The mountain, the people and the cement factory: Conflicts in Sukolilo, Indonesia

Siti Rachma Mary Herwati and Tjahjono Rahardjo

Introduction

In early 2008 it was announced that a new cement factory with a capacity of 2.5 million tons per year was going to be built in Sukolilo district, Pati regency, Central .Java, Indonesia

.This plan was met with opposing reactions

Introduction

• Those who support it say that this project will improve the welfare of the people by creating 1000 new jobs, which will stimulate more economic activities, bringing in more money and creating more job opportunities.

• The new factory will also contribute significantly to the government’s revenues.

Introduction

• Those who oppose it point out that the mining of limestone at the Kendeng Mountains will dry up half of the 87 springs which are vital for the people’s livelihood.

• The job opportunities open for the local people will only be menial, low-paying and low-security ones.

• There is no guarantee that increases in government revenues will benefit the people

Introduction

This has triggered conflicts amongst the various interest groups, which has continued even after the plan was shelved

Where is Sukolilo?

Pati Regency

Where is Sukolilo?

SukoliloDistrict

The mountain

The mountain

The Kendeng limestone mountain range extends from Grobogan, Central Java, to Bojonegoro in East Java. Part of the mountain range within Kabupaten Pati stretches approximately 35 kilometres. Many springs, caves, underground rivers, and a rich variety of plants and animals, are found here

The mountain

In Sukolilo alone there are 79 perennial springs and 24 caves which also have underground river systems. These springs are the sources of potable water for more than 8000 households.

The mountain

Kendeng is home to many kinds of vegetations

The vegetation diversity of North Kendeng makes it a perfect habitat for many bird species and bats producing phosphate fertiliser

The people

One of the strongest opponents of the cement factory is the Sedulur Sikep community, also known as the Samin community.

The people

• The Sedulur Sikep are followers of Ki Samin Suronsentiko (1859-1914) who led a non-violent resistance against the Dutch colonial government.

• The Samin movement was a reaction against colonial government intervention in the lives of people living around Java’s teak forests.

The people

The Sedulur Sikep continue to be critical towards the Indonesian government, and refuse to:

• use Bahasa Indonesia, and keep using Ngoko, the egalitarian low-Javanese language.

• adhere to one of the five officially recognised religions

• send their children to government sanctioned schools and instead maintain their own education system.

• adopt ‘modern’ farming methods and carry on their traditional organic farming methods.

The people

• The Sedulur Sikep believe amongst other things, that the only way to make a living is by cultivating the land; therefore, they should not enter into other trades.

• For the Sedulur Sikep community saving the lime stone mountains and its springs constitute no less than saving their way of life.

The people

A Sedulur Sikep Wedding

The people

Some young Sedulur Sikeps

The people

The Sedulur Sikep are not the only people who oppose the factory.

Besides the Sedulur Sikep, many farmers, activists, intellectuals,

academics, politicians and government officials are united in a

front called the Jaringan Masyarakat Peduli Pegunungan

Kendeng (JMPPK, Community Network for the Care of the

Kendeng Mountains).

The people

In this front, however, the Sedulur Sikep have come in to the forefront.

Gunritno, a younger generation Sedulur Sikep, is the chairperson of JMPPK

The people

JMPPK built up support to in an effort to stop the construction of the cement factory.

They organised peaceful protests, made statements in the media, visited locations around the PT Semen Gresik’s plant in Tuban, East Java and extended their network into Grobogan, Blora, and Kudus.

The people

And this is what they saw and heard in Tuban:

The conflict

• Following the announcement of the planned factory, it was found out that no environmental impact assessment had yet been made.

• Meanwhile, a visit to its plant in Tuban was organised by PT Semen Gresik for 14 village chiefs, plus some media reporters, to see how the factory has “improved the welfare” of the people. After their visit they were expected to campaign for the proposed factory.

The conflict• Many new groups and

organizations supporting the cement factory appeared.

• Banners and posters put up by JMPPK were taken down.

• Stakes were stuck in plots where the cement factory

was going to be built.

• Land speculators started to buy land.

The 22 January 2009 incident

On January 22, 2009, a PT Semen Gresik survey team came to the

village of Kedumulyo, though the Governor of Central Java had

promised that there would be no activity before a joint investigation

team was formed.

The village at that time was already in a heated situation. There were

suspicions that the village head was involved in shady land deals

with PT Semen Gresik.

The 22 January 2009 incident• The villagers held four cars of PT

Semen Gresik along with their 13 passengers for about eight hours, and made speeches expressing their rejection of the cement factory .

• At 18:30 the police forcibly broke the human barricade.

• In the chaos, an unknown person threw stones at the cars, which damaged two cars. Eventually, the police arrested nine residents.

The 22 January 2009 incident• The villagers held four cars of PT

Semen Gresik along with their 13 passengers for about eight hours, and made speeches expressing their rejection of the cement factory .

• At 18:30 the police forcibly broke the human barricade.

• In the chaos, an unknown person threw stones at the cars, which damaged two cars. Eventually, the police arrested nine residents.

Conclusion

Ecology

Economy Society

Sustainable Development