Hundreds of villagers file lawsuit against President over power project
Tuesday, September 20 2005 - 02:10 AM WIB
The people of Pongkai village, Kampar Kiri subdistrict in Riau province are suing Indonesian President, the head of National Development Planning Agency, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the project leaders of the Kotopanjang hydro power plant including Riau governor, and Kampar regent, the Koran Tempo newspaper reported in its Tuesday edition.
The villagers filed the suit at the Bangkinang court in Kampar.
Some 260 people are asking for Rp 63.6 billion in damages as the governement didn't pay any land compensation to them at the time of construction of the plant in 1991.
"Since their eviction (from their property), their life has constantly become difficult," Ali Husein, the legal team chief of Kotopanjang victims, said in Pekanbaru on Monday.(*)