Takeover
When the people of Rempang heard that they would be forced to leave the island, they immediately made it clear to the government that they could not agree to this. The authorities responded with a great show of force: more than 1,000 policemen and soldiers, equipped with weapons and vehicles, came ashore. The population immediately formed a blockade on the bridge that gives access to the island, but by brute force the units made their way through the crowd and eventually occupied Rempang.
Battle
Since then, a legal and social battle has erupted, putting the eviction plans off the table for now. But the National Strategic Project, of which Eco-City is a part, is still to be implemented. The activists we supported organized several actions, including a commemoration on the bridge where the army wreaked havoc on Sept. 7-11, 2023. Now the inhabitants laid flowers, rolled out banners and gave speeches emphasizing the right to Indigenous self-determination.
Investors
The events in Rempang show the importance of the energy transition being implemented from the bottom up, with local expertise. Instead, the protagonists are often foreign investors who could not care less about climate justice. Thanks to our donors, the Action Fund can continue to advocate for a different system, where saving the planet naturally goes hand in hand with social justice.
