INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
Date: 21.6.91
From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Newsgroups: rainfor.general
Reply-To: nn.rfgeneral@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Errors-To: nn-bounce@gnosys.svle.ma.us
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarawak Indigenous Peoples Alliance
ph/fax: 60-87-416-357
SARAWAK NATIVES BLOCKADE AGAIN TO STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF
THEIR LANDS
The struggle over the last remaining stands of virgin forest
in the 4th and 5th Divisions of the Malaysian state of Sarawak
is escalating. Promises made by the government during November
1990 meetings of the International Tropical Timber
Organisation have been broken and prove to be a sham in the
first place.
No efforts have been made to enstate the proposed Biosphere
Reserve areas for nomadic Penans;
Exports of round logs have increased in the last two years to
18 million cubic metres per year (from 13 million cubic metres
per year) with no governmental intention to curb logging;
The Malaysian Government has "shown a disregard (if not
outright disrespect) for the work of the (ITTO Sarawak)
mission" according to mission leader Lord Cranbrook. Mission
recommendations of a decrease in logging rates by a minimum of
30% have been flagrantly ignored.
The native peoples of the longhouses of the Baram and Ulu
Limbang areas have been threatened recently by native headmen,
bribed by the companies or the government. They have been told
that, should they join local anti-logging campaigns the
authorities "will be very harsh with you this time - they will
put your head in a bag and leave you to be beaten by a whole
truck of gangsters (lingua franca for company thugs)."
In addition, a community leader was informed by company agents
that, were he and his colleagues to stop the upcoming
blockades in their district, the two would be rewarded with
monthly allowances of M$200/month for an undisclosed period of
time.
A local activist was told of these threats and attempted
bribes after a meeting held last weekend amongst the native
peoples. "There is a tremendous amount of fear here. Although
in their hearts people may support efforts to conserve the
forests, most of them are terrified to take action against the
destruction."
However, resolute determination is apparent in the words of
one Penan district headman, who has 20 villages under his care
in the Upper Tutoh region. Said Benghulu Wan Malong.
"Let us go straight ahead, not looking back, and without fear.
If the life of our people is bad now, what will it be for our
grandchildren if we do nothing to-day?"
Road blockades have been erected in two sites over the past 24
hours. In the Limbang area, Department of Forestry workers
were last said to be travelling to the blockade sites, where
over 50 children, women and men, mainly of the Penan and
Kelabit tribes, have gathered over the past two days. In the
Long Ajang area, some 400 people have reportedly gathered. No
more information is available at this time. Updates will
follow soon.