Pallade Veneta - Indonesia's MotoGP project leaves evicted villagers in limbo

The motorbike-mad country of 270 million people will welcome newly-crowned MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to Lombok island this weekend for the first race since he matched Valentino Rossi's seven titles with victory in Japan.

But outside the Mandalika circuit, there is little to celebrate for dozens of Indigenous Sasak families who say they face land evictions and compensation battles linked to the venue's development.

"They forced us to leave just like dogs and chickens. They are like a thief," said Senum, 47, who has had to move twice since authorities arrived with heavy machinery in 2018.

"I had to run away from my land because I was scared. I don't want to die stupidly."

He says he was promised 10 million rupiah ($600) for land that became part of the MotoGP track, far below market price. And in the end, he only received three million.

The world's premier motorcycle race returned to Indonesia in 2022 after a 25-year hiatus, at a 4.31-kilometre (2.68-mile) track in Lombok's beach-lined Kuta resort town.

The government hopes the project will diversify tourism away from popular island Bali, but it has stoked a years-long struggle between authorities and locals.

Most of the 124 families in the area have been forced out or moved elsewhere. Just 44 remain, fighting for compensation, locals said.

Sibawahi, a 56-year-old carpenter and farmer who goes by one name, says the project consumed the land he used for coconut trees and livestock.

In 2020, authorities demanded he leave, claiming his deceased parents had sold the land, without providing evidence.

He lost nearly four hectares after police and soldiers seized it in 2021. He is still awaiting compensation.

"I can't accept it. My feelings are indescribable. It's too sad for oppressed people like us," he said.

"What I hope is they pay me for the land."

- 'Give us dignity' -

Impoverished Lombok has struggled to rebuild after a deadly 2018 earthquake, and former president Joko Widodo -- whose government designated the area a special economic zone -- has hailed the project for employing 3,000 locals.

But other residents have protested around the track and outside the governor's office, demanding the return of their land or adequate compensation.

In July, fresh evictions left more than 2,000 people without their primary source of income, UN experts said.

In an August report, they "expressed alarm" at alleged intimidation and use of force, and warned "communities are now living in fear".

The state-owned Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which oversees development of the Mandalika complex, and local Lombok authorities did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.

But ITDC has previously told local media that the land it manages is "clean and clear", and that it "respects the rights of the community".

Some residents say they cannot even benefit from the track as they are prevented from selling to visitors, and are even stopped from leaving their new homes on race weekend without permission.

"We're like a cow tied up in a cage," said Senum.

Housewife Suman was paid 15 million rupiah to leave her rented home near what is now a bend of the MotoGP track, and said she is happy to have moved.

"When they started (building)... it was crowded," she told AFP.

"I am grateful to stay here now."

But others like Senum are holding out for better compensation.

"Pay us properly and give us our dignity," he said, as an excavator scraped away at his former land.

"If they want to keep building... fix our problem first."

G.Riotto--PV