Greenpeace could be sued for mud protest

28/Sep/2006: Aburizal Bakeri, cabinet minister for people’s welfare, in Indonesia, has threatened to sue Greenpeace, for dumping mud outside his office to protest a mudflow disaster in East Java.

Lapindo Brantas, a company in which the minister’s family holds a substantial stake, is believed to the responsible for this disaster, which has forced thousands of people out of their homes and has caused environmental damage of unimaginable proportions in Sidoarjo, East Java. Greenpeace activists poured 700 kilograms of mud, brought from the disaster site, outside the minister’s office in central Jakarta. The mud was however dumped on a white sheet to prevent it from contaminating the land.

A ministry official, who was not amused by this protest, said that pouring mud outside a government building was unethical and the ministry was talking to lawyers and other officials to clarify whether to launch a lawsuit against Greenpeace. The minister told a press conference that he was still considering his options on whether to launch a lawsuit against Greenpeace or not.

Greenpeace activists in this region are demanding Mr. Bakeri, to take more responsibility in this issue. They accuse the minister for trying to distance himself from this environmental disaster.

Earlier, the Indonesian President declared the affected area, a disaster area and formed a special team to stop the mud flow, which is flowing from a crack in the earth at a natural-gas exploration site at Sidoarjo.

The police in East Java have issued a shoot-on-site order against protestors amid increasing number of rallies by local residents, who are demanding for compensation to their losses and wants the administration to hold Lapindo Brantas responsible for this disaster.

The shooting order has angered many local residents who lost their properties and homes in this disaster. Authorities in the region are desperately trying to divert the mud flow, which has already engulfed many square miles in Sidoarjo, away from residential areas.
K Siva