SARAWAK NATIVES SET UP BLOCKADES TO HALT
LOGGING OF BORNEO RAINFOREST
-Last ditch effort by the indigenous people living in the
Malaysian State of Sarawak, to defend their forest homeland.
-Road BLOCKADES, WHICH MAY BE THE LAST HOPE for the native
people of Sarawak to retain their natural forest and unique
cultures, were set up today near three village sites, two Penan
and one Kelabit. The protest represents the cooperative effort
of the numerous Dayak (native) groups in protest of logging the
ancient rainforest the rate of which is estimated to have
doubled in the last year, despite commitments by the Malaysian
Government to reduce the cut.
-PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO SET UP THESE NON-VIOLENT human barricades
have resulted in extreme hardships for the families involved,
and ultimately in the arrests of the tribespeople.
"The rate of deforestation in Malaysia is the highest in the
world....60% of Sarawak's forested land is held in logging
concessions. Should current rates of cut continue, another 28%
of Sarawaks forests will be logged within the next decade."
- Dr. Wade Davis, Ethnobotanist
-MANY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FORCED FROM THEIR FOREST LANDS and
nomadic way of life, now live intolerable existences in
government resettlement camps, where logging has resulted in
nearby rivers being polluted and severe shortages of food.
Medical assistance is unavailable.
-INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR PROTECTION SARAWAK'S ANCIENT
RAINFOREST and the natives that depend on it increases as
submissions are being made to the United Nations Subcommission
on Human Rights, as well as to governments involved in trade and
aid with Malaysia. Heightened global awareness of the effects of
a worldwide consumption of timbers (currently, Sarawak supplies
58% of the world's tropical timber), have begun to raise the
profile of the plight of the Native Peoples of Sarawak.
Those wanting to HELP SAVE THIS RAINFOREST: Please contact WILD
Campaign at WCWC at 683-8220.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Sue Fox, Director of International Campaigns
WCWC - Wild Campaign
20 Water St.
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6B 1A4
Telephone: (604) 669-9453
Fax: (604) 683-8229
Email: (APC) WEB:wc2wild (web!wc2wild@igc.org from U.S.)