8 People Arrested After Clashes On The Island Of Rempang Batam, Evidence Of Molotov Bombing

Officers cleaned the rest of the trees and tires that were burned by residents in the middle of the road while securing land measurements for the development of the Rempang Eco City project, Thursday (7/9). (ANTARA)

The Barelang Police (Batam, Rempang, Galang) arrested eight residents for fighting officers while involved in clashes in land security time for the development of the Rempang Eco City project, last Thursday.

"We have arrested eight suspects and have been taken to the Barelang Police. Those arrested are temporarily subject to Articles 212, 213, 214 of the Criminal Code and Article 2 paragraph 1 of the Emergency Law No. 12 of 1951 with the threat of imprisonment for eight years," said the Head of Barelang Police, Kombes Pol. Nugroho Tri Nuryanto quoted by ANTARA, Friday, September 8.

He said that of the eight people arrested, the police found evidence used to fight officers, namely Molotov cocktails, catapults, machetes and stones.

"Including yesterday, the opening of the road blocking has also been carried out by overthrowing 10 trees, including three road blocking places using containers to block roads from bridge 4 to resting places which are approximately 25 km long, which thank God we have cleaned. So that people can reuse the highway smoothly," he said.

As for the issues that were widely circulated at the location related to the baby's death when the clashes occurred, Nugroho confirmed that the news was not true. He admitted that his party had clarified at the Embung Fatimah Hospital.

"Alhamdulillah, the baby is healthy and well, now he has been sent back to his house. Even our members have also evacuated women and school children who are near bridge 4, there are schools, thank God all students at school are safe," he said.

Nugroho explained, in the activity of securing the placement and measurement of land for the development of the Rempang Eco City area, his party deployed an integrated team of 1,010 personnel.

He hopes that in the future the community can support government programs which he considers to be able to prosper the people, not to harm the people.

"I emphasize to the integrated team, the government in the name of the state, if they find someone who violates the law for blocking roads, threatening officers, or fighting the officers, including violations of the law, where the state must be present and must not lose to people or groups like that," he said.