Indonesia’s Jokowi blames ‘bad communication’ for eviction riots over Chinese-funded project

Clashes broke out between residents and the project’s security personnel on Rempang Island, where a Chinese-funded economic zone is underway

Riots could have been avoided if the details of the relocation package were conveyed clearly to residents, President Joko Widodo said

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the parliament building in Jakarta. Riots could have been avoided if the details of the relocation package were conveyed clearly to residents, he said. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:30pm, 13 Sep 2023

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has blamed “bad communication” for violent clashes between security forces and residents opposed to their forced eviction from Rempang Island, where a Chinese-funded economic zone is taking shape.

The government plans to turn the tiny islet in Riau Islands province near Singapore into an industrial and tourism hub under the Rempang Eco City project.

Widodo also sealed a deal with Chinese glass panel maker Xinyi to build a US$11.5 billion glass and solar panel manufacturing plant in Rempang during his July meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China’s Chengdu city.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana arrive in Chengdu, China on July 27. Photo: AP

But efforts to get the ball rolling for the factory have faced stiff resistance from more than 7,000 residents who have lived in the locality for decades and are lukewarm about a government compensation scheme.

The dispute over the project spiralled into violence last week, when thousands of protesters blocked roads and erected makeshift barricades to prevent officials from conducting land measurement for the project.

Authorities said the locals hurled stones and petrol bombs at security personnel, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd. Several students were also injured after some of the tear gas canisters landed at a school near the protest site.

The Indonesian Child Protection Commission demanded the erring officers be held accountable for violence against children.