Protestors seek talks with President over PT Semen Indonesia's Rembang plant

PT Semen Indonesia was targeted by nine women who protested against the development of its new  cement plant in their hometown in Rembang, Central Java. The public rally was held in front of the Presidential Palace on Tuesday from local residents who demanded to meet the President over disputed factory.

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, claims the Jakarta Post. The construction process started in June 2014, and the plant is expected to start production this year.
The new plant is expected to produce 3Mta of cement.

Meanwhile, PT Sement Indonesia's Corporate Secretary, Agung Wiharto, was reported by Kontan to use output from its Tuban and Tonasa plants to sell cement in Australia from July to December 2016, but no contract with Australian cement companies has yet been signed.