantage in society, which has prompted some media outlets to focus on women's issues full-time.

The Surabaya chapter of the Alliance of Indonesian Journalists (AJI) says around 20 percent of the print media in Surabaya caters to women.

The Surabaya office of the Indonesian National Private Radio Broadcasting Association says four of the 25 radio stations in Surabaya are aimed at a female audience.

"The question is, whether or not women's media has seriously accommodated women and been able to address these issues," said Sunudyantoro from AJI's programming division.

Members of the women's media are asking the same question. Idah Ernawati from Radio Kosmonita, which started airing on Dec. 22, 2000, discusses the station's impact every year with listeners.

"We are aware that the female media has not reached maximum effectiveness yet," said Idah.

Because of institutionalized sexism, women neglect the issues, while the media outlets that aim to address them feel they crash into a brick wall. "Frankly speaking, the issues are not easy to resolve," Idah said. "The government has also not made any efforts to address the problem."

The chief editor of Surabaya's Venus fashion and beauty magazine, Abdurrohman, echoed those remarks. He said it was difficult for the women's media to address the mindset of prejudice head-on, because there is no general understanding of women's status.

"Eventually, there must be a suitable strategy to do that," said Abdurrohman.

He said finding strategies to reach women was not easy. Venus magazine had to change its format three times in a span of two years.

"Initially, we formulated it as a family magazine, then as a magazine for up-scale women, and finally for women in the middle income bracket," said Abdurrohman.

It was in the latter format that the magazine, with a circulation of 25,000, was able to penetrate the women's market by presenting fashion and beauty news.

"Our main content is lifestyle, but we also offer education, such as on sexual hygiene and child care," said Abdurrohman, adding that this was the most successful formula in terms of market acceptance.

The chair of the Women's Pro-Democracy Committee, Erma Susanti, said media attention to women's issues should be encouraged. She said it was raising women's awareness of such problems as domestic violence, which was earlier perceived as a source of private shame, unworthy of discussion.

"Since the media has created room to discuss domestic violence, the issue has gradually been spoken about openly, though not every woman is familiar with the topic," she explained.

Sidoarjo mudflow victims find home in goat pen

The noise from a passing train made Kastanah halt in the middle of her story. She instinctively pulled her son, Muhamad Rizki Wahyudi, 1, closer to her with one hand, and with the other shielded his face from the dust.

"The dust and noise make it hard to sleep," she sighed when the train had passed.

Kastanah represents the human face of the mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, where a sea of mud has flowed from Lapindo Brantas Inc.'s gas exploration site since May 29.

When the mud inundated her house in Ketapang village, Kastanah, her husband Qoirul Amin and their three children -- Angelina Fernanda, 5, Trias Wahyu Anggraeni, 3, and Muhamad -- were forced to scramble for whatever shelter they could find.

While some of the villagers were lucky enough to have relatives who could put them up, Kastanah and her family ended up in a 10-square-meter goat pen not far from their home.

She said they had little choice because they could not afford the cost of renting a house farther from the disaster and moving their belongings.

"It costs a lot of money to move. Where would we get the money from?" she cried.

While the mudflow clearly has been a disaster for thousands of residents, for some people, such as those with trucks to rent, it has become a windfall opportunity. Residents used to only pay Rp 150,000 to 200,000 to rent a truck to move their belongings. Now the charge is Rp 500,000, plus what they must pay the workers to carry their possessions.

With her husband losing his job at a nearby cigarette factory, Kastanah and her family could not afford to move away.

The best they could do was load their clothes and few other belongings into a borrowed pedicab as the hot mud threatened their village and find shelter in the goat pen.

"It would be too far for the pedicab to take us to Porong market .... We were lucky just to find this goat pen."

The bamboo pen, with a plastic sheet for a roof, is located next to the railway tracks and near the side of the main road connecting Sidoarjo and Porong.

They have piled their bags, a stove, a wooden cabinet and some cooking utensils into a corner, while a wooden bed with a thin mattress sits in the center of the pen. Two old chairs sit next to the road. There are no laundry or bathroom facilities.

The three children cried constantly during the recent visit by The Jakarta Post.

With the hot mud still spewing from the ground, more and more people are being displaced. In Porong market, there were 2,605 families, or 9,936 people, taking shelter. This number jumped to about 12,000 people this week with the arrival of new mudflow victims.

Thousands of residents have sought treatment at community health centers and hospitals since the mud began flowing.

There do not seem to be any solutions to the disaster forthcoming, as the mud inches closer to inundating the railroad tracks and the main road in the area.

Kastanah and her family, unfortunately, have a front-row seat to the disaster. The nearby road is usually packed with vehicles trying to leave the area for Banyuwangi and Malang. And the railroad tracks are the only ones serving the Surabaya-Malang-Banyuwangi route.

