The rapid logging of Sarawak's rainforests continues 24 hours a
day, the fastest rate of deforestation in the world--previous
estimates of 2500 acres being cut daily are now considered
conservative. The Penan people, who live in this rainforest,
are one of the world's last hunter and gather tribes. They have
only 10 to 12 months before the land base needed for the
survival of their nomadic culture is lost forever. The
rainforests of Borneo, with an estimated age of 160 million
years, are the oldest and most biologically diverse on the
planet--the Penan have lived peacefully in this forest for over
40,000 years. It has taken just over 10 years to bring both
this forest and the Penan to the brink of extinction. Driven by
the world's infinite demand for tropical hardwoods, Borneo's
rainforests are following those of Thailand, the Philippines,
and Indonesia in begin systematically liquidated. This rare
tropical rainforest is being destroyed and with it the lives of
the Penan and other Dayak peoples. Through peaceful
anti-logging blockades, the Penan and Dayak peoples are
struggling to stop what is indisputably the decimation of their
traditional lands, cultural genocide, and the elimination of
their human rights.
Since 1987, peaceful blockades have been set up by Sarawak
natives after 10 years of attempts to have their customary land
rights recognized as these rights are Malaysian law. Since June
20, 1991, approximately 50 native men and women near Long Napir
and 400 people in Long Ajeng have been peacefully blockading and
effectively bringing logging to a halt. The Long Napir blockade
was broken after four days by Malaysian soldiers who arrested 23
men and took them to Limbang for trial, leaving some 80
dependents--men, women, and children--in Limbang without food or
transport back to their homelands. While many other blockades
cannot be erected because of the natives' deteriorating physical
condition, the Long Ajeng blockade is still maintained by 300
men, women and children. Police are attempting to end the
blockade at Long Ajeng by starving out the natives--no food is
being allowed to reach them. To prevent further anti-logging
campaigns, the native peoples have been told that 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
truckload of gangsters". The people of one village have been
told that if the men join the blockades the women left behind
will be raped.
On July 5, 1991, eight foreign environmentalists representing
Earth First! and the Society For Threatened People were arrested
in Kuala Baram near Miri for staging anti-logging protests. All
received prison terms ranging from 30 to 70 days. On August 8,
1991, eight Dayak people of the Iban tribe from the Tatau area
were sentenced to prison terms of six and nine months after
being found guilty of criminal intimidation.
In the ruling the magistrate pointed out that the severity of
the sentences reflected a "deterrent factor" and that this was
a matter of "public policy".He also indicated that these types
of cases (the attempts to protect native customary land against
logging operations) are "rampant" in Sarawak. He stated that
"they cannot take the law into their own hands. . . there are
other ways to settle disputes".
The recommendations of the ITTO (International Tropical Timber
Organization) mission led by Lord Cranbrook and commissioned by
the Malaysian Government ignored the needs of the Dayak people
and legitimised the destruction of the Sarawak forests under the
guise of sustainable management.
Two-thirds of Sarawak's forests have been divided into timber
concessions. The former Chief Minister of Sarawak, his family
and political allies control about 4 million acres of
concessions, roughly one third of the concessioned lands, valued
at approximately $4 billion. A survey of the 13 logging
contracts in Sarawak's Belaga region found politicians involved
in every single one of them. Logging operations destroy the
primary forest, silt up its rivers, and ruin the ecosystems for
the indigenous people who depend upon them for their survival.
Rivers and streams polluted from logging induced soil erosion
causes severe sickness among the children and the adults alike,
the Dayak and Penan's customary land rights are being ignored.
Despite continuous local and international protests and appeals
to stop logging operations in primary forests and on native
customary lands in Sarawak, the rate of logging has increased.
The logging companies are extracting timber for consumer markets
including Australia and Japan. The timber in Japan, for
example, is used primarily for disposable concrete forms and
shipping crates. The deforestation of the Sarawak is proceeding
relentlessly at a pace which sees the elimination of 15 million
cubic meters of timber affecting 800,000 acres of rainforest
each year, 33 reported deaths from logging accidents alone from
January to May, and the decimation of tribal communities
across the state. It is estimated that the last primary forest
homelands of the Penan people will be destroyed within the next
12 months unless decisive action is taken immediately.
