The Rempang Relocation Conflict: What Do Other Communities Think?

Rempang Eco City, Batam, has been designated by the government as one of the National Strategic Projects (NSP). This project is planned to be built on 8,000 hectares of land out of the total 17,000 hectares of Rempang Island.

The area slated for development includes 16 traditional villages housing approximately 700 families who will be displaced.

The project's construction has sparked conflict between the police—acting as an extension of the investors—and the residents. Residents resisting relocation and defending their villages, established since 1843, allegedly faced police violence in September 2023.

In response to this, *Kompas* Research and Development conducted a survey on public perception regarding the Rempang relocation issue.

The survey shows that a majority, or 56.8% of respondents, believe that residents living in the Eco City development area should be relocated.

Several respondents argued that despite their long-term residency, the conflicting residents in Rempang do not legally possess land ownership rights or certificates for their homes.

Conversely, 29.2% of respondents held the opposite view. They believe that residents in the project area in Rempang do not need to be relocated because they have lived there for a long time, even for generations.

Despite these differing perspectives, the *Kompas* Research and Development survey also shows that 93% of respondents believe that Rempang residents affected by the project should receive adequate compensation.

"This public opinion serves as a reminder that the government needs to exercise extreme caution in resolving the Rempang conflict. Even if relocation is ultimately chosen as a solution, its execution must be carried out without violence," wrote the *Kompas* Research and Development team in their report on Monday, October 9, 2023.

This survey involved 508 respondents from 34 provinces in Indonesia, randomly selected from the *Kompas* Research and Development panel respondents.

Data collection was conducted from September 18-20, 2023, using telephone interview methods. The margin of error is approximately 4.35% with a 95% confidence level.

(See also: [This Province with the Most Land Conflict Cases in Indonesia](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2023/09/12/ini-provinsi-dengan-kasus-konflik-lahan-terbanyak-di-indonesia))