Emeute à Batam – avril 2010
Indonesian workers riot over ‘stupid’ slur
AFP
22 04 2010
JAKARTA — Thousands of furious Indonesian factory workers set fire to cars and dockyard buildings Thursday after an Indian company executive called them « stupid, » police and media reports said.
Nine people were reportedly injured when about 5,000 workers went on the rampage at a factory belonging to PT Drydock World Graha in Batam city, a special economic area south of Singapore, police said.
« An Indian company executive called us, Indonesian workers, ‘stupid’ and this made us very angry, » a worker called Disra was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.
Around 400 police were called to the scene and evacuated 41 unidentified foreign staff from the seaside factory in boats, Antara reported.
Up to 20 cars were set alight, along with a warehouse and two other buildings belonging to the company.
Local police commander Leonidas Braksan addressed the crowd through a loudspeaker and appealed for calm.
« I am on your side. I want you all to keep working well. Your families are waiting for you and your salaries at home, » he said, according to Antara.
He said any foreigner who had insulted Indonesia should leave the country, bringing cheers from the workers who also sang the national anthem and other patriotic songs.
« The workers spontaneously burned cars as they felt offended and angry after a company executive, who is an Indian national, called Indonesian people stupid, » national police spokesman Zulkarnain told AFP.
« The situation is now under control and we escorted the protestors outside the company’s complex. »
Riot Sweeps Batam Dry Dock
thejakartaglobe.com
23 04 2010
About 5,000 workers at a dry dock company on Batam Island rioted on Thursday, attacking their company’s executives and foreign staff, mostly ethnic Indians, over racist remarks allegedly made by one of them.
“They were provoked by an Indian employee who said Indonesian workers were stupid,” National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zulkarnaen said.
The unrest at PT Drydocks Word Graha in Tanjung Uncang, Batam, in Riau Islands, was under control and an investigation has been launched, Zulkarnaen said.
“It was a spontaneous action. However, the Batam Police are now investigating to determine if there was a mastermind,” he said.
Batam Police chief Chief Comr. Leonidas Braksan immediately went to the scene to try to disperse the crowd.
“I am on your side. I want you all to keep working well. Your families are waiting for you and your salaries at home,” he told the workers through a loudspeaker.
The call was greeted with cheers, and by 1 p.m. the crowd had been pushed out of the dock area. Police then erected barbed-wire fences to prevent the rioters from returning.
One worker said that the racist remark was at the core of the violent unrest.
“This is about national pride, so we were all angry,” said a man identified as Baim.
About 10,000 Indonesians were later observed outside the company, singing the National Anthem and other patriotic songs.
Zulkarnaen also said 41 Indian employees of the company were escorted out by 400 Batam Police officers, including members of the elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob). “There is no report of fatalities. The mob only destroyed 12 vehicles,” he said.
Antara, however, reported 22 vehicles burned. There were also reports that the mob set a company building ablaze.
The foreign workers were evacuated by boat. Four were injured in the clash, including an Indian citizen identified as Wilendra, who is being treated at an undisclosed hospital.
The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration on Thursday dispatched teams to try to resolve the conflict and mediate a solution between the Indonesian workers and the foreign staff working for the company.
“We regret the incident, which was caused by a misunderstanding,” Manpower Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said at his office. “We have dispatched a fact-finding team to resolve the matter. The team will monitor developments in the case and prevent similar incidents from ever occurring again.”
The team is led by Haiyani Rumondang the director of industrial relations dispute resolution, the minister said.
Drydocks World Graha’s 49-hectare facilities, previously known as Labroy Marine’s shipyard in Batam, is managed by Singapore-based Drydocks World SE Asia.
The incident was just the latest social unrest to take place near a port area.
A violent riot prompted by an eviction plan in near Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta last week left three municipal public order officials killed and some 140 people wounded.
5,000 workers riot in Batam : Indian manager’s ‘stupid’ remark sets off factory workers
straitstimes.com
Apr 23, 2010
JAKARTA: Thousands of angry Indonesian factory workers set fire to cars and a warehouse yesterday after an Indian company executive called them ‘stupid’, police and media reports said.
Nine people were reported to have been injured when workers went on the rampage at a factory belonging to Drydock World Graha in Batam city. Two of the injured had to be taken to hospital.
‘An Indian company executive called us, Indonesian workers, ‘stupid’ and this made us very angry,’ a worker known only as Disra was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.
Indonesian police spokesman Zainuri Lubis said: ‘It started when an Indian manager yelled something rude to an Indonesian worker. Word spread, and in the end, about 5,000 angry workers got together and got violent.’
About 400 police officers were called to the scene and they evacuated 41 unidentified foreign staff from the seaside factory in boats, Antara reported.
Up to 20 cars were set alight, along with a company warehouse.
Indians evacuated following Drydock workers` attack in Batam
antara.co.id
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) – Around 41 Indian nationals working at PT Drydock World Graha were evacuated by a boat, following an attack by workers of the company.
They were evacuated by a boat in a special seaport under tight police protection. Four of the Indians were hurt in the clash. There was no report of casualties in the brawl so far.
Around 400 police officers were mobilized to stop the attack, according to Adjunct Senior Commissioner Eko Yudha, deputy head of the Barelang police.
The police sterilized the factory following the attack by the company`s workers who also burned vehicles.
The violence occurred after an Indian supervisor cursed at Indonesian workers.
« He said Indonesian people are stupid. It`s our nation`s dignity, therefore we are angry, » Baim, a worker, said.
Around 20 cars were burnt in the violence. About 10,000 workers gathered in front of the factory and they sang Indonesia`s national anthem as well as other patriotic songs after the attack.
The workers had earlier attempted to vandalize the factory with various shipyard equipment they had brought along
anthropologie du présent 
I thought the topics you posted on were very interesting. Nice Blog and keep posting :)