Within the last year, 2 Penan tribesmen and 1 Kelabit tribesman
from Sarawak have travelled the world to tell of the atrocities
committed against their peoples and their homelands. They met
with representatives of governments, the United Nations,
environmental organizations, church organizations and concerned
citizens. One of these tribesmen, Mutang Tu'o recently returned
to North America, bringing with him the grim news that only 32
Penan families continue to live nomadically--compared to 79
families last November. Over 60,000 petitioned signatures,
calling for a halt to the logging and the establishment of a UN
Biosphere Reserve have been presented to Malaysian consulates
world-wide and governments in Europe, North American and Japan.
Despite all of this international concern, logging in Sarawak
has increased. Exports rose last year to 18 million cubic
meters. Japanese corporations announced to the media that they
would decrease imports by up to 15 percent. When challenged
with this statement, all Japanese firms refused comment with the
exception of one firm stating it had "no intention" of
decreasing imports. There is mounting desperation of the people
and the international community over this destruction and
duplicity on the part of governments and corporations. Reports
of deepening depression, cultural disintegration, increasing
malnutrition, arrests, blockades, grave site desecrations and
native deaths have not so far moved government or timber
merchants to action.
"We are stubborn because we have been living in this area for so
long, and our heart tells us that this is our land. We are not
afraid of going to jail because we know that if the logging
continues we are going to die anyway. Tell the timber companies
to stop. This is what we want. Only then will we be happy." -
Chief Along Sega.
"We ask for help from people from all over the world. We are a
people with a proud culture and way of life that is built on our
forests and land. Don't take our forest and culture and
dignity away. We thank every one who thinks of us and helps us,
even though you are so far away. It is knowing this that keeps
us alive." - statement from 80 of Sarawak's Indigenous Leaders,
Sept. 1989
"We are not animals in the forest, we are Penan. Humans. I
myself know I am human". - Dawat Lupung, Penan Tribesman
WE MUST JOIN TOGETHER TO STOP THE LOGGING AND MOBILIZE
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AMONGST THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND
CONCERNED CITIZENS WORLD WIDE FOR THE PENAN AND OTHER DAYAK
PEOPLES WHO FACE CERTAIN CULTURAL GENOCIDE.
CALL FOR ACTION, PROTEST INFORMATION, INTERVIEWS, VIDEO FOOTAGE,
AND UPDATE INQUIRIES
contact: Sue Fox, Director of International Campaigns of
WCWC / WILD 20 Water Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1A4
Telephone 1-604-669-9453/ 683-8220 Fax line 1-604-683-8229/
669-9455 E-mail APC:web:wc2wild
The Wilderness Committee has responded to this call for help by
establishing a campaign called Pennies for the Penan. We are
asking all those who care about the Penan to count up their
change jars and donate this amount to our Penan Emergency Relief
Fund. Larger donations are also gratefully accepted. ALL
monies raised will go towards the purchase of food, medicines,
and other badly needed supplies. For more information regarding
this fund or for info on how you can gather funds for the Penan
in your own community, please contact John Kramer or Sue Currie,
at the address above.
The Western Canada Wilderness Committee/WILD Campaign believes
in ecological and social justice. The rights of traditional
peoples to live sustainably in their homelands must be protected
at the same time as we protect the integrity of natural
ecosystems.
SOS SARAWAK IMMEDIATE INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR ACTION
Write or fax these demands to your Malaysian authorities,
consultants, and Prime Minister.
As concerned citizens world wide, we petition you:
. to place an immediate moratorium on tropical
rainforest destruction in Sarawak and unsustainable logging
activities now currently taking place within primary rainforest.
. to encourage the government of Malaysia to uphold
and respect within the law the traditional land claims, cultural
and human rights of indigenous Dayak tribes, the Penan, Iban,
Kelabit, Kayan, and Kenyan.
. to allow non-governmental organizations to
distribute food, medicine and funds to people camped in Limbang
and to the people who are peacefully blockading logging sites in
Sarawak, Malaysia.
. to immediately and unconditionally release the SOS
Sarawak eight and all other rainforest prisoners held in
Malaysia.
. to push forward the immediate establishment of the
Biosphere Reserve for the Dayak people to protect Sarawak's last
remaining primary forest, its unique wildlife, and their right
to their traditional way of life.
Write to:
Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammed Prime
Ministers Department Jalan Dato Onn 50480 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia The Chief Minister of Sarawak YAB Datuk Patinggi Haji
Abdul Taib Mohammed Petra Jaya, 93503 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
THIS IS NOT JUST AN ISSUE OF RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION BUT AN ISSUE
OF CULTURAL GENOCIDE
Sue Fox, Director of International Campaigns of WCWC / WILD 20
Water Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1A4