Islanders in Rempang Eco-City vow to resist eviction and stay put

Amlah, also known as Grandma Cuh, has lived her whole life on the Indonesian island of Rempang. As the oldest resident of the fishing village, she has been married twice, had eight children, and buried four of them. Once she passes away, she wants to be laid to rest next to her parents and late husbands. However, she worries that her children may not be able to keep the land when she is gone. The fate of the island, home to 7,500 people, has become a heated topic of debate after the government moved forward with plans to turn it into an economic hub. Islanders were told that they would be relocated, which led to protests and clashes with authorities in September. The government had to make compromises due to the strength of the opposition, but Rempang remains divided. This is not the first time that Jakarta has attempted to transform Rempang. Plans in 2004 to build a large casino hub were abandoned due to strong local opposition. However, these plans were revived after President Joko Widodo secured Chinese investment during his visit to Beijing in July. The government announced the Rempang Eco-City project a month later, which will cover 7,000 hectares of the island. The remaining 10,000 hectares will be protected forest cover. The project has been designated as a "national strategic project," granting authorities greater powers to clear the land and evict residents. The eco-city aims to become an economic and tourist center, creating thousands of jobs. The project also includes an $11.6 billion glass factory from Chinese manufacturer Xinyi. These ambitious plans require all residents of Rempang to leave, including members of indigenous communities who have lived in the fishing villages for centuries. However, these villages lack legal documents supporting their right to live there. Angry locals claim they were never involved in the decision-making process and only learned about the plans through the news. The mayor of Rempang, Muhammad Rudi, acknowledged the information gap and aims to establish good relations and reach a common understanding. However, it is unclear whether villagers were informed of the eviction plans in advance. Residents also raised concerns about intimidation, with some claiming to have received letters from the police accusing them of breaking the law. The police denied these allegations but acknowledged that individual police officers may have sent such letters. Tensions escalated in September when hundreds of people took to the streets and clashed with security forces, resulting in numerous arrests. One of the protesters, Ardiansyah, has been in custody since mid-September and is facing a potential five-year prison sentence. His sister, Juliana, expressed her distress over his arrest, which has put their plans for marriage on hold. The National Human Rights Commission conducted a preliminary investigation and found that officials may have violated residents' rights during the evictions and in their response to the protests. Following criticism of the police response and the ensuing violence, President Jokowi scrapped the eviction deadline set for the end of September. The government stated that residents do not have to leave the island but will be relocated within Rempang "in a peaceful way." Mayor Rudi hopes that this will resolve the stalemate and has promised residents a monthly allowance and housing in Batam until the new location in Rempang is ready in about two years. While some have accepted the government's offer and decided to leave, the proposed relocation has divided the community. Those who remain are reluctant to leave and claim that officials continue to intimidate them by knocking on their doors and pressuring them to sign relocation documents. Despite the challenges, residents like Nurita, a great-grandchild of Grandma Cuh, are determined to stay in their villages. They are prepared to fight against the evictions and vow to remain on the island until they die.