"Belt And Road Initiative Indonesian Highway Project Accused Of Wage Arrears, Protest Organized In Front Of The Chinese Consulate" 31 January 2024

According to Taiwanese news source The Central News Agency (CNA), two protest banners accusing a Chinese State-owned construction company of non-payment were hung in front of the Chinese Consulate in Jakarta for several hours on January 29. The identity of the persons who hung the banners have not been confirmed. The Chinese construction company in question, Sinohydro 7th Bureau, shared that there is an ongoing negotiation regarding a dispute over the settlement of project payments.

On January 29 at noon, two black-and-white-banners were hung up by the street near the Chinese Consulate in Jakarta. One on the left said “Strongly condemn Sinohydro’s Jakarta–Bandung Speed Rail project for owing Indonesian workers money. [Their] credibility [is] in ruins! Protect our rights! Uphold justice! Please pay back our hard-earned money!” in simplified Mandarin Chinese characters.

Another banner wrote: “Strongly protest and condemn Sinohydro’s Jakarta–Bandung Speed Rail Project for defaulting the construction and lease payments to the Indonesian company! Owing debt without paying back, blatant breach of the law! Please pay back our hard-earned money!“

... the Jakarta–Bandung Speed Rail (Kereta Cepat Jakarta–Bandung, or KCJB) project was a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative...

According to CNA, a Chinese employee of Sinohydro–who did not wish to be named–said, “Sometimes the situation is that we’ve already paid, but the workers don’t get the payments downstream. In fact, it is really their [the Indonesian construction company’s] internal issue, they won’t pay downstreams”... When asked for the exact details of the Indonesian companies involved in the dispute, the Chinese employees interviewed simply replied: "The specific dispute is unclear."...