United Nations human rights experts have renewed their call for Indonesia to stop forced evictions linked to the Mandalika tourism megaproject, citing militarisation in the area and serious harm to the Indigenous Sasak Peoples.
According to the experts, more than 700 security personnel, including staff from a private security company, have destroyed homes, personal belongings, and property, while confiscating land from local communities. “No adequate notice has been given, and no suitable alternative housing or resettlement has been provided,” they said.
Between 15 and 17 July 2025, 186 family-run, locally-owned businesses in Tanjung Aan and surrounding areas, many managed by women, were forcibly evicted. Over 2,000 people, mostly from the Sasak Indigenous community, lost their primary means of livelihood overnight.
The evictions were reportedly carried out by a private security company contracted by InJourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Residents were given only days to vacate their homes and businesses, and were not consulted prior to the evictions. The experts stressed that the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples, required under international law, was not obtained.
“In Ebunut, some of those evicted were previously displaced during eviction drives between 2019 and 2021,” the experts noted. “This is the second time they have been uprooted from their homes and lands.”
The UN experts expressed alarm at reports of intimidation and the use of force against those opposing the project. Despite ongoing concerns raised by both national and international bodies, additional evictions are reportedly planned in the coming weeks.
“These communities are now living in fear,” the experts said. “The evictions are compounding poverty, displacing communities and Indigenous Peoples, and pushing them deeper into marginalisation and destitution.”
The Mandalika project has long faced allegations of human rights abuses and a lack of accountability. The experts have repeatedly raised concerns with the Government of Indonesia, ITDC, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which continues to finance the project.
“Multilateral development banks have a responsibility to ensure they do not fund projects that result in human rights violations,” the experts warned. “By financing the Mandalika project, the AIIB risks being complicit in such violations. Both ITDC and the private security company involved may also be liable for human rights abuses.”
The experts called on Indonesia and project agencies to immediately halt further evictions, engage in meaningful consultations with affected communities, and provide effective remedies and compensation for losses.
“Deploying a private security firm to carry out these evictions violates international law and AIIB standards,” they said. “It is a dangerous escalation that further erodes accountability. Real development uplifts communities – it does not uproot them. The people of Mandalika must not be sacrificed for a project that promises economic growth at the expense of human rights.”
