Komnas HAM Asks The Government To Review Rempang Eco City

Komnas HAM held a press conference regarding recommendations for handling the Rempang conflict at the Komnas HAM office, Central Jakarta, Friday (22/9/2023). (ANTARA/Fianda Sjofjan Rassat)

JAKARTA - The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) submitted eight recommendations regarding the residents' rejection of the planned construction of the national strategic project of Rempang Eco City on Pulau Rempang, Riau Islands.

"First, ask the coordinating minister for the economic sector to review the development of the Pulau Rempang Eco City area as PSN (National Strategic Project) based on Permenko RI Number 7 of 2023," said Komnas HAM Enforcement Sub-Commission Coordinator Uli Parulian Sihombing as reported by ANTARA, Friday, September 22.

The second recommendation from Komnas HAM, continued Uli, is to ask the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) not to issue land management rights (HPL) at the location of Pulau Rempang, considering that the location is not yet clear and clean (cleardclean).

Third, Komnas HAM requested that evictions must comply with human rights principles as regulated in Law (UU) Number 11 of 2005 concerning Ratification of the International Convention Economic, Social, and Cultural Ranks (International Conventions on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).

In the law, it is stated that the forced eviction policy is only carried out as a last resort after considering other efforts. Then, if forced to carry out forced evictions, the government and/or corporations are required to carry out an assessment of the impact of forced evictions and recovery policies for affected residents.

In addition, the law also regulates that the Government and/or corporations are obliged to provide appropriate compensation and recovery to affected residents in accordance with human rights principles. The eviction process must also comply with human rights standards.

Several things must also be considered when the eviction process is carried out, as mandated by Law Number 11 of 2005, namely procedural protection, without intimidation and without violence, and deploying apparatus proportionally.

Furthermore, the fourth recommendation, Komnas HAM asked the Government to conduct dialogue and adequate socialization by means of a cultural and humanist approach to the development and relocation plan, as a result of the development of PSN.

The fifth recommendation is that Komnas HAM asks the state not to violate the right to proper housing, either through actions or policies taken at the local or national levels.

The sixth recommendation, continued Uli, was that Komnas HAM asked the state not to involve the apparatus with excess numbers in the relocation process and the construction process of the Rempang Island Area Eco City.

Seventh, Komnas HAM asked the police to consider the use of the principle of restorative justice in handling the criminal process in the case of Pulau Rempang.

"Eightth, vulnerable groups, such as children, women, disabilities, and indigenous peoples, must be protected from violence and others on the island of Rempang," said Uli.