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House gives ‘political support’ to Semen Indonesia against Kendeng people
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo meets representatives of cement factory protesters from the Kendeng mountain area in Central Java. Jokowi has ordered the reassessment of a mining operation related to PT Semen Indonesia in the karst mountain area. (Presidential Press Bureau/Edi)
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ouse of Representatives Commission VI head Teguh Juwarno has said the House would secure enough votes to support the operation of state-owned PT Semen Indonesia’s cement factory in Rembang, Central Java, following a Supreme Court case review decision in favor of the people of Kendeng mountain.
“The parliament gives its political support to PT Semen Indonesia in Rembang so it can continue its operation there. We support Semen Indonesia and the State-owned Enterprises Ministry to continue the legal process so the factory can operate in accordance with the investment plan,” Teguh said in a statement made available on Tuesday.
The legal effort, he said, included filing a case review at the Supreme Court. “This is important because the investment there has reached 90 percent,” he said. “The Supreme Court decision has given a negative signal for the investment climate.”
The cement factory in the Kendeng karst mountain range that spans three regencies in Central Java (Rembang, Pati, and Grobogan) has been met with fierce protest from farmers there including nine women who have cemented their feet in front of the Presidential Palace as a form of protest.
The farmers say that agriculture already provides enough money and food for the population and insist that they do not need factory jobs because their fields are fertile. They are also worried the cement factory will drain water from the water-rich karst mountain and dry their agricultural land. (evi)
