Protesters to Stop Jokowi from Groundbreaking Yogya New Airport

TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Kulon Progo residents whose land will be used for the construction of the New Yogyakarta International Airport, plans to protest President Joko Widodo. The president is scheduled to arrive in Yogyakarta tomorrow, January 27, for the groundbreaking ceremony.

"Thousands of people will take action and prevent the groundbreaking from happening," Martono, chairman of Wahana Tri Tunggal, a community group that rejects the airport construction, said on Thursday, January 26.

There are 75 organizations in Yogyakarta refusing the construction of the new airport. They claim there are plenty of legal and environmental studies that do not recommend the airport be built on the southern coast in Kulon Progo.

They say that the project has high risks of danger, especially for air passenger, as the airport will stand on areas prone to tsunami. Hamzal Wahyudin, director of Legal Aid Yogyakarta, said that Presidential Regulation No.28/2012 and Yogyakarta's regulation No.2/2010 event stated that Kulon Progo Regency is an area prone to geological disasters.

Hamzal also said that the airport construction site in the villages of Palihan, Glagah, Jangkaran, Sindutan, Kebon Rejo, and Temon, are fertile and productive farmlands. The airport construction will displace 12,000 eggplant and squash farmers; 60,000 watermelon and melon farmers; and 4,000 chili farmers.

"Meanwhile, per hectare and per year, we will lose the 90 tons of aubergine and watermelons, 60 tons of squash, 180 tons of melon, and several tons of chili peppers," said Hamzal.

MUH SYAIFULLAH