A China-backed plan to develop an Indonesian island into one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturing hubs is pushing ahead with surprise house demolitions, despite most Indigenous inhabitants rejecting eviction.
On 17 November, a resident witnessed a lorry and three cars “full of hired thugs” allegedly on their way to break down houses in Sembulang Camping – one of the 16 villages in Rempang affected by the planned “eco-city” project – with no prior notice.
“Many were turned away but most managed to enter,” said Juan Lee, who recently moved to the village to support local resistance against the Rempang eco-city project that threatens to displace around 7,500 community members on the island.
Pictures taken of the incident by Juan and his companions showed that the lorry had a Riau Islands licence plate. He believes that the vehicles, which appeared to be carrying remnants of a demolished house, were sent by Indonesian company PT Makmur Elok Graha (PT MEG) – a subsidiary of tycoon businessman Tomy Winata’s Artha Graha Group.
When the outsiders in the vehicles realised that Juan and his companions were documenting the incident, Juan said that their car was “followed by screaming thugs on motorcycles”, who they managed to escape from after a short chase.
A house in Sembulang Camping which was allegedly freshly torn down last week. Image: Students for a Fossil Free Future
On the week of the incident, a local paper reported the head of public relations of Batam Development Agency (BP Batam), the entity responsible for the island’s economic development, saying that the Rempang eco-city project had entered “a new chapter”.
The government official mentioned that at this initial stage, as many as 44 houses that have been “abandoned by residents who have been relocated” in the Pasir Panjang village will be demolished.
Eco-Business understands that existing residents of Pasir Panjang negotiated to give BP Batam and PT MEG – who have a joint venture to attract Rp 381 trillion (US$24.8 billion) and create jobs for 30,000 workers by 2080 with the Rempang eco-city project – three days to clear out the sold houses.
However, Juan said that Sembulang Camping was not engaged in similar negotiations, despite the demolished houses in the village belonging to residents who have relocated. “The problem is the violent sudden intrusion without prior communications,” he said.
Eco-Business has reached out to both BP Batam and PT MEG for comment. As of press time, a BP Batam representative has said that he “can’t provide any information” related to Eco-Business’ queries, while PT MEG has not responded.
PT MEG’s agreement to develop Rempang with BP Batam can be traced back to as early 2000s, when it obtained permission to develop a tourism zone covering 5,000 hectares, preserving existing villages.
But in mid-2023, Rempang’s villagers found their roads lined with armed police and large military trucks in a state-led forced eviction, sparking protests attended by thousands.
In October 2023, official business and government plans confirming that Rempang eco-city would be a much larger development than initially suggested came to light.
The leading international investor to date is Chinese glass producer Xinyi Glass, which has reportedly pledged US$11.6 billion to build a quartz sand manufacturing plant. Rempang, which is an hour’s ferry ride from Singapore, is rich in silica and quartz sand – raw materials used in manufacturing glass and solar panels.
The neighbouring city-state is set to import 3.4 gigawatts of clean power from a floating solar farm in Batam and other projects in Indonesia’s Riau Islands by 2030.
But Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry asserted last November, in response to a parliamentary question, that it “is not aware of any investments involving Singapore businesses or entities in the Rempang eco-city project in Batam.”
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has upgraded Rempang eco-city to a national strategic project, meaning that developers will be allowed to fast-track land acquisition and administrative processes, including environmental and social impact assessments.
Civil society groups have said that these expedited timelines have led to inadequate assessments and consultations with affected communities.
Despite the Indonesian Commission on Human Rights and the Indonesian Ombudsman calling out intimidation tactics by PT MEG and BP Batam in the past year, some locals that Eco-Business spoke to a day before the incident occurred said that violence and intimidation has continued, though authorities now show up less frequently.
“Terror and other forms of intimidation still happen. Yesterday, there was an attempt to bomb the electricity station and they tried to topple the electricity poles. They also ripped out the banners rejecting Rempang eco-city,” said a 49-year-old farmer Nia from Sembulang Pasir Merah, which is among the six villages that are still actively organising.
In September, renewed clashes were reported between armed guards allegedly hired by PT MEG and residents, which resulted in injuries and a police complaint.
Torn up signs carrying messages that reject the Rempang eco-city project. Image: Gabrielle See/ Eco-Business
Those who have actively spoken out against the project have also faced backlash from authorities. Juan told Eco-Business that he and another organiser, Juwita, have temporarily fled Rempang for their safety, after hearing that intelligence officers are on the look out for them.
“A few thugs and intelligence officers are roaming around Batam in search of Juwita and I. Last night her shop was destroyed and someone shat on the floor,” said Juan. Something similar happened when he recently moved into his new house in Rempang, where someone broke in and defecated in its premises, said Juan.
But Juan said that he has no intention to back down. “We will not stop working in the face of government repression, which has only intensified our anger and our dedication to love one another,” he said.