"The dust, smoke and noise of cars and trains is torture," Kastanah sighed.

HIV targets everyone: NGO activist

The Jakarta Post has publish this story on Monday, December 05, 2005

Despite having contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), there is no expression of fear on Sigit Sumargo's face. "All that I'm experiencing now is a consequence of my past deeds," said the 29-year-old Sigit (not his real name).

His agony began in 1994 when he became drug dependent. Since then, his life has been on a downward slide. His dependency on putaw (low-grade heroin) led him to criminal acts. He stole things from his house almost every day and sold them to the flea market -- jewelry, household utensils, and even the flag pole, which he sold for Rp 20,000 (US$2.00).

The only thing on his mind, he recollects, was how to get the money to buy the illicit substance. "What else could I sell, or who else could I cheat?" he recalled.

The habit only came to an end in 2002 after he became fed up of being dependent on drugs. "I was tired of telling lies and stealing," said Sigit, who was very active in student politics in the middle of the 1990s. He even joined a left-wing political party and was involved in activities to fight the Soeharto regime.

He recalled the decision to stop taking drugs was the hardest he had ever faced. He felt like every bone in his body was being poked with needles, the joints aching like they were trampled on by horses and various other pains in his body for more than a week.

But, then they were gone, and he felt the pleasure of being free from drugs. "After being free from drugs, I felt fresh waking up in the morning," said Sigit, a former basket ball player.

But, the suffering had not ended. Last year, he caught an illness that made his breathing difficult and it did not improve. He went to the hospital and the hospital found white specks on his lungs. The doctor suggested Sigit undergo a full medical checkup, including a HIV test.

The test results showed that he was HIV positive. Sigit recalls it was 2004 just a few days before Idul Fitri. "Frankly speaking, I was not surprised at all by the test results because I had realized it was a possibility and I accepted it," said the son of one of the caretakers of an Islamic boarding school in East Java.

He contracted HIV due to sharing needles among fellow addicts.

It was a terrible blow to his family. Provided with bottled water, bread and a cell phone, Sigit was left alone at the Infectious Diseases Intermediate facility, a clinic for HIV/AIDS patients at Dr. Soetomo hospital. In the beginning, the harsh response of his family enraged him. Initially he put all the blame on the family, but later he accepted their stance. Now, he accepts responsibility for his predicament.

His experience has led him to the awareness that he can do something for the community. In solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS, Sigit has decided to stand up and become an active advocate of HIV/AIDS prevention.

Sigit is one of the 200 or so residents of Surabaya who have HIV. The actual number could be much higher and it should serve as a wake-up call as World AIDS Day is observed on Dec. 1. Based on data from the Surabaya Health Office in 2004, 217 people have contracted HIV, while 106 of them have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Data from 2003 shows that 99 people had contracted HIV, 49 of whom had AIDS.

Executive director of Hotline Surya, an NGO working with people with HIV, Esti Susanti, said that, learning from Sigit's case, it was clear that anyone could contract HIV/AIDS, from sex workers to even children from religious backgrounds. "Let there be no negative impression of people living with HIV/AIDS. Anyone can contract the virus," she told the Post.

She further said that besides support from the community, people living with HIV/AIDS could also be helped through antiretroviral therapy. With continued treatment the drugs can help improve immunity and increase the quality of life, allowing the person with HIV/AIDS to live longer.

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East Java bylaw to protect people living with HIV/AIDS
Friday, May 14, 2004

People living with AIDS in East Java can breathe a sigh of relief for, in the near future, East Java will have a bylaw that will protect them. The bylaw, which is slated to be the first in the country, will put an end to discrimination experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Plans to put the bylaw into action were revealed following recent discussions between East Java legislative council Commission E and the organization People's Care for AIDS (MPA).

Commission E deputy speaker Lutfilah Masduki said after the meeting that the bylaw would stipulate penalties on those who discriminated against PLWHA in, for example, workplaces or schools. "If school authorities expel a student who has HIV/AIDS, they could be imprisoned for three months or fined Rp 3 million (US$350)," he said on Tuesday.

Separately, GAYa Nusantara gay rights organization chairman Budianto hailed the plan, saying that it would end discrimination against PLWHA. People who lead gay lifestyles are often perceived by the public as being associated with HIV/AIDS".

"I'm happy that the bylaw will be issued soon and hope it will be followed by concrete government action, such as providing low-cost medication to PLWHA and supplying low-cost condoms to the public as a preventive measure," said Budianto.

Besides, he added, the bylaw should also address widely held public prejudices that HIV/AIDS can be spread through conventional social interaction.

"People tend to think that HIV/AIDS can be spread through talking, kissing or meeting other people, but that's wrong. The realities should be set out clearly within the bylaw," he said.

Given that such prejudices have spread widely through society, it is hardly surprising that society, in turn, often ostracizes PLWHA, including their own families, he said.

