Indonesia Mobilization on Asbestos – 2012
Indonesia Mobilization on Asbestos
Oleh : Dimu Pratama
This September, returning to be a productive moment for refusal movement of asbestos using in Indonesia. There are several programs and activities in the initiatied by the LION along with several other institutions in the INA BAN network on facing asbestos problems. Here we will share experiences about refusal movement of asbestos using in Indonesia.
The danger of the asbestos campaign on Sunday Market Gasibu Bandung
Sunday, September 16th 2012
The danger of the asbestos campaign – Bandung – Indonesia
Still in order campaign activities asbestos danger to society. This time, INA-BAN together with Local Initiative For Osh Rights And Social Network, held campaign activity about the dangers of asbestos using in Bandung. This campaign is a series of activities in asbestos danger campaign on car free day by INA-BAN and Lion Indonesia.
After doing campaign activities of asbestos hazards in CFD Dago, and follow with some strikes to resisting imported raw materials of asbestos from Canada. This time INA BAN held campaign again to Bandung society. After discovering condition, there are still many Bandung people do not know how the asbestos danger for their health, we feel the need to more engage the campaign, in other public places not just in a CFD.
Then we choose the Gasibu Sunday Morning Market as a place for public campaign awareness for asbestos hazards in Bandung. Gasibu Sunday morning market, is located in the middle of the city in Bandung. There is only once time in a week. Its location not far from the CFD Dago, and adjacent to The Gedung Sate. Each week thousands of citizens gathered there. Good for shopping, or just spend a weekend with the family.
The danger of the asbestos campaign – Bandung – Indonesia
Sunday morning, arround 8 untill 12 noon, team from INA-BAN toured the market to socialize to the gasibu market visitors, that there is a serious danger threatening behind the use of asbestos. The community response so enthusiastic in listening to this explanation. Proven it takes more than 4 hours to get around the market.
The campaign Team from INA BAN gathered at around 8 o’clock in the morning, in Gasibu market. that day seven of us, surrounding the market while handing out flyers that explain information about the dangers of Asbestos explained, and how to remove it. Visitor Enthusiastism this morning is more higher in receiving information about the dangers of asbestos. Because most of the people who are in Gasibu is a middle class of society most of them are still using asbestos as roof in their house.
On the market, we also met with students who are doing fund raising for campus activities. And they included a very enthusiasm public for this information. Because their minds are more open in accepting the information about dangers that threaten their health information and their also had more information from global world.
The danger of the asbestos campaign – Bandung – Indonesia
The experience of conducting a campaign in the midlle of a Community Center such as the market, it’s become an interesting experience for us. Experience in the field like this actually become very valuable thing, but it is also very difficult to share with international comunity if only through report or article. From this experience, many references and inspiration that arises in our mind, and become the next action plans in motion campaign defends the asbestos using in Indonesia.
Conditions in the field again proves that society in Bandung city, most of them still don’t knowing about the dangers of Asbestos. It makes INA-BAN needs to promoting this continuously. The CFD campaign agenda still leaves several times schedule. And we begin to think to also conduct campaigns in several other cities in Indonesia. That has already started we planed to do public awareness campaign about the asbestos dangers in the CFD Jakarta and in Malioboro Yogyakarta. Hope this plan can work well in the future.
Asbestosis Victims Organizing
September 2nd 2012
On Sunday, September 2nd 2012, LION visit Cibinong, to meet with some of the employees of PT. Trigraha. PT. Trigraha is a company that produces asbestos textiles. A few years ago, LION was organizing employees of PT. Trigraha, assuming they are susceptible to the disease of asbestosis, because every day they are exposed to asbestos exposure in their workplace.
Last year lion has made through medical examination to five employees of PT. Trigraha, Mr. Nana, Mrs. Siti, Mrs. Atun, Mrs.Dewi, and Mrs. Yusni. The results of a CT scan and some dust samples has been sent by LION to Korea, and then was analyzed and further diagnosed by Mr. Yeyong Choi and Prof. Domyung Paek in Korea.
(Conditions of factory and workers of PT Trigraha – Cibinong)
This year those results have come out, and from 5 people that their CT scan result was sent to korea, when it is read by health experts, declared a 3 of them positively affected by early asbetosis, Mrs Siti, Mrs Atun, and Mrs Dewi. On that day, LION convey the news immediately to victims concerned in Cibinong.
It was not easy to deliver bad news to the people concerned, but for the good of them too, then this news must be delivered as soon as possible. Mrs Siti was the first person that we tell about the condition of her health. The shock was notified in her face while receiving this news. She was very surprised, because when comparing with the last results of the diagnosis while still in Indonesia, she just said to be suffering from Bronchitis, but it turns out after the results of his CT scan was taken to korea, she was positively affected by early stage asbetosis. But Mrs Siti is not typical one who be discouraged, at that time also she expressed determination that she should recover again, she will take all necessary actions to get their rights.
