In September, clashes erupted between villagers and security forces on Rempang Island, part of the Riau Islands which includes Batam. At least 43 people have since been arrested. The cause of this conflict lies in a planned Rempang Eco-City development, an industrial and tourist project on the island. The Eco-City would lead to the displacement of around 7500 villagers from their land, which the local communities have been living on since 1834. The villagers have said that the compensation offered is inadequate, and they were not meaningfully included in the discussions before the decision was made to develop the Eco-City. 

Adding to this complexity is how a solar panel factory will be part of the Eco-City, and will likely produce solar panels to be used in a solar farm project jointly undertaken by Singapore and Indonesia, where the electricity generated will be exported to Singapore. To talk more about this complex issue, we speak to Satrio, a policy analyst from Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI) and Fadilla, a researcher from Trend Asia. 

More information:

Statement from The Indigenous People's Alliance of Indonesia (AMAN) on the Rempang Eco-City project: https://tinyurl.com/OnRempangAMANEnglish 

Fundraiser for legal efforts on the ground

Rempang's Eviction Crisis: Absence of Eco City Planning Raises Questions, Suspicions Surround Government Officials in Batam's Solar Power Plant Project by Trend Asia 

Keadilan Timpang di Pulau Rempang (Unequal Justice in Rempang Island) by WALHI 

TIME STAMPS:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:55) Background context of the conflict

(06:16) Impact of relocating the villagers

(09:56) Timeline of the development of the project

(12:03) What are groups like WALHI and Trend Asia doing in response?

(17:11) What would a just energy transition for Indonesia and the region look like?

(19:34) Regional responsibility and what Singapore can do on this issue

(23:11) “We never want electricity to come from the blood of the people”