Indonesia: Locals reportedly subjected to violence resulting in injuries & arrests after raising concerns against land development including glass and solar panel factory
Summary
Date Reported: 10 Oct 2024
Location: Indonesia
Companies
PT Makmur Elok Graha - Site , Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited - PartnerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Indigenous peoples: ( Number unknown - Location unknown - Sector unknown , Gender not reported ) , Affected community's leader or member: ( Number unknown - Indonesia - Sector unknown , Gender not reported )Issues
Freedom of Expression , Violence , Protection from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile , Intimidation , Land RightsSource type: News outlet
"Tensions flare as Indonesian islanders resist China solar development", 10 October 2024
A major Chinese solar panel manufacturing development on an Indonesian island saw renewed clashes in September between a company allegedly controlled by an Indonesian household name and the island’s Indigenous communities resisting eviction.
Siti Hawa, a 66-year-old grandmother, suffered a broken wrist after she stepped in to prevent a security guard from striking members of her community here on Rempang Island, which is closer to Singapore than to the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
...
The Indonesian government in August 2023 announced the Rempang Eco-City project, an initiative covering 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of Rempang Island. The project’s centerpiece is a $11.6 billion glass and solar panel factory by Hong Kong–based giant Xinyi International Investment.
...
The development requires the eviction of most of Rempang’s approximately 7,500 residents, including many Indigenous seafarers. The developer of the industrial estate is PT Makmur Elok Graha (MEG)....
...
On Sept. 6, 2023, public tension over the imminent eviction boiled over into a demonstration that police countered with teargas. Hundreds joined the demonstration and more than 40 people were arrested.
...