Saturday, April 28, 2007 ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo
Mudflow victims continued their protest over unpaid compensation on Friday, blocking roads in Sidoarjo, East Java, with trees and trucks.
Hundreds of protesters from the four villages in Porong district that were the first to be hit by the mud, which has been gushing from the botched PT Lapindo Brantas gas drilling well since May last year, halted work on dams in the area as trucks carrying dirt to strengthen them could not get through.
The protest also disrupted other Porong residents, forcing students returning home, traders on their way to the market and workers to walk around the road block or take alternative routes, leading to traffic congestion.
"Since the volume of vehicles continued to increase, the small alternative roads, many of which are in poor shape and have many holes, were jammed," said Sidoarjo Police traffic division chief Adj. Comr. Andi Yudianto.
The protesters are demanding an immediate confirmation of their compensation payouts.
A Thursday meeting between their representatives, Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso and Sidoarjo Mudflow Prevention Agency head Soenarso was not attended by representatives of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, the company appointed by Lapindo to handle compensation.
On Friday, however, Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah invited 12 representatives from the four villages to attend a meeting on the case in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The agency's social affairs head, Sutjahyono, declined to discuss the meeting's agenda or say whether it would result in a decision on the situation.
"I don't want to make assumptions (about the meeting) but it has been planned," he said after delivering the invitation to the waiting protesters, who greeted it cheers.
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