The Kendeng  Karst region is characterized by underground caves and springs. It is the main water source for farming communities living in the surrounding area. For decades, the people of Kendeng Karst have tried to live a life separate from modern Indonesia. They didn't have government identification until the early 2000s, and even then they fought to keep the religion line blank if the central government wouldn't recognize their faith [9]. A study from the Centre for Disaster Management at private university UPN by Veteran Yogyakarta found underground water sources in the area proposed for a new cement factory by Semen Indonesia. On July 16, 2014, the local population was alerted of the construction of the cement factory plant in Rembang, Central Java just before an event placing the plant´s first stone. Women quickly mobilized as protest leaders in response, gathering community membres at the factory site to demonstrate. However, the army and police forcibly dispersed the action. During the scuffle, Police arrested four protestors and knocked two women unconscious from dragging and throwing them about [13].

Women have since been at the frontlines leading a grassroots campaign to save the mountains. They argue that the plant´s activities would destroy the region's natural karst caves and its water reservoir. Sukinah, one of the female leaders of the campaign, said: "As a mother I give birth to children, but Mother Earth brings to life vegetation, rice and everything else that we eat. We need to take care of Mother Earth by sticking to a sustainable lifestyle ... We won't be able to freely farm, because the mines will ruin our water source, the factory will pollute our village" [1].  The media have dubbed the women "the Kartinis of Rembang" after Indonesia's first feminist, Raden Adjeng Kartini [8], who was also born in Rembang.  It is no accident that the protesters are all females. As this woman leader said, "The reason us women fight in the front is not because the men were afraid," Sukinah says. "But we are more compassionate, we fight with love. If the men stayed in the front it might turn physical and we don't want casualties. Men are more emotional, they will turn physical when provoked" [3]. Many of the women are from the Samin community. Saminism, or Sedulur Sikep, is an Indonesian pacifist social movement founded by Surontiko Samin in Central Java in the late 19th century. Saminism rejected the capitalist views of the colonial Dutch, who forced taxes upon the people of Indonesia, including the poor and and monopolized the use of forest lands for trade.  Samins refused to pay taxes and freely cut wood from the teak forests after informing the village head (forest commons management) [5,6,7].

In April 2016, nine middle-aged women cast their legs in concrete during a 36-hour protest aginst the cement plant outside the presidential palace in Jakarta [4].  In October 2016, 300 farmers did a long march to pressure the goverment to revoke the Supreme Court decision renewing Semen Indonesia´s permits. However, the governor instead issued a new permit. In response, from December 18 to December 23, 2016, women and farmers alike set up a tent occupation in front of the Central Java Governor's office in Semarang before police demolished their campsite. As Semen Indonesia commented, "an independent environmental impact assessment gave the factory a pass". "Anyone is welcome to visit the factory and access its records of pollution levels" (corporate secretary, Agung Wiharto).  The pro factory campaign says "the factory has given them benefits, like employment for 1,200 construction laborers". The protest lost their case in both the district and high courts, so they brought the case to the Supreme Court [11]. In January 2017, Central Java Governor canceled the cement factory permits. The Supreme Court ruled the state-owned cement company began construction of its controversial plant without first conducting a thorough check of any potential impacts on the local environment [4].

The cement factory will have a capacity of 8000 tons per day

Semen Indonesia is Indonesia’s largest cement producer with a total annual output of approximately 30 million tonns per annum [2].

Semen Indonesia company also have announced its plan to invest US$200 million worth cement plant in Myanmar that will be built early in 2014 as part of its expansion into the Southeast Asian market[10].