On 7 September 2023, hundreds of residents demonstrated against Rempang Eco-City project on Rempang Island in Indonesia. Police used teargas against demonstrators and more than 40 people were arrested, including Ardiansyah. 66-year-old grandmother Siti Hawa suffered a broken wrist after she stepped in to prevent a security guard from striking members of her community.

Residents of Rempang Island have been protesting the project since it was announced by the Indonesian government in August 2023, raising concerns about lack of free, prior, and informed consent, land rights, and loss of livelihoods. The government has categorized the project as one of strategic national importance and it would include a $11.6 billion glass and solar panel factory by Hong Kong–based Xinyi International Investment and is being developed by PT Makmur Elok Graha (MEG). The project would result in the eviction of most of Rempang’s approximately 7,500 residents, including many Indigenous seafarers. The project would cover 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of Rempang Island and the remaining 10,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of the island would be zoned as protected forest.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Xinyi International Investment and PT Makmur Elok Graha to respond to the allegations. Xinyi International Investment said that they have not initiated any eco-city project nor entered into any agreements or contracts. They also said that they truly respect and care about Indigenous Peoples' rights. PT Makmur Elok Graha did not respond.