Lapindo Human Rights Violations

"Landep News" 

The Indonesian government is blamed to have ignored the Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) recommendations regarding 18 Human Rights violations on the Lapindo mudflow.

The Komnas HAM commissioner Syafruddin Ngulma Simeulue says that by ignoring these recommendations, the government has clearly violated the law. This statement was issued during a press conference at the “Komnas HAM notes on 2010 Human Rights” held at Sahid Hotel, Jakarta on Friday (12/10/10)

Lapindo - Natural Disaster or Negligence?

“There are 18 points of human rights violations that was submitted to the President and Parliament, but so far there has been no follow-up. Even though the Law clearly require that these recommendations to be followed up” he said.

Human rights violations found by Komnas HAM in the case of Lapindo among others are, violations of housing rights, education rights, children’s rights, right to health, women’s rights, and worker rights.

“These18 rights have nothing to do with the legal process and must be met by the government either way” said Syafruddin.

The government, he added, should remedy the rights of violated victims without having to wait for the completion of Lapindo legal process or to wait for court proof of gross human rights violations.

“Human rights must be remedied, respected and protected by the state. Nothing to do with SP3 (Termination Letter Investigation Process) case, the criminal legal process or to wait for alleged gross human rights violations,” he said.

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Ifdhal Kasim added, the government, both national and local bear a major responsibility in fulfilling the human rights of its citizens. However, the government, especially local government do not seems to value human rights where it should.

The Indonesian Government has already established a Sidoarjo Mud Mitigation Agency which is in charged of paying the victims for their affected houses and lands. By The Presidential Decree no 14 year 2007, the agency is authorized to use the state funds for stages payment.

The first stages 20% of the damage was already paid while the second and third payments, 30% and 50% respectively were marred with accusation of corruption.

The Sidoarjo mud or Lapindo mud flow is a contraction of volcano mud in the sub district of Porong, Sidoarjo in East Java, Indonesia that has been ongoing since May 2006. This mud flow which is the biggest in the world was created by the blowout of a natural gas well drilled by PT Lapindo Brantas. The company officials contend that it was caused by a distant earthquake.

Approximately 30,000 m³ (1 million cubic feet) of mud, equivalent to the contents of a dozen Olympic-size swimming pools, are expelled per day. It is expected that the flow will continue for the next 30 years. Although the Sidoarjo mud flow has been contained by levees since November 2008, resultant flooding regularly disrupts local highways and villages while further breakouts of mud are still possible.

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