It resembled a scene from a bizarre horror film. Hundreds of mud coated creatures taking over Proclamation Monument square in the heart of Indonesia's capital. In reality, the occurrence in Jakarta on Wednesday (10/12) was an arts performance by some 400 survivors of the Lapindo mud flow disaster. Women, men, children, families all coated their faces and bodies in mud, taking the term ‘mud victim’ literally.
For over six hours they sat in a stony silence as a statement about the hardship, corruption, poverty, discrimination and injustice they face. Others dragged their bodies around the square to symbolize the de-habilitating affects of the rising mud. All 392 clutched photos of the loved ones and fellow victims left behind in their home villages in Sidoarjo. The participants had traveled more than 16 hours on crowded trains to be part in the unique display of solidarity.
Tired of empty promises and political rhetoric after two years since the mud flow began, the survivors are demanding accountability from Lapindo and the government who they claim to have destroyed the normality of their lives. The performance coincided with the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, symbolizing the exclusion of some from its fulfillment.
The performance was organized by Urban Poor Linkage (UPLINK) with the assistance of Dadang Christanto and lasted until nightfall. By its end, the mud had dried and the participants bore a resemblance to Emperor Qin's terracotta soldiers. But unlike those soldiers, the victims of Lapindo are determined not to be buried under the mud. At sunset, they lit candles, and gathered to pray. Where there is light, there is hope, that their suffering will end, and their lives returned.
The following day, representatives of the survivors held a press conference at the KONTRAS office in Jakarta. The group delivered a statement on behalf of the thousands of residents in the villages of Permisan, Ketapang, Siring Barat and Besuki Timur suffering from the effects of the continual mud flow.
These villages have been excluded from the official affected area map of the mud flow, and hence from compensation and accountability. Yet they are suffering from a lack of clean water, contaminated water supplies, damaged facilities and threats to health from the rising carcinogenic mud flow. 4 people have already died from inhaling the contaminated air. The land subsistence of approximately 268 houses in Ketapang and 215 houses in Siring Barat have been damaged. Destruction of irrigation in Permisan has ruined 865 hectares of land reducing production to 50%. 30 hectares of rice fields can no longer be used in Besuki Timur.
“The government is just not taking our suffering seriously”, stated A. Salam from Ketapang, “our lives are not comfortable and there is no certainty when the mud will stop or how many hectares it will destroy.”
“Because we our outside the map, we are also outside the responsibility, but there are 14 villages still affected by the mud outside the map. The government must take responsibility” said Mundir D.I from Permisan.
The victims have pledged to continue solidarity demonstrations in Jakarta and Sidoarjo and struggle for their rights if the government and Lapindo refuse to take their suffering seriously.
“I scream for justice for all residents” continued A. Salam.
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