Immediately Stop Violence and Criminalization Against Rempang Residents!
Press Release!
Immediately Stop Violence and Criminalization Against Rempang Residents!
The Solidarity National Advocacy Team for Rempang condemns criminalization and acts of violence in the form of attacks carried out by employees and/or the security team of PT Makmur Elok Graha (PT.MEG) on 17 – 18 December 2024. In this incident, the Barelang Police instead of taking firm action against all The perpetrator of the attack actually named 3 Rempang residents as suspects. PT Team. The MEG carried out attacks at 3 points, including: 1.) Sembulang Hulu Indigenous Community Command Post, 2.) Sei Buluh Indigenous Community Command Post, 3.) Legal Aid Post of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Ansor Youth Movement. As a result of the attack, 8 (eight) residents suffered physical injuries, such as minor injuries, lacerations to the head, serious injuries, being hit by arrows, broken arms and hundreds of other residents experienced deep trauma.
The People Of Rempang BATAM, No Relocation, No Relocation !
Based on the information we received, initially Rempang residents arrested one of the PT Security Team. MEG is destroying banners rejecting the Rempang Eco City Project. Due to the arrest, residents then called the police and 5 (five) police officers came to the Sembulang Hulu Command Post. Before the police arrived, several people claiming to be soldiers approached the post and tried to pick up the PT MEG employee.
However, residents chose to continue detaining the employee and waiting for the police. Residents asked the police to immediately process the acts of destruction carried out by the perpetrators. However, these efforts were ignored by the Galang Police, so in the end the perpetrator was brought back by the PT Team. MEG. Not long after, the PT Team. MEG came back and immediately attacked. The attack was carried out in a measured, well-trained and planned manner. Initially, the PT Team. MEG attacked the lighting lights, then physically attacked residents and destroyed various objects and vehicles around the location. Seeing the brutality of the thuggery, residents evacuated themselves by running into the forest to escape the violence.
The Demonstrator Of Rempang BATAM, Indonesia,
Due to this attack, instead of enforcing the law fairly, the Barelang Police only appointed 2 (two) PT Security Team members. MEG is a suspect among 30 members of the PT Team. MEG carried out the attack as admitted by Angga, a member of the PT Security Team. MEG in his interview with Tempo.1 It doesn't stop there, instead of protecting and providing a sense of security to the community, the Barelang Police actually named 3 (three) community members as suspects, namely: Siti Hawa Als Grandma Awe (67 years), Sani Rio (37 years) and Abu Bakar Als Pak Aceh (54 years) on charges of deprivation of liberty as stipulated in Article 333 of the Criminal Code.
In this explanation, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) assessed that this violence was deliberately mobilized by targeting Rempang residents so that they were forcibly removed from their homes. The existence of a group of PT MEG people in Rempang needs to be questioned, whether they are real employees or just "thugs" in the guise of employees who were deliberately placed to intimidate residents. Considering that until now there has been no construction work on Rempang Eco City, it is necessary to ask why these people were placed in Sembulang Pasir Merah Village. On the other hand, the police ignored their thuggish actions and even "protected" them by ignoring reports from residents. Our findings are that the Galang District Government also took part in this violence because it provided facilities for this group of perpetrators of violence.
From this series of events, PT MEG, the Police, BP Batam and the Local Government have jointly carried out structural violence, deliberately mobilizing state power, tools and facilities to remove Rempang residents from their homes and living spaces. This pattern of violence is a form of serious human rights violation in the form of crimes against humanity.
Furthermore, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) assessed that the determination of these three community members as suspects could not be separated from PT's ambitions. MEG, BP Batam & Central Government to immediately expel the local indigenous people of Rempang Island for the succession of the Rempang Eco City Project, apart from criminalization and violence, this ambition will also attract Defense Institutions, the TNI because on Monday (13 January 2025), BP Batam held a meeting coordinating the acceleration of Rempang Eco-City together with Military Resort Command (Korem) 033 Wira Pratama which was also attended by Assistant Planning for Military Regional Command (Kodam) 1 Bukit Barisan,
Chief Engineer of Kodam 1 Bukit Barisan, Military District Command (Kodim) 0316 Batam, and representatives of PT MEG. This situation will put the community in a position of multi-layered vulnerability, and it is not impossible that they will become the object of violence, as was done by the PT Security Team. MEG some time ago and Police Violence in September 2023.
The Association for Defenders of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (PPMAN) assesses that the violence and legal process against the people of Rempang Island until the determination of suspects is not aimed at enforcing the law, but rather to silence the struggle of the people of Rempang Island in defending their living space. This is criminalization of the people of Rempang Island. This is a form of state siding with corporations (investors) at the expense of the people. In this case the state ignores and denies its obligation to protect and respect the human rights of its citizens as regulated in the constitution, Human Rights Law no. 39 of 1999, and various other legal instruments.
