Why AIIB’s complaint mechanism is failing affected communities in Lombok
Sasak community files complaint
Indigenous Sasak people on Indonesia’s island of Lombok say their conflict over land remains unresolved. They believe a tourism and infrastructure project co-financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank led to land expropriation and damage to their livelihoods.
The community officially filed a complaint with the bank in late September. It is not yet clear whether the submission will result in an independent investigation.
Questions over eligibility
The AIIB’s Project Complaints Mechanism allows people affected by its projects to seek redress under certain conditions. Access to the process has drawn criticism: The Diplomat reported that none of the 45 complaints listed on the bank’s website had been deemed admissible as of mid-September.
The bank acknowledged that no cases had passed its eligibility assessment, while saying this was only part of the picture. It said the complaints mechanism is one element of a broader grievance system and that issues should first be raised with project teams locally. According to the AIIB, 12 complaints were resolved at the project level following its follow-up and intervention, and one was settled through domestic courts.
Access and information barriers
Development economist Arntraud Hartmann said the process must be easy to use. She questioned how affected people could document potential breaches of environmental and social standards if they did not know which rules might have been violated.
The bank said it had simplified its submission form and translated it into 12 languages. Complaints can be sent online, by phone or by email. Urgewald, a German environmental NGO, said information about environmental impacts and resettlement is often missing or released late. It found that 11 of 16 projects it examined for 2024 lacked complete environmental and social impact assessments; information about possible displacement was also absent in many cases.
Calls for stronger outreach
Urgewald China expert Nora Sausmikat said key documents, including impact assessments and resettlement plans, were often inadequate, inconsistent or missing. She said this makes it harder for affected people to report problems promptly, especially those without formal land titles.
Political scientist Christoph Steinert said grievance systems alone are insufficient. He called for information in local languages and targeted outreach, noting that vulnerable groups may know little about their rights. A 2023 report by aid organizations including Recourse, Accountability Counsel and Inclusive Development International said the AIIB mechanism had accepted no complaints since it began in 2019.
Key points
- The Sasak community filed a complaint over a project it says harmed its land and livelihoods.
- None of 45 complaints listed by the AIIB had passed eligibility assessment by mid-September.
- The bank says 12 complaints were resolved locally and one through domestic courts.
- Advocates call for clearer project information, local-language materials and outreach to affected communities.