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Indonesian women hold rally to protest cement plant
Nine women from Central Java held a rally in front of the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, protesting the development of a cement plant in their hometown in Rembang regency by state-owned PT Semen Indonesia.
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A PT Semen Indonesia worker stands near a company truck at the plant site. (Tempo/-)
Nine women from Central Java held a rally in front of the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, protesting the development of a cement plant in their hometown in Rembang regency by state-owned PT Semen Indonesia.
The protesters expressed their concerns over potential environmental damage, saying that the plant could contaminate water and degrade their livelihoods, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) said.
“Those nine women are frustrated and want to meet President Joko Widodo,” LBH Jakarta lawyer Yunita said, adding that they would keep holding the demo until they had secured a meeting with the President.
Residents of Rembang from 14 subdistricts have held similar such rallies since 2013 to protest the plant’s development in Watu Putih. Environmentalists have estimated that potential losses could reach up to 51 million liters of water.
The company, however, will go ahead with the construction project.
The construction process started in June 2014, and the plant is expected to start production this year.
The new plant is expected to produce 3 million tons of cement per year. (vps/dan)
