The Fate of Lapindo Mudflow Victims: 'Still Up In the Air'

Almost two years, settlement of compensation payment for the victims of Lapindo mudflow still up in the air. Its look like that the government was brushing aside the Lapindo mudflow victims.

Therefore, some 25 representatives of the victims met with the coalition at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) headquarters in Jakarta to seek the NGO's to prop up their insistence to push for a clear response over compensation payments.

Responds to their demanding, as many as 24 Jakarta-based NGOs, grouped under the Coalition of Justice for Lapindo Mudflow Victims, threw their support behind mudflow victims from Sidoarjo, East Java, by either lobbying or urging the government to compensate them before the post-Ramadhan holiday of Idul Fitri at the latest. Base on that meeting, the Coalition of Justice for Lapindo Mudflow Victims, will press upon to the government to clear up compentation payment process as soon as possible..

In their statement, the Coalition of Justice for Lapindo Mudflow Victims slammed the government for "neglecting" the fate of those displaced by the sludge that has devastated the area since May 2006. So they will prompt the President to take strong measure to resolve the fate of Sidoarjo mudflow victims.

Whatever the detailed points of criticsm may be, the long and the short of it is prompting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to declare an official statement that Lapindo mudflow is the worst industrial disasters in Indonesia. Therefore PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. have to take the responsibility for their procedural errors in the oil and natural gas drilling as caused damaging environmental and suffering the human community . And as consequences he has to repeal the Presidential Regulation 14/2007 which inexorably this regulation just favors corporate interests over the interest of the people. However, this regulation potentialy can dissolves the responsibility of PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. No matter what, without adequate pressure to government, the settlement of payment compensation may remain uncertain.

In the meantime, without continuous pressure toward government to solve the problem as quick as they can, we afraid that this case will only be a political commodities. Even the House has summoned some ministers and other officials tied to clean up efforts surrounding the impact of Lapindo mudflow – but we have to be very cautious here so the summon will not become a formality only to gain political advantage for the election.

Indeed resolving Lapindo case is not an “easy things to do” for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -as the owner of PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. is in the government’s circle of power. Aburizal Bakrie, who heads the Social Welfare ministry also known as one of the biggest donators in Golkar the strongest party in Indonesia, but President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must imposed in all the way to the owners (and shareholders) of Lapindo Brantas Inc to shoulder all costs concerning compensation, containment and rehabilitation.

Although the situation is really difficult for him, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has no choice but to show his political will by resolving this case before 2009 election as this will potentially become his obstruction to win the election. If he take wrong moves then it will be recorded by Indonesian history as one of the greatest failure of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Administration in handling this extraordinary humanitarian disaster.