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Anti-cement Rembang residents talk to governor Ganjar
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Gunretno, a representative of the farmers who are opposing a cement factory in Rembang and Pati in Central Java, speaks at the Central Java Administration's office about the environmental permit of a cement factory in Rembang on Dec. 20. In front of him were Rembang residents who said the cement factory was beneficial to them. (JP/Suherdjoko)
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bout 20 representatives of the Rembang and Pati residents who have fought against the establishment of a cement factory in a karst area around Mt. Kendeng, Central Java, met with the province’s governor, Ganjar Pranowo, on Tuesday. In the meeting the residents questioned the governor’s decision to issue a new environmental permit.
Among the representatives of the farmers were Gunretno, Gunarti, Joko Prianto, Sukinah, who are among the well-known figures after years of fighting against the establishment of factories in the area. The group was accompanied by two scholars from Catholic University Soegijapranata’s Law School in Semarang, Hotmauli Sidabalok and Benny D. Setianto.
(Read also: Farmers stand their ground against factory)
Besides those opposed to the factory, residents who support the factory were also present. They told the governor that residents, many whom had been unemployed, were benefitting from the establishment of the cement factory as they could get a job there.
Responding to the two opposing groups, the governor offered an analogy.
Ganjar said the construction of the cement factory in Rembang put him in a position similar to parents who learned that their daughter was pregnant out of wedlock. “Should we marry her off, or should we abort the pregnancy? My analogy is perhaps improper, I apologize, but this is indeed a dilemma,” he said Tuesday. “So I said, let’s talk. Who made you pregnant?”
The government has established a small team to continue dialogue about the cement factory and will announce the results on Jan. 17 next year.
But Gunretno said he doubted the sincerity of the team, accusing it of being only a pretext to continue the factory construction. (evi)
