Stop the eviction: Solidarity with the peoples of Rempang Island, Indonesia

The document expresses solidarity with the people of Rempang Island, Indonesia, following violent clashes on 7 September 2023. These clashes occurred when police attempted to take land measurements for a National Strategic Program to build an 'Eco-City' without local consent. The statement highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and repression in Indonesia, citing previous conflicts in Wadas village and Kulonprogo. It demands that the Indonesian government cancel the Eco-City project, stop the criminalisation of local communities, and implement a moratorium on national strategic projects in Indigenous and local territories.

• On 7 September 2023, police actions to conduct land measurements on Rempang Island led to violent clashes, resulting in hundreds of people being harmed, the use of tear gas affecting school children, dozens of injuries, at least 20 arrests, and the criminalisation of 8 residents.
• The proposed 'Eco-City' development on Rempang Island, led by BP Batam and announced in August 2023, requires the displacement of residents who have lived in 16 Old Melayu traditional villages since 1834.
• The conflict on Rempang Island is part of a broader pattern of non-inclusive development and police repression in Indonesia, with similar conflicts occurring in Kulonprogo due to the New International Yogyakarta Airport and in Wadas village in 2022 due to a planned dam in Bener District, Central Java.
• Friends of the Earth International and WALHI demand a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in territories belonging to local communities and Indigenous Peoples, alongside the cancellation of the Rempang Eco-City plan.

APA

FOEIAdmin (2023). Stop the eviction: Solidarity with the peoples of Rempang Island, Indonesia. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/rempang-island-indonesia-solidarity/

Chicago

FOEIAdmin. Stop the eviction: Solidarity with the peoples of Rempang Island, Indonesia. Friends of the Earth International, 2023. https://www.foei.org/rempang-island-indonesia-solidarity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=FOEIAdmin |title=Stop the eviction: Solidarity with the peoples of Rempang Island, Indonesia |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=14 September 2023 |url=https://www.foei.org/rempang-island-indonesia-solidarity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{foeiadmin2023stop, author = {FOEIAdmin}, title = {{Stop the eviction: Solidarity with the peoples of Rempang Island, Indonesia}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.foei.org/rempang-island-indonesia-solidarity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }