ラエ・ラエ島の住民がマカッサルで埋立を拒否する行動をとる

Hundreds of residents of Lae-Lae Island and coastal women along with environmental activists are members of the Coastal Counter-Reclamation Coalition (Kawal) launched an action against the continuation of the reclamation that will be carried out by PT Yasmin because it is considered to have a bad impact on residents on the local island.

"Obviously and firmly, residents reject the existence of reclamation efforts on Lae-Lae Island because it will have a big impact on local residents," said Lae-lae resident Ady Anugrah's legal assistant during an action in front of the South Sulawesi DPRD office, Makassar, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 17.

According to him, in 2014 the reclamation project began running on the coast of Makassar for the construction of the Center for Points of Indonesia (CPI). The project is suspected of violating human rights because it has seized the living space of fishermen's catch areas. It was recorded that 43 families and coastal women were also affected.

Reclamation continues, following the Circular of the Regional Secretariat of South Sulawesi Province number 180/1428/B. Law related to the expansion of the reclamation to Lae-lae Island to hoard the fishing area is estimated at 12.11 hectares. As a result, as many as 1,700 inhabitants of the island are threatened with being evicted.

The reclamation was carried out as a substitute land due to land shortages in the previous CPI reclamation object. According to the agreement of the South Sulawesi Provincial Government with the developer, in this case PT Ciputra KSO PT Yasmin, that it would replace the land shortage intended for the provincial government.

This is because the initial agreement on the land being reclamation covering an area of 157.23 hectares, 50.47 hectares had to be handed over to the provincial government, but recently when it was handed over it turned out that it was less than 12.11 hectares, so that the land grew and Lae-lae Island became its replacement, even though the early agreement for Lae-Lae Island was not included in the reclamation.

According to him, so far various efforts have been rejected by the residents of Lae-Lae Island against the reclamation plan. Such as refusal to attend Amdal's socialization, the refusal of a team of workers from PT Yasmin for the implementation of reclamation, until the fishing boat parade action rejected the reclamation of Lae-Lae Island.

The plan for the reclamation of Lae-Lae islands is based on Regional Regulation (Perda) number 3 of 2022 concerning the Regional Spatial Planning (RT/RW) of South Sulawesi Province and Governor Regulation number 14 of 2021 concerning the Development of Bahari Tourism Destinations on Lae-Lae Island.

"Until today, there has been no environmental study on the impact of reclamation. The reclamation plan has even been rejected and has never been approved by residents, even if there is a permit issued, it is forced and we value administrative defects," he asserted.

He also asked the government to recognize and protect fishermen's fishing areas by expressing their attitude of withdrawing the marine tourism governor's regulation, revising the Regional Regulation on RT/RW, recognizing the identity of fishermen women, restoring the rights of coastal communities and fishermen. Cancel the reclamation of Lae-Lae Island, stop expanding the construction of the MNP port and restore the things of coastal women and traditional fishermen.

Deputy Chairman of the South Sulawesi Provincial DPRD, Syyaharuddin Alrif, when receiving the residents' aspirations, explained that he would oversee the issue. And for a study on Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) in the coastal area of Lae-Lae Island, he said, it was not yet running. He also emphasized that there were no evictions of residents on the local island.

"After we saw, heard, and studied, the DPRD asked the Provincial Government not to eviction residents. The reclamation process is also not running because there is still an Amdal study process, and it is still ongoing. This means that the process (reclamation) is not working. Of course we will guard this aspiration," he stressed.