Voice of Bandung Civil Society To The World:
The Mayor of Bandung City Has Failed in Managing Space and Environment
The Bandung civil society are welcoming well the UNEP’s Children and Youth Conference on Environment which takes place in Babakan Siliwangi, Bandung City. As well the citizens of Bandung City fully appreciate and support the declaration of Babakan Siliwangi as world city forest. Historically, it has been 10 years the citizens of and the communities in Bandung City fighting for it to be a city forest, and to be a public space which is truly for public interests; not for economic and commercial interests.
But—important for the UN, the international world and the conference participants to know—behind this conference, there are in fact many problems in managing space and environment caused by the policies and attitudes of the Mayor of Bandung City who does not take side on citizen and justice to have a healthy and clean environment. Babakan Siliwangi, which is declared by the UN as world city forest, yet is not respected by the Mayor of Bandung City. This is shown by the attitude of his who persistently will run the cooperation with industrialist EGI CV to build a restaurant on Babakan Siliwangi. This situation proves that he is a leader who does not take side on the public and on the continuity of the environment itself.
It is terribly ironic when the conference participants from various countries in the world are placed at Marbella and Luxton hotels which evidently break the policies of space and environment order. We all must know, that the Luxton Hotel is at a location which has been legally disputed where the citizens being the victim of injustice of the industrialist and city government’s policies, while the Marbella Hotel is at the North Bandung Area which is protected and functions as water absorption.
Besides the above cases, a heap of problems and cases on space and environment caused by the Mayor’s policies that are wrong and do not take side on the citizens safety and the environment continuity have happened and been happening. For example, the citizens of Cempaka Arum Residence, Gedebage, have been a victim and been screaming asking the world support to fight the policy of building of Garbage-powered Electricity Generator (PLTSa) using incinerator system which will produce air pollution in Bandung Sphere; sacred grave of the citizens of Batununggal, Buahbatu, is threatened being condemned for the building of road and residence by Batununggal Perkasa CV; the citizens of Bangbayang and Tubagus Ismail are threatened being removed for the building of apartment by KAGUM Group; the citizens of Kiara Condong are removed for the building of mall and supermarket; the building of hotel and villa by DUSP CV and Citra Green Dago (Ciputra Group) in Punclut Area breaks the space order policy; the poor urban citizens have been experiencing water crisis and conflict; the floods in rain season are getting extensive; historical buildings and cultural pledges are demolished; the building of malls and supermarkets breaks the space order policy; and many other environment cases.
While the participation of the citizens and the urban societal communities in managing space and environment to be better, cleaner, more healthy, green, and comfortable is getting stronger and extensive, the Mayor of Bandung City on the contrary has showed his failure in managing space and environment in Bandung City. He has failed meeting the demand of 20% green opened-space in Bandung (as stated by BPK/Financial Audit Board No 78/S/XVII.BDG/12/2007. He has failed being the people leader who takes side on the citizen safety and the healthy, clean, green and comfortable environment.
Bandung, October 1st, 2011
