Yogi Eka Sahputra, Jakarta – Residents of Rempang Island once again experienced acts of intimidation and violence on Wednesday afternoon, September 18, 2024. In response, Wirya Adiwena, Deputy Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, urged the government to immediately halt the Rempang Eco City project, which is included in the national strategic project (PSN) list.
Wirya emphasized that these incidents have deeply disrupted the lives of Rempang residents. "They still remember clearly acts of violence perpetrated by security forces a year ago, on September 7, 2023, during protests against the construction of the Rempang Eco City Project," he said in a written statement on Wednesday afternoon, September 18, 2024.
According to Wirya, these ongoing acts of violence and intimidation not only demonstrate the government's failure to protect residents but also represent a continued pattern of repression against indigenous peoples fighting to defend their land rights from the threat of PSN development.
"We demand that the authorities promptly investigate and take decisive legal action against the perpetrators of this violence and intimidation," he underlined.
"Such repressive actions cannot be tolerated. The state has a duty to protect the expression and living spaces of its citizens, not to allow them to be oppressed," Wirya continued.
He further demanded the cessation of the Rempang Eco City project, which has proven detrimental to the local indigenous community. "The rights of indigenous peoples must be respected and protected from all forms of threats and violence. They must also be meaningfully involved in any development activities taking place on their land or territory," he added.
Renewed violence against Rempang residents
According to information gathered by the National Solidarity Advocacy Team for Rempang, the recent intimidation and violence occurred in the Sungai Bulu Village administration, specifically on the road leading to the Goba area, around 10:45 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Time) on September 18, 2024.
The incident began when residents were guarding the mosque at the entrance to Goba. They were then approached by a group of dozens of individuals in plain clothes. This group forcibly entered the area guarded by residents, claiming it as their work area. Despite the residents' resistance and continued guarding, the group proceeded to intimidate and assault them.
Video footage captured by local residents and shared with the Advocacy Team highlights the tense situation that ensued, with representatives from the group of individuals in plain clothes shouting at the mothers who remained at the location.
The Advocacy Team revealed that three residents were injured, and dozens of others were victims of beatings. One victim sustained a head wound from being hit with a helmet, another suffered a bruised face from being struck with a piece of wood, and a woman's hand was broken after being pulled forcefully.
According to the Advocacy Team's monitoring, the intimidation and violence against the people of Rempang Island is ongoing. Previously, residents had also experienced terror and damage to their campaign equipment used to oppose the project.
In the same statement, Amnesty International Indonesia noted that from January 2019 to March 2024, there were at least eight cases of attacks on indigenous peoples, resulting in at least 90 victims. These incidents included criminalization, intimidation, and physical violence.