KEADILAN TIMPANG DI PULAU REMPANG

This report by Trend Asia and a national solidarity coalition investigates violence and human rights violations on Rempang Island on September 7, 2023. The conflict arose from land marking activities for the Rempang Eco-city project, a National Strategic Project (PSN) managed by BP Batam and PT Makmur Elok Graha (MEG). The investigation finds that joint security forces used excessive force, including tear gas fired near schools, leading to physical and psychological trauma among residents, children, and elderly people. The report characterizes the situation as 'Capital Violence,' where state security apparatuses are used to accelerate business interests, resulting in arbitrary arrests, lack of community participation, and the creation of a climate of fear through the establishment of security posts in residential areas.

• On September 7, 2023, joint forces consisting of the Indonesian National Police (Polri), Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), BP Batam Security (Ditpam), and Satpol PP used excessive force against Rempang Island residents at Jembatan 4 Barelang, including the use of water cannons and tear gas.
• The deployment of security forces for land marking was disproportionate, with residents estimating over 1,010 personnel and approximately 60 vehicles, including tactical equipment such as water cannons and APC Wolfs.
• Tear gas was fired indiscriminately near and into educational facilities, specifically SMPN 22 Galang and SDN 24 Galang, causing panic and injuries to students and teachers despite warnings from school staff.
• The report identifies victims across various demographics, including 11 people from SMPN 22 (10 students and 1 teacher), a 60-year-old man named Ridwan who required 12 stitches from a rubber bullet, and an 8-month-old baby affected by tear gas.
• The state has created a climate of psychological terror through the establishment of at least five security posts on Rempang Island, including at the Galang District Office, where armed Brimob personnel were stationed at a civilian facility used for relocation registration.
• The Rempang Eco-city project threatens to displace residents from 16 old Malay villages, with the report claiming that socialization processes were one-way, non-participatory, and ignored the principle of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC).
• Eight residents were arbitrarily arrested following the September 7 events, which the report describes as a form of criminalization and a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) to silence those defending their living space.
• The report argues that the governance of Batam is flawed due to a conflict of interest, as the Mayor of Batam, Muhammad Rudi, also serves as the Head of BP Batam.
• The involvement of the TNI in security and land measurement is characterized as an 'illegal military operation' because it allegedly lacks the required political decision from the state as mandated by the TNI Law.
• The violence is analyzed as 'Capital Violence,' where the state prioritizes a projected investment of Rp381 trillion over the human rights of indigenous and local communities.

APA

Trend Asia (2023). KEADILAN TIMPANG DI PULAU REMPANG. https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Final_Temuan_Awal_Investigasi_atas_Peristiwa_Kekerasan_dan_Pelanggaran_compressed-1.pdf

Chicago

Trend Asia. KEADILAN TIMPANG DI PULAU REMPANG. 2023. https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Final_Temuan_Awal_Investigasi_atas_Peristiwa_Kekerasan_dan_Pelanggaran_compressed-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Trend Asia |title=KEADILAN TIMPANG DI PULAU REMPANG |date=September 2023 |url=https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Final_Temuan_Awal_Investigasi_atas_Peristiwa_Kekerasan_dan_Pelanggaran_compressed-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trendasia2023keadilan, author = {{Trend Asia}}, title = {{KEADILAN TIMPANG DI PULAU REMPANG}}, institution = {Trend Asia}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Final_Temuan_Awal_Investigasi_atas_Peristiwa_Kekerasan_dan_Pelanggaran_compressed-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }