Thousands Evicted for Chinese-Funded Eco-City in Indonesia
The Indonesian government is forcibly evicting more than 700 families from the island of Rempang to build a Chinese-funded eco-city.
Transcript
00:00 This small fishing village may not be here much longer.
00:06 The land it sits on is the future site of a Chinese-funded eco-city on the Indonesian
00:11 island of Rempahang.
00:13 More than 7,500 people are being forcibly evicted by the Indonesian government to make
00:18 way for the project.
00:19 "They have been occupying this land for hundreds of years, including me.
00:20 In this village, we have five descendants.
00:21 There are many bitter and sweet memories that we cannot erase from our hearts."
00:40 Rempahang is home to several indigenous communities who have lived there for centuries.
00:45 The ocean is a part of their way of life and livelihoods.
00:48 But now residents are afraid for the future of their traditions.
00:51 "This is entirely in violation of international law because indigenous communities have to
00:55 give their free, prior and informed consent to any developments on their territories."
01:00 Rempahang is the latest Indonesian island to be a focus of foreign investment.
01:05 The government says the project will bring in billions of dollars, with a glass and solar
01:09 panel factory.
01:10 The plan is to relocate the locals to apartments on another island.
01:31 To make way for the project, state forces, including local police and the military, have
01:37 been deployed to survey the land and clear the villages.
01:41 Numerous people from the local communities have resisted.
01:52 "I don't want to live here. I want to live in peace. I have been thinking about this village for a month. I want to sleep."
02:14 James Lennon Harrell Hughes for Taiwan Plus.
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