LOMBOK, Nov 22 — The holiday island of Lombok welcomed thousands of fans yesterday for Indonesia’s first superbike race on a new circuit that is part of a mega tourism infrastructure project denounced by the UN over the eviction of local families.
“I am here to watch World Superbike. It is very cool and I almost could not believe ... The event will help the economy here,” said Rini Yuniarti, a fan from Bali. But Abdul Latif, 36, and his four children have so far stayed behind because they have not received any compensation for leaving. Making matters worse, local wells have run dry for six months since tunnels were built under the circuit, leaving residents without water.
United Nations experts in March called on the Indonesian government and the companies involved in the project “to respect human rights”.