Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 51122 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09SURABAYA113, EAST JAVA MUDFLOW UPDATE: GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER MITIGATION,

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09SURABAYA113.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09SURABAYA113 2009-11-24 04:27 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Surabaya
VZCZCXRO6634
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0113 3280427
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240427Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0487
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0497
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0222
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0510
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0190
UNCLAS SURABAYA 000113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EPET EINV SENV ENRG SOSI PGOV ID
SUBJECT: EAST JAVA MUDFLOW UPDATE:  GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER MITIGATION, 
VICTIM COMPENSATION PROCEEDS AT A DELAYED PACE 
 
REF: A. A. SURABAYA 66 AND PREVIOUS (GOVERNMENT PLANS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MITIGATION) 
     B. B. JAKARTA 1699 AND PREVIOUS (KEY PARTY PICKS NEW LEADER) 
 
1. SBU(U) SUMMARY: The Indonesian government has taken over full 
responsibility for mitigation efforts at the Sidoarjo mudflow 
disaster.  Due to financial difficulties, Lapindo has not met 
the original compensation deadline.  However, most victims have 
accepted an installment payment system that Lapindo is 
optimistic it will be able to meet.  Bakrie frames Lapindo's 
compensation payments as "charity" to avoid the implication of 
guilt. 
 
2. (U) In the aftermath of the Sidoarjo mudflow disaster in 
2006, the President of Indonesia tasked Lapindo Brantas with the 
responsibility of funding mitigation efforts and compensating 
victims for their lost property.  In July of 2009, the 
Indonesian Parliament required that the government completely 
take over mitigation responsibility (reftel A).  The government 
agency responsible for dealing with the mudflow disaster, BPLS, 
confirmed that it assumed full responsibility for all mitigation 
efforts in September. 
 
3. (U) Lapindo's only remaining financial obligation is to 
compensate victims for their lost property.  The original 
deadline for compensation was 2008.  However, Lapindo claims 
that a combination of financial difficulties brought on by the 
international financial crisis and imprecise land ownership 
documents prevented them from meeting this deadline.  In order 
to cope with the financial difficulties Lapindo has resorted to 
an installment system, paying victims approximately $1,500 per 
month.  Bambang Mahargyanto, president of the subsidiary company 
Lapindo established to adminster compensation payments, says 
that Lapindo will complete compensation payments for over 60% of 
the victims in December of 2009 and will finish all compensation 
payments by 2012. 
 
4. (U) Even one of the harshest critics of the compensation 
process is on board.  Suranto claims to be the spokesman for a 
group of 563 families who have experienced delays in receiving 
their compensation payments.  While he has consistently 
criticized Lapindo and owner Abdurizal Bakrie due to delays in 
the compensation process, he said the families he represents now 
accept the installment process.  However, Suranto remained 
skeptical of claims that Lapindo doesn't have enough money to 
pay the required amounts at once.  He pointed out that Bakrie 
recently spent "huge" amounts of money to become the new 
chairman of Golkar (reftel B).  He asked, "If he can spend that 
much money on Golkar, why can't he spend money on us?" 
 
5. (SBU) Bakrie continues to insist that the mudflow was a 
natural disaster.  He points to a series of judicial decisions 
that have absolved his guilt (reftel A).  He insists that his 
efforts to help the victims of the mudflow disaster are charity, 
and that his decision to help stems from his mother's request 
that he aid the disaster victims.  Following Bakrie's lead, 
Bambang said that Lapindo does not refer to their activities as 
"compensation" since this implies guilt.  Rather, the company 
uses terms such as "corporate social responsibility," "financial 
assistance," or even "donation."  Khoirul Huda, a spokesman for 
3150 families of mudflow victims, agreed with this assessment, 
and insisted that all of the mudflow victims are grateful for 
Bakrie's assistance even though the disaster "was not his 
fault."  Regardless of the motivation behind the compensation, 
or the word used to describe it, Bakrie stated in September 2009 
that his family had already spent around $620 million on 
"charitable activities" for mudflow victims and plans to spend 
another $240 million. 
 
MCCLELLAND