JAKARTA (CNA) – A riot broke-out on Monday in Indonesia’s Batam city during a protest over a plan to relocate communities for a multi-billion dollar industrial park.
Indonesian police have arrested 43 people accused of causing a riot and attacking police, authorities said on Tuesday, when violent scenes erupted in the city, located about 44km from Singapore.
About 1,000 demonstrators gathered in front of the office of BP Batam, one of the developers of the planned Rempang Eco City.
Video footage on local media showed demonstrators hurling bottles and rocks at police and breaking down a fence, with officers responding with water cannon and tear gas.
Rempang Eco City will be home to a factory operated by Chinese glass producer, Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd, which has committed to build a USD11.5 billion quartz sand processing plant at the park.
“We arrested them because of vandalism and opposing police,” said Pandra Arsyad, spokesperson of Riau Island police, adding the protesters were dispersed by late afternoon.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday said the government planned to provide land and a house to each of the Rempang island residents as compensation for relocating.
“But this was not well communicated to the people. So, it became a problem,” he claims, referring to the protest.
Residents were reluctant to move having lived on the land for many years, said Ariastuty Sirait, a spokesperson for BP Batam, adding they would receive cash assistance until new settlements were completed and about 700 families would be relocated in the first stage.
