PRESS RELEASE 26.7.91
Nancy Rolfe is one of 8 protesters arrested in Sarawak for their
action in support of the Penan blockade on July 6. They delayed
the loading of rainforest timbers bound for Australia by chaining
themselves to equipment. Nancy is serving two months in prison as
a result. The following statement was handwritten by Nancy in
Lambin Prison, Miri, Sarawak, smuggled out and faxed to the
Rainforest Information Centre.
Four of the other protesters are in jail with Nancy while three
who pleaded not guilty face trial next Wednesday 31st July. One
of these three, Anja Light from the Gold Coast, who is out on
bail till then, will be available for telephone interviews next
Monday 2rth. Please call the RIC if you would like to record and
interview with Anja.
Handwritten by Nancy Rolfe in Miri Prison, Sarawak and smuggled
out 25/7
"The mud of the compound is being drenched by monsoonal rain. I'm
sitting in a corner of the garden, corrugated iron and barbed
wire forming the perimeter. The garden is pleasant -
bougainvillia, hibiscus and even a jasmine bush flourish. But it
feels strange and it wasn't until a few days ago that I realized
why all the bushes are planted away from the fenceline and there
are no trees - this garden, in the women's section at Lambin
prison, is "escape-proof".
It's day four of our sixty day sentence for criminal trespass and
with one piece of typing paper and a blunt pencil in hand, its
time to record the story of how I came to be here.
.PA 3$3
When looking back upon my life I can see the threads weaving
together towards this point,themes emerging, disappearing and
then resurfacing to their fullest expression in the events of the
last three weeks. To have been a participant in the planning and
action at Kuala Baram in Sarawak on July 5th, to openly and
honestly state our views on the devastating effects of the
international tropical timber trade environmentally, economically
and culturally, was a vital expression of my deepest beliefs.
I had previously done some voluntary work for social justice and
enviromental organisations in Australia. Whether focussing on
the environment, social inequality, nuclear weapons and peace,
femine or indigenous land rights, we're really all fighting the
same disease and aiming for a more just and equitable world.
The situation in Sarawak was the major project of the Rainforest
Action Group in Perth, and actions included public
demonstrations, letter writing, and vigils outside the Malaysian
Consulate and at the docks where the timber is unloaded. I
participated on the fringe whilst completing a Bachelor of Arts
majoring in Anthropology.
During two previous years spent travelling and working around the
world, from Japan to Europe, the Middle East and Asia, I had the
opportunity to experience the extremes of beauty and poverty,
humour and violence, love and injustice. Despite having a clear
vision of a better world, I felt basically powerless to change
anything. I also wanted to continue formal studies and gain
knowledge on how the current world system was run and how it had
evolved historically.
The early months of this year were spent sitting out the Gulf War
in an ashram, learning invaluable spiritual practices and
pondering over why humanity had to repeat the same mistakes
again. Perhaps it was just the shock I needed to translate my
beliefs more fully into action. There is an immense release of
energy, a power able to transform in such events.
At Limbang I was lucky to stumble upon semi-settled and nomadic
Penan camping in a pavillion by the river. They had been called
to trial for the blockades set up in 1989. In the evening by
candle light we heard their stories of having to walk for days to
find food, at hearing bulldozers coming closer, and at
mistreatment by police and loggers. One man said he didn't
care what colour the Chief Minister at Sarawak was, as long as he
had a good heart.
The next morning I attended day two of the trial. As the Panan
and Kelabit men filed proudly into the stifling, silent
courtroom, adorned with rattan and the mood of the jungle, I
wondered how we as a culture had wandered so far from the
essential truths encompassed in their way of life - of love and
respect for one another.
At 10am a man entered the court and passed a note saying "please 3[3
come outside Miss, we have some questions to ask you" I refused
to get into the car they had waiting and walked escorted to the
police station for questioning by the "Special Branch". Three
men and I in a closed room. They told me that it was OK if I
visit the caves and beaches in Sarawak but not to show such an
interest in internal affairs - why was I there? Which
organization did I work for? Where had I been in Sarawak? Which
local people was I investigating? The government and press
constantly dismiss the voice of the Panan people and their
requests for recognition, through claims that they are merely
being "instigated" by outsiders (Bruno Manser .. a particularly
favoured scapegoat in this repect!) This is the main reason that
the focus of our action was on the tropical timber trade which
our countries are intimately involved. Hundeds of Panan and
Kelabit people blockaded in two different locations only days
before but for us to join them would have diminished their cause
in the eyes of the Malaysian government. The irony is however
that rather than acting as instigators, we have really been
inspired by them.
