Out of the muddy void

In many ways the Lapindo disaster victims have fallen into a muddy void. Unlike the victims of natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, they have not attracted wide public sympathy nor have they received significant government aid. The refugees have also been denied recognition as victims of a catastrophic corporate crime. A recent court ruling dismissed the lawsuit spearheaded by environmental organisation Walhi on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to show that the mud-flow was a man-made disaster. Walhi plans to appeal this decision but in the meantime the East Java police have dropped their investigations into the matter, announcing they no longer have plans to press any charges.

The Pagar Rekontrak office is the headquarters of a movement of villagers determined to fight for their rights.

So what options remain open to mud-flow refugees and those involved in the Pagar Rekontrak movement? Sudarto, who showed us around the Pasar Porong camp, turned to face us with a smile sparkling with irony as he announced, ‘Did I say the government has done nothing? I was mistaken. The government did come up with one alternative solution. They have invited us to join a transmigration program to Kalimantan to become palm oil farmers!’

For many mud-flow victims the mental scarring will take longest to heal

Still, rather than losing hope, advocates like Bambang and Sudarto have turned their focus to attracting international legal assistance. They would like to have their case heard on the world stage. ‘We are currently raising funds to send a representative overseas to represent our cause,’ explained Bambang. ‘But one of our main obstacles is organising that trip. The government is making it very difficult for us to arrange travel documents, which just makes us feel cheated all over again.’

As dusk approaches dark storm clouds roll in over Pasar Porong and women hurry to take down washing before it is carried away by the howling wind. Bambang and his family sit waiting in their shelter, unable to depart for his mother’s funeral in the torrential rain. Suddenly the rain-drenched strip dividing rows of market stalls is flooded with the laughter of children, as they run around enjoying the entertainment provided by the ferocious storm. To see their colourful antics in such a moment of darkness brings smiles to the faces of Bambang’s family. At Pasar Porong there still exists a spirit that even the stormiest times cannot defeat.     ii

Sarah Rennie (chillichompa@yahoo.com.au ) is an Asian Studies/Law student at the Australian National University, recently returned from an ACICIS exchange year at Gajah Mada University, Yogyakarta.

Jessica Lea Dunn (jessdunnthis@gmail.com ) is an Industrial Design and International Studies student at the University of Technology, Sydney, just returned from an ACICIS exchange year at Institut Seni Indonesia, Yogyakarta.
All photo credits: Jessica Lea Dunn