Hello everyone,
It’s been a while since we caught up with the latest happenings of Orang Laut SG. Since Panggilan Anak Pulau ended, we took some time to recuperate and recharge, and now we’re back on our feet, ready to tackle what’s to come.
Last week, we heard the news of a riot that broke out in Batam, with 1,000 demonstrators protesting against the building of a multi-billion dollar industrial park, which will house Chinese glass producer, Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd’s factories. This event happened in front of the office of BP Batam, one of the developers of the said industrial park on Rempang Island. 43 of the rioters were accused of starting the riot, and last we heard in the news, they were arrested.
Batam, which is 44km from Singapore, may sound quite a distance for us to be bothered by. However, this situation, where the demonstrators were rioting in the hopes of protecting their homes, felt a little too familiar. A little like a situation we, as the Orang Pulau, know all too well regarding displacement.
In the 1970s, many families from the Southern islands were made to move out of their homes to mainland Singapore. The islands were gazetted to be turned into petrochemical sites, military spaces and even a landfill. For many of the islanders we have spoken to, they recognized the challenges they had to face when moving to the mainland. Some of these impacts may still be prevalent today and have taken a different form.
While many Southern Islanders then had little to no say about moving from their coastal homes, we hope this is not the case for the people of Rempang Island. We stand in solidarity with the demonstrators and hope that local organizations will speak out on behalf of the indigenous communities living on Rempang Island. This situation has shown that their voices alone, even if they risked their lives for it, are not enough to halt the development plans that will affect the lives of vulnerable communities.
We hope you join us by sharing their voices and advocating for these communities.
On advocacy and rallying for support, our local youths will be hosting Singapore Climate Rally this Saturday, 23 Sep 2023 from 3pm tp 7pm.
“For many in Singapore and in the region, the effects of climate change are already a reality through floods, heatwaves, and rising sea levels. In these urgent state of affairs, we must take bold measures to reduce emissions and establish robust support for populations made most vulnerable to climate change.”
We believe that to conserve our culture, we have to minimize the impacts of climate change. If not, we fight for nothing. We recognize climate change will affect vulnerable communities the most, many of whom are living in coastal areas.
To find out more about our work and to show up for climate justice, head down to the event this Saturday, where we will have a booth to share more about what we do.
The folks at The Black Sampan are hosting another Atap Assembly this month. Happening next week on Tuesday, 26 Sep, 7pm to 9.30pm, the session will feature two prominent illustrators who use digital art as a medium for advocacy.
Join them for an evening of raw and creative prowess featuring Qiyun (@theweirdandwild) and Hafi (@hahahafi), who have harnessed the power of art and design to drive change in the realms of environmental conservation and cultural preservation.
Participants are also invited to some printmaking during this session. A chance to get some original artworks by Qiyun and Hafi printed on a tote, tee and anything in between. See you soon!