HIV/AIDS cases at Dr. Sutomo Hospital, Jan to May, 2004
Children : 3 Adults : 226 Deceased : 180 Receiving treatment : 46
Source: Dr. Sutomo General Hospital (largest in Surabaya)

East Java workers protest new minimum wage for 2007

Hundreds of workers in East Java held street protests Wednesday to show their opposition to the new minimum wage level set to be implemented across the province next month.

The protesters from the Alliance of Workers Struggle group called for East Java Governor Imam Utomo to lift the new minimum wage from the planned Rp 746,000 to the alliance's demand of Rp 975,000.

Arriving in trucks and on motorcycles, the protest was made up of workers from Surabaya's factories, with others from Malang, Pasuruan and Sidoarjo later joining the demonstration.

For Malang, the governor set the wage at Rp 743,000, lower than the revised proposal from the regent at Rp 745,109 and the survey of basic needs made by the city's remuneration council at Rp 770,109.

The alliance's spokesman, Jamaludin, said the governor's local Dec. 8 ordinance on the minimum wage was based on an erroneous survey of workers' basic needs.

Meanwhile, the local regency and municipal administrations in the province had failed to pass on workers' demands to the governor, he said.

"It makes no sense that the amount proposed by the regents, mayor and a remuneration council in Surabaya is only Rp 748,000, much less than in other cities in East Java. It's not valid," Jamaludin said.

The alliance came to its wage demand after holding an independent survey on basic needs, he said.

Jamaludin accused regional leaders of taking part in backroom deals before making a decision on the wage, with proposals from several cities, including Gresik, Pasuruan and Malang, handed back by the governor to be revised downward.

"That's why the alliance demands the East Java governor revoke the ordinance and revise the minimum wage. There should be transparency and accountability when determining the wage and workers' basic needs," Jamaludin said.

The alliance has also requested the governor take into account an 8 percent inflation rate when setting the wage.

Meanwhile, the head of East Java's manpower office, Bahruddin, questioned the motive for the protest.

"How can (workers) know that the (provincial government's) survey of basic needs is invalid?" Bahruddin told The Jakarta Post.

He said his office would discuss the matter with the administration.

Lions and dragons and drums in Surabaya

After a four-year pause, the sound of drums and cymbals was once again heard as performers competed in the 3rd Dragon and Lion Dance World Championship, held at Kenjeran Park in Surabaya.

Surabayans were entertained from Friday to Sunday by 23 teams from 12 nations, including China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United States, Belgium, France, Korea, and Indonesia. All were vying to perform the best version of the dance, which originated in China.

The first competition was held in China in 2000 and the second in Malaysia in 2002. The event was suspended in 2004 due to the bird flu scare.

The teams of costumed dancers imitate the animals' movements in time to the music, and also perform acrobatics.

Chinese Vice Minister of Sports Zhang Fa Qiang, who also chairs the International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation, was in the audience.

"The Chinese government is proud that the biennial event could be organized again," said Zhang.

China, said Zhang, fully supported staging the event in Indonesia, since dances were no longer the sole property of China but were popular worldwide.

"We hope the lion and dragon performances will be included in the next Olympics," said Zhang.

The dances were banned under the rule of former president Soeharto. They began to make a comeback seven years ago in various events involving Chinese-Indonesians.

The Chinese, Malaysian and Indonesian teams were favored to win in the tournament.

In the final rounds on Dec. 10, the three teams put on their best performances. The Chinese team, which had showed its mastery on the first day, unexpectedly dropped out of the competition in the final.

The Malaysian and Indonesian teams performed remarkably. Seven judges provided the same points to both countries, while China placed second.

"The judges were at one point confused on how to decide the winner," the organizing chairman of the event, Soetiadji, told The Jakarta Post. They eventually gave the Indonesian and Malaysian teams a runoff.

That was when the Indonesian team gave its best performance and was named the winner. "May Indonesia defend its title in the 4th Dragon and Lion Dance World Championship which will be held in Australia," said Soetiadji.

Lapindo to meet victims' demands

Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo



Lapindo Brantas Inc has agreed to buy the land, buildings and rice fields affected by the Sidoarjo mudflow disaster for the prices demanded by their owners.

However, a legal watchdog present at Monday's announcement slammed the promise, saying it was not legally binding and was probably empty words.

The agreement was announced at the Sidoarjo regency administration by Yusuf M. Martak, the vice president of PT Energi Mega Persada (EMP) Tbk, which has 50 percent stake in Lapindo Brantas.

Yusuf was accompanied by Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso, head of the mudflow disaster mitigation team Basuki Hadimulyono, Lapindo Brantas general manager Imam Pria Agustino, East Java Governor Imam Utomo and hundreds of mudflow victims.

"We will not leave Sidoarjo and we will pay in line with the victims' demands so as to make them happy," Yusuf said.

