The Mandalika project includes parks, resorts, hotels and a motorcycle racetrack hosting international sporting events. It is located on the island of Lombok in the poor West Nusa Tenggara province.
Experts said they found alarming details of alleged human rights violations committed by police and military forces, including the use of excessive force to evict and restrict the rights of indigenous Sasak people.
coerce and coerce
The $3 billion project is being implemented by the Indonesia Tourism and Development Corporation (ITDC), a state-owned enterprise, with funding primarily from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
According to experts, a task force tasked with expediting the settlement of land disputes related to the project – consisting of members of both the police and the provincial army – allegedly intimidated and coerced indigenous people to leave their lands.
“The Indonesian government must ensure that any actions taken in relation to the Mandalika project are not excessive and give victims immediate access to effective remedies,” he said recently. statement,
obey authority standards
They also called on the Indonesian authorities and the AIIB to ensure that their policies and practices comply with international human rights standards, including UN guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement.
The government was also urged to remove members of the security forces from the task force to settle land disputes. “Only then can affected communities and human rights defenders safely raise their concerns about the project’s negative impacts,” the experts said.
He added that there should be meaningful consultation at all stages of project development, and that the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples should be obtained in line with international standards.
In addition, the AIIB and state authorities should disclose standard operating procedures for security personnel in connection with the project, allowing affected communities to report any non-compliance.
UN experts have raised their concerns with Indonesia, ITDC, AIIB and related private companies, which have bases in France, Spain and the United States, as well as the governments in these countries.
free voice
The 10 experts who issued the statement include five UN Special Rapporteurs whose mandate covers issues such as extreme poverty and human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples.
Other signatories are members of the United Nations Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises.
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts act in their individual capacities. They are not employees of the United Nations, nor are they paid for their work.