LBH Pekanbaru assesses that the Batam government's attitude of allowing the Rempang community to experience repeated physical and psychological violence is an act of perpetuating human rights crimes against citizens of the country. We also view that the Batam City Government and Galang sub-district are the parties who facilitated crimes against humanity in Rempang. The state, through the police, must view the Rempang community as defenders of human rights over their environment and must provide protection to defenders of human rights over their environment as regulated in Article 66 of Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management and Article 2 of the Regulations Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Number 10 of 2024 concerning Legal Protection of People Who Fight for the Right to a Good and Healthy Environment; mandates that people who fight for the environment cannot be prosecuted criminally or sued civilly.
Apart from that, LBH Pekanbaru also sees that this recurring incident is the fault of the State which is unable to carry out its obligations to ensure guarantees of non-recurrence to the Rempang community who have experienced and/or experienced human rights violations as regulated in point 164 of standard norms and regulations regarding human rights defenders. However, the State as guardian of the international human rights system must take protective steps to combat human rights violations committed by PT MEG, because we view that the presence of PT MEG as a business entity on Rempang Island has failed to respect or promote human rights. as regulated in the declaration of Rights and Responsibilities as a company to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Violence (KontraS) sees that the violence that has occurred again against Rempang residents is an act of neglect that is continuously carried out by the State, especially the Police, towards residents affected by PSN. Violence in the form of attacks carried out by PT MEG security units shows that this PSN project has ignored or even damaged the principle of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which in this case provides opportunities for community to give their approval or disapproval to this project. This clearly results in the loss of the right to a sense of security as regulated in Article 28G paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution and Article 30 of Law 39/1999.
Apart from that, KontraS assessed that the identification of three Rempang residents as suspects by the Barelang Police was not carried out professionally, proportionally and transparently, so it was carried out without a strong basis. The police no longer act in the public interest but only in corporate interests. The criminalization that befell these 3 residents is clearly not in accordance with the main duties of the Police as regulated in Article 13 of Law 2/2002. Apart from that, KontraS sees this criminalization as only being used as an effort to damage reputations, prevent victims from actively voicing their rejection and even terrorize the parties concerned with the victims.
Based on the description above, we from the National Solidarity Advocacy Team for Rempang urge:
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to immediately cancel the Rempang Eco City Strategic Project, because it is proven to threaten security and safety and has the potential to eliminate the cultural and historical identity of the Rempang Island Indigenous People;
The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, immediately ordered all relevant Ministries to recognize and protect the local Indigenous Peoples of Rempang Island along with their management areas and sources of life;
The Head of the Indonesian National Police, to immediately order the Head of the Barelang Police to stop the legal process against 3 (three) members of the Rempang Community by issuing a Termination of Investigation Order (SP3), as well as ensuring that all PT Security Teams. MEG, who committed violence against people and property on December 17 2024, was immediately named a suspect;
The Head of the Indonesian National Police, to immediately order the Head of the Barelang Police to follow up on reports from Rempang Island residents at the Barelang Police, which currently has only named 2 (two) suspects from the PT Security Team. MEG, but until now we have no clarity regarding who has been named a suspect and at what stage the legal process has reached.
The Chief of the Indonesian National Police immediately conducted an audit and performance evaluation of the Barelang Police, which in some of its actions and work did not reflect the principles of Protecting, Protecting and Serving, especially to the Rempang Island Indigenous Community, but tended and was suspected of siding with PT. MEG:
The TNI Commander ordered the Inspectorate General of the Indonesian Army to carry out Audits, Reviews, Evaluations, Monitoring and Other Supervision Activities related to the involvement of Military Regional Command (Kodam) 1 Bukit Barisan and the Implementing Units carried by it, especially the Military Resort Command (Korem) 033 Wira Pratama and Military District Command (Kodim) 0316 Batam in the Rempang Eco City Project which is contrary to the Role, Duties and Functions of the TNI, as well as thoroughly investigating the alleged involvement of Soldiers TNI who tried to pick up the PT Security Team. MEG was caught red-handed destroying community banners;
The National Police Commission, both jointly and individually, in accordance with their respective authorities based on statutory regulations, together with the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission on Violence Against Women, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI), and the LPSK, monitors the performance of the Barelang Police, and asks the National Police to Barelang immediately stopped the legal process against 3 (three) members of the Rempang Community by issuing an Order to Stop Investigation (SP3), and provide effective protection and recovery for the Rempang Indigenous Community;
The Chief of the Indonesian National Police, in coordination with the Ministry of Forestry and ATR/BPN RI, immediately ordered the Riau Islands Regional Police to ensure that MEG leaves Rempang Island because it is suspected that they do not yet have Management Rights, so that the community can carry out their activities safely and peacefully;
Jakarta, January 24 2025 Contact Person:
Edy Kurniawan Wahid, YLBHI
Teo Reffelsen, WALHI
Syamsul Agus Alam, PPMAN
NATIONAL SOLIDARITY FOR REMPANG
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)
Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI)
LBH Pekanbaru
WALHI Riau
Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS)
Association for Defenders of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (PPMAN)
Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA)
Asian Trends
LBH Mawar Saron Batam
Island Community Legal Aid & Study Institute (LSBH MK)
People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA)
Amnesty International Indonesia
Transparency International Indonesia
Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
Source :
PERS Release YLBHI
https://ylbhi.or.id/informasi/siaran-pers/segera-hentikan-kekerasan-dan-kriminalisasi-terhadap-warga-rempang/
