Written by Asia Pacific Solidarity - Sarawak in peg:reg.indonesia
on 28th Sept 1993.
Source : New Straits Times
Date : 28th Sept 1993
Dateline : Jakarta
Byline : Reuter
Unabridged
Three Killed During Protest Against Dam
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
JAKARTA, Mon. - Indonesian security forces shot dead three people and
wounded one during a protest against the building of a dam on the
island of Madura, off Eastern Java, a military spokesman said today.
Twenty security guards opened fire on a group of 500 protesters, some
armed with knives, he said. The crowd had gathered had gathered near
the town of Sampang, 720 km east of here, on Saturday to try to
prevent workers from measuring the area.
The guards - part of a local civilian, police and military force -
opened fire after the crowd jostled them, the spokesman said by
telephone from the provincial capital of Surabaya.
The dead included a 55 year old woman and a 15 year old boy,
newspapers said.
Rights groups in Indonesia said they were checking the incident.
They believed it was the first time that security forces had opened
fire on groups protesting about land rights (sic).
Local newspapers said the villages in Madura had gathered to protest
at the Nipah Dam project which they said would take away 170 hectares
of their land.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone had been arrested as a
result of the incident.
Officials said the case was being investigated.
In a seperate incident, villages and human rights activists protested
in Jakarta today over their arrest by troops at the weekend. The
villagers had demonstrated against the loss of their land to real
estate and golf course developers.
The human rights groups Infight said about 300 farmers were detained
for more than half a day at a military complex in Bogor, 60 km south
of here on Saturday.
Three human rights activists were also detained.
VIllagers have been fighting developers who offer only minimal
compensation for their land.
Facing growing public pressure, the government in May ordered a ban on
issuing permits for new golf courses. -END