China In Land Rights Battle For Rempang Island
Date
11/22/2023 2:10:37 AM
(MENAFN- Asia Times) Indonesians living on Rempang Island are protesting against the construction of a multibillion-dollar Chinese glass factory. To make way for the Rempang Eco-City project, 7,500 local inhabitants must move.
This Indonesian National Strategic Project (PSN), backed by a Chinese company's US$11.5 billion investment, seeks to transform the island into a major industrial, commercial and tourism hub.
Despite living on the island for generations, the local inhabitants lack legal land ownership. The project holds potential for economic development and job creation, driven by the abundance of quartz sand resources – a vital component in glass and solar-panel manufacturing. But the situation underscores the need for transparent and inclusive decision-making processes that consider the rights and interests of local communities.
The local community has occupied the area for decades. The investigation carried out by the Indonesian Ombudsman has revealed that the old villages on Rempang Island existed long before the memorandum of understanding between the government and Chinese investors was established in 2004. The Agrarian Reform Consortium has reported that there is a problem with overlapping tenure in Rempang due to inadequate land governance.
To solve the problem of overlapping tenure, the government of Indonesia launched the One Map Policy (OMP) in 2011 after spatial data differences became known nationally in 2010 during the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+ ) conference. But the OMP is not functioning well because of both political and technical issues.
MENAFN22112023000159011032ID1107469118
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.