Amlah, or Grandma Cuh as the 105-year-old is affectionately known, has spent her entire life residing on the Indian area of Rempang.
She is the oldest native of this fishing community, has two marriages, eight kids, and four of them have been buried. She claims that when the time is right, she wants to be buried with her late men and kids.
She says,” I want my kids to inherit this land when I pass ,” but she worries that won’t happen.
After the state accelerated plans to turn the island, which is home to about 7,500 people, into an economic hub, its future has become the focus of a contentious debate. Islanders protested after being informed that they would be moved to a new location, and conflicts between citizens and officials broke out in September. The government was forced to make some concessions due to the opposition’s power. Rempang, however, is still separated.
the path leading to an” eco-city.”
Jakarta has made other attempts to change Rempang before. Powerful local opposition forced the 2004 construction of a massive game gateway to be shelved.
But as part of a larger initiative to increase international funding in Indonesia’s market, they were extended after President Joko Widodok visited Beijing in July and secured Chinese purchase. A fortnight later, the government unveiled Rempang Eco-City, which will occupy 7, 000 of the region’s 17, 000 acres; the remaining 10, 000 will be covered in protected bush.
Authorities were given more authority than usual to clear the land, including evicting people, as it was designated a” national strategic job.” According to authorities, the eco-city may develop into an economic and tourist destination, producing 35, 000 work. A renowned Chinese glass manufacturer, Xinyi, will build a$ 11.6 billion factory as part of the project. The size of that alone will be close to 3,800 soccer fields.
People who calls Rempang house had to keep because of these ambitious plans. Many of them come from indigenous maritime areas that have been residing in this area for more than two centuries. However, these are also isolated hunting communities that lack the necessary legal documents to establish their residency in Rempang.
Anxious citizens claimed they had not participated in the decision-making and had only learned about the plans from the media.
Mayor Muhammad Rudi, who oversees Rempang and the neighboring island of Batam, said,” We may not help the data gap to stay as it has in the past.” ” In the future, we hope to unite, forge positive relationships, and arrive at a common understanding.”
He omitted to mention whether locals were made aware of eviction plans in advance.
People voiced concerns about coercion as well. People had claimed that they had” received letters from the authorities accusing them of breaking the law ,” according to legal help workers who are advising them, who told the BBC. Although police denied it, they claimed that” specific police soldiers” may have done so.
When hundreds of people took to the streets in September and clashed with security forces, who retaliated with tear gas and water guns, tensions erupted. There were more than 40 arrests.
One of the protesters, 34-year-old Ardiansyah, has been detained since mid-September and could serve up to five years in jail.
His sister Juliana Ardiansyah, attempting to contain her grief, says,” Citizens say we have to walk up together to keep Rempang.” However, when I learned that he had been arrested, my head blanked. I am unable to have. My heart is broken.
It was intended for Ardiansyah and his partner to get married quickly. That coming presently appears hazy.
According to the National Human Rights Commission’s initial investigation, officials may have violated freedom while pursuing evictions as well as their reaction to protests. The evacuation date, which had been set for the end of September, was canceled by President Jokowi in response to widespread criticism of the police’s reaction to the demonstrations and subsequent murder. Residents were not required to leave the island, according to the government, and would instead be relocated elsewhere on the islands” in a quiet manner.”
The governor, Mr. Rudi, is optimistic that this will put an end to the impasse. He claims that in the future, institutions, medical facilities, and docks for about 2,000 families’ hunting boats will all be part of Rempang’s new location. Citizens have been promised a regular income and accommodation in Batam until that time, which will be in about two decades.
A divided society
Grandma Cuh says,” They want to shift us to tiny houses in the area, and I don’t want them to come.”
However, a select few have chosen to leave after accepting the president’s offer. The proposed move has caused a rift in the close-knit neighborhood. How can I had the heart to depart, my neighbors asked. According to 25-year-old Angga Pratama, who left after accepting Mr. Rudi’s present. He thinks the administration’s strategy cannot be stopped. My departure has no bearing on the others’ struggle to maintain the beach. However, they now see me as a thief.
Despite the fact that the majority are hesitant to leave, they claim that intimidation continues as officials knock on doors and inquire as to why so many people are unwilling to mark the relocation documents.
They carry out that action daily. We didn’t continue living our lives in peace, says Nurita, Grandma Cuh’s great-grandchild.
She then spends a lot of time talking with other citizens about how to oppose the eviction at the hall set up by legal aid workers.
They only have one objective, according to Nurita:” We may be in our settlements.” Even if the state demolishes our homes, we won’t left. We’re going to be here until we pass away.
