Victims of Lapindo Mud Block Road Access to Surabaya
Monday, 24 March, 2008 | 15:17 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Sidoarjo: Thousands of Lapindo victims again blocked the road access to Jalan Raya Porong at five points this morning (24/3). The blocked areas were the former bridge of Porong Toll Road, Tugu Kuning Siring, the access in front of Porong PLN, at the Porong market, and Porong bridge.

The victims that blocked the access were those unregistered in the map area of mud impact. They come from the village of Siring Barat, Jatirejo Barat, Mindi, Ketapang, Plumbon, Kalitengah, Glagaharum, Pamotan, and Gedang.

They blocked the access at 9 o'clock this morning. By coming together, they blocked the access in their own area. This action happened in two places : Tugu Kuning and Porong market.

Jalan Raya Porong is the only access to the eastern part in East Java from Surabaya after the tollroad of Porong buried by mud two years ago.

“Our demand is only one. We want the governor or regent to give us the judicial certainty as to whether our land is still right to be lived on or not,”said Bambang Kuswanto, one of the coordinators in the demonstration. They also demanded compensation for entire rice fields that are buried by mud.

They showed several posters. One of them said: “The President should put nine villages on the map of the mud area. The regent has to be responsible, We are dying. Lapindo is cursed.”

This action should be planned to continue until they hear from the regional government. “When we have certainty from regent and governor, we will act again to demand the central government to pay the damage,” said Bambang.

ROHMAN TAUFIQ