Somehow I managed to convince the "Special Branch" that I was
just a naive and harmless tourist, its not an experience I would
like to repeat. I left Limbang on the next plane out after
flushing all incriminating evidence down the toilet in the hotel.
In no way could I jeopardise the international action planned for
three days time. The Panan had asked us to do all we could to
save the forest. After over four years of blockading, arrests,
rearests, hunger and harassment, some of them were beginning
to lose hope.
Its an amazing experience in life, when you just know that
something is right, all the signs are crying out to be followed
and providence moves in your favour. I found our about the
planned International Action in Sarawak whilst visiting the
Rainforest Information Centre in Lismore. And from there
everything fell into place, even a cheap airticket suddenly
became available. There were mixed reations to the idea among
the various environmental groups but I just knew I had to be
there. The nature of the action meant most of the planning would
be done once the group met in Sarawak. A certain amount of trust
and faith was required by all of us who ended up participating.
I had two rushed weeks in Perth to prepare and spend time with
family and friends, and sold most of my clothes to raise money for
the Panan food fund.
As we flew over Borneo, the extent of the deforestation could be
seen. In Kalimantan, rivers wound their way through a landscape
where the trees huddled together in valleys too difficult to log.
On entering Sarawak, I had a number of personal experiences which
confirmed the urgency of the situation created by a rate of
logging which, at 18 million cubic meters per year, is the
fastest in the world.
After a day of travelling by various expess boats and long boats
upriver, we reached an area in the Baram district where there 33
were villages of semi-settled Penan. Many of the Panan, who are
the last remaining hunter-gatherer peoples, have been forced to
settle over the last ten years due to food shortages created by
continued logging and government pressure. The media in Sarawak
portrays the Penan as being a backward and uncivilised people,
grateful that the government sends in the military to build
longhouses and give them clothes, their blockades at logging
roads and constant struggle to protect the forest are ignored by
the strictly controlled press.
I found the Penan people to be among the most loving and generous
I have ever met, despite the fact that they are being gradually
destroyed by poverty and disease. We drove overland through a
dense network of logging roads and erosion to a village
which seemed a little better off. One family and I took a
daytrip up a river to collect rattan, through one of the
remaining patches of judngle. They were transformed when walking
through the tees - sensitive to all beings that are part of
their forest home. Due to the continued destruction however the
forest can no longer provide. They fished during the day and the
men spent the night out hunting, but still no food was found.
Rice and sago is the staple diet as although they are "semi-
settled" they rely almost solely on the forest for subsistence.
The chosen site of the action, the mouth of the Kuala Banam could
be seen clearly from the air as the plane flew towards Miri. I
watched as loaded barges glided downstream towards Japanese ships
eagerly waiting offshore. I counted four barges within only two
bends of the river. The surrounding land was deceptively green
and it didn't take more than a second look to see that there was
no canopy, no life or diversity in this "regrowth"
The day of the action arrived. Our group of 8 persons willing to
be arrested had been pruned down from 20. Others were providing
media and communication support. Although most of us had never
met before, we were a strong committed group, comprising five
different nationalities
As Jake and I walked as inconspiciously as possible through the
timber yard my stomach was tight with anticipation. At 8.30 am
under clear skies we ascended and occupied four cranes, two of
which were on loaded barges. Dayak workers shouted out "we
support you" and we could see the press hovering around in boats
below anxious to obtain footage and have it on its way to
Singapore before the ppolice arrived. We were exhilarated, after
weeks of planning everything had gone better than expected. We
had stopped the export of logs from the yard for 8 1/2 hours,
delayed the shift waiting offshore, and hopefully conveyed our
message world-wide, one of the most valuable aspects of the
action was the chance it provided to speak with workers,
journalists, police and onlookers about why we were there - why,
after years of pressure through the conventional channels had
such an action been called for in a plea to be heard both within
Sarawak and internationally. It was an excellent opporunity to
coommunicate directly with various people and to hear their 3I3
views. My impression is that the majority of people want the
logging of primary rainforest to stop but they are frightened and
unable to express this publicly. The role of the Western
nations, the buyers, should be one of enabling countries worse
off to conserve the environment through compensation, debt relief
and new economic order.
After all the forest is vital to the continuation of all life on
this planet. Our task is to co-operate and care for one
another.. the political boundaries currently carving up the
globe. The means to do this will crystalize when we are
unified in our aims. And as I sit here in prison I smile and
see the vision gradually unfolding before us to become a reality.
Nancy Rolfe 21/7/91