Lapindo has promised to buy houses for Rp 1 million (US$105.26) a square meter, other buildings at Rp 1.5 million a square meter, while rice paddy owners would receive Rp 120,000 a square meter.

"The price is above the sale value of the taxed properties." The payments would be made "within the next two years", Yusuf said.

However, Sidoarjo Legal Aid Institute manager Attoilah said the agreement had no legal foundation because no one had signed anything.

"One day, Lapindo will breach the agreement. People will find it difficult to sue Lapindo if the value of the compensation they receive is not in line with the agreement due to the absence of legal proof," he said.

Upon hearing Lapindo's announcement, hundreds of emotional mudflow victims cheered, while others shouted, "Long live Pak Win", referring to the Sidoarjo regent.

Several of the villagers had shaved their heads to protest the government and Lapindo's handling of the disaster.

Yusuf said Lapindo had also prepared 500 to 600 hectares of land to build houses for the mudflow victims.

"The Bakrie Group, which also deals with real estate development, will invest in the housing sector in Sidoarjo. The concept will be similar to the construction of the Kelapa Gading housing complex in East Jakarta. It will be named Sidoarjo Baru," he said.

Yusuf said a formula for the compensation was still being calculated by a survey team from the Surabaya Institute of Technology.

According to regency data, 3,940 houses in the Siring, Jatirejo, Renokenongo, Kedungbendo and Besuki villages have been affected by the mudflow. Huge swathes of sugar cane and rice paddies have also been submerged.

Lapindo has never been prosecuted by the government for the disaster, despite evidence surfacing that the company had caused the mudflow by flouting safety standards while prospecting for natural gas.

A police investigation into Lapindo management has mysteriously stalled.

Expedition in Java Sea introduces students to work of a Navy warship

This Story Has Published on The Jakarta Post December 04, 2006

Two landing craft utility (LCU) vessels slowly drifted onto the sea after the frigate's hatchway opened.

Diesel engines on both vessels, which are usually used to transport troops and equipments to shore, began to operate under the watchful eyes of students on board the KRI Tanjung Dalpele, the largest frigate owned by the Navy.

The students, from the Surabaya 10th November Institute of Technology, were taking part in the 2006 Marine Technology expedition. They were tense and excited. When the LCUs backed up from the ship's stern and sped off, they cheered.

As many as 396 students took part in the recent expedition organized by the institute and the Eastern Navy Fleet in Surabaya as part of a student assignment for the 2006/2007 semester.

For the expedition in the Java sea, the students were accompanied by the institute's marine engineering school's dean and staff.

For the students, firsthand interaction with the warship was a once-in-a-life-time experience. The frigate which is equipped with military equipment, is rarely accessible to the general public.

Students from the institute's marine, shipping and shipping system engineering departments seemed very enthusiastic and inquisitive, asking questions on every aspect of the Korean-made ship -- from its capabilities to the armaments.

"Although the KRI Tanjung Dalpele is the country's biggest warship, its layout is similar to those of other warships, such as the engine room, navigation room and recycling room," First Lt. Endin, the ship's electrical division chief, told the students.

The students, divided into 24 groups, had their main focus on the engine room. The ship is powered by a massive 2,665 horsepower engine.

"I'd never imagined that observing a ship's engine firsthand would be far more interesting than looking at it in books," said fifth semester marine engineering student Mohammad Hafid.

Students then visited the accommodation, safety equipment and steering gear rooms. The navigation room situated on Deck F was the most popular, where students were provided with various information on the state-of-the-art equipment. It is also the place where the ship commander, Lt. Col. Purwanto, monitors every movement on board.

However, despite all the sophistication, the participants questioned the scant knowledge of crew members accompanying them during the tour. One student received a different answer to the same question from crewmen in the navigation room.

"I asked the same question to the guiding officer and the one operating a device in the navigation room, but received a different answer, in spite of the fact that it was technical in nature," said the student.

The LCU trial run, which should have been an unforgettable experience for the students, turned out to be a disappointment when the engine of one LCU stalled in the middle of the sea.

The most frustrating disruption was the change of itinerary. The expedition was initially planned to kick off at the Eastern Navy Fleet base in Surabaya, sailing to Karimun Java waters in Central Java on the first day, then resuming the voyage to Kangen Island, Madura, on the second day.

However, the organizers changed the plan due to the long distance. The expedition only took them to an offshore oil rig, which was just 17 nautical miles from the navy base.

"We didn't even have the chance to get on the rig to learn about its working procedures," said student Aldipo.

Despite that, dean of the marine engineering school, Asjhar Imron, expressed hope the expedition would be the first step in interesting the students in the country's maritime world.

"Marine engineering is not a popular discipline for students at the moment. This expedition is one of the ways (we're hoping) to draw their attention," said Asjhar.