Then Mrs Siti take us to Mrs Atun’s home, we also tell Mrs Atun, that she positively affected by early asbetosis. Mrs Atun also surprised to hear this news. She fell silent for a few minutes, look once she was confused to respond this news. Mrs Siti, which directly recalls, “we will find the way bu, until we heal again!”, and Mrs Atun suddenly replied, “yes I do not want to get sick, I want to know how this ended up later and we will continue this struggle”. Then we told the them about plans that will be taken, as well as the possibilities that will occur later in the future, concerned these cases.
That day we can’t make to met Mrs. Dewi, but we leave the news to the two others, to tell Mrs. Dewi the about same problems. Next Monday we held a direct audience between LION and Jamsostek Sector Jabar-Banten, about this case. The meeting, attended by the head of the regional Jamsostek Operational Jabar-Banten, and some of the Jamsostek Head Branch in Bandung. The hearing run pretty smoothly. We got a positive reception. Jamsostek is willing to accept the claims of illness due to asbestos, in condition that the sufferer completes filing the requirements for a claim. Among them are the results of a CT Scan, and the results of the diagnosis the diseases caused by asbestos exposed from Indonesia’s doctor.
(LION team was explaining about Asbestos Victims to the meeting participants
at the Office of regional Jamsostek Operational Jabar-Banten, Bandung)
For cases that are being handled by LION, Jamsostek will provide recommendations from one occupational disease expert doctor, which also focus on the asbestosis issue. And from the Operational Chairman of Jamsostek as well as their Experts in regional Jabar-Banten, recommended that Branch office could involved LION in any training that will held later in all Jamsostek Branch on Jabar-Banten.
LION realized must moving extra fast in dealing with this case, there are some condition that must be considered. First, the `three victims asbetosis in cibinong, it’s getting their retirement period. So that their destiny of should be clear first, before they retire. And, there are rumors that develops, that PT. Trigraha, it basically boils will be closed at the end of this year. It is also to be so consideration for immediate advocate all its employees, before PT. Trigraha completely closed.
(Meeting participants at Jamsostek sector Jabar-Banten Office, Bandung)
On 26 September 2012, LION returned to visit asbestosis victims in Cibinong. This time, LION intend to establish ongoing communication with the Asbetosis victims. This time we met with Mrs. Siti, Mrs. Atun, Mr. Nana, and Mrs. Yusni. They are a group of workers at PT Trigraha, which has been organised by LION since 2 years ago. At the meeting this time, we talk more personally, to the victims, especially with Mrs. Atun. Mrs. Atun complained that she felt pain and cough for about the last three months. Since getting the news that she was been diagnosed by disease because of the asbetosis, she also complained that her cough was never healed, Mrs. Atun check her condition again to the hospital.
LION realized must moving extra fast in dealing with this case, there are some condition that must be considered. First, the `three victims asbestosis in cibinong, it’s getting their retirement period. So that their destiny of should be clear first, before they retire. And, there are rumors that develops, that PT. Trigraha, it basically boils will be closed at the end of this year. It is also to be so consideration for immediate advocate all its employees, before PT. Trigraha completely closed.
On 26 September 2012, LION returned to visit asbestosis victims in Cibinong. This time, LION intend to establish ongoing communication with the Asbestosis victims. This time we met with Mrs. Siti, Mrs. Atun, Mr. Nana, and Mrs. Yusni. They are a group of workers at PT Trigraha, which has been organised by LION since 2 years ago. At the meeting this time, we talk more personally, to the victims, especially with Mrs. Atun. Mrs. Atun complained that she felt pain and cough for about the last three months. Since getting the news that she was been diagnosed by disease because of the asbetosis, she also complained that her cough was never healed, Mrs. Atun check her condition again to the hospital.
On her last examination, the hospital also identify that Mrs. Atun exposed to lung diseased. Although the lung diseased was not described specifically. The last two weeks Mrs. Atun have started take medicines for her disease, as much as three tablet for one time daily, up to 6 months in advance. In the hopes that her sick can heal. That day Mrs. Atun tells so much the story of her life. How much cough that she suffered, about the pain of giving up to the rib cage. Meanwhile Mrs. Siti, Mrs. Dewi, Mrs. Yusni and Mr. Nana, haven’t check their health condition again into a nearby hospital, because a change of their schedule shift inside the factory.
Some other organizing plan that became associated with the Ban Asbestos movement in Indonesia, is to immediately do the organizing in some lines. Organizing the victim is one of the things that is being built at the moment, because with their positively Asbestosis diagnosed, made their are the first findings of the diseases caused by asbestos in Indonesia. This should remain the victims continue to be accompanied, in order that they have a clear orientation in the face of their circumstances.
Beside that, LION also began to organize the doctors who have a concern about the diseases caused by field of work through this case. It was felt to be important, because the doctors, is the one who has the legitimacy to medical diagnosis of occupational diseases, including asbestosis. And other organizing plan which became part of the work plans of LION is organizing the medical students. LION has started building contacts with medical student organization CIMSA that was based in Jogjakarta. And also started building communication with some of the medical students in other big cities in Indonesia.
