Sarawak Update
6th May 1993
Penan Blockade
One and a half month has passed and the 1000 Penans remained firm
at the blockade site at Long Muboi, Upper Selaan. However,
intimidation and acts of violence from the military personnel, police
and thugs hired by the logging company are intensifying. On the 8th of
April, eight of the Penan at the blockade site were beaten up i an
attempt to force the Penan to give up their protest action. The
incident has however created more solidarity amongst the people. On
the 30th of April, members of the Kenyah tribe from the neighbouring
villages came to Long Muboi to join the Penan in a spiritual gathering
to show solidarity and unity.
Messenger from the blockade site reported that food supplies are
very limited. While the blockade has been effective in stopping the
logging company from operation, it has also disrupted their hunting
and farming activities. Wild boars, their major source of protein are
scarce due to the destruction of the forest. To sustain their action
food has to bought and taken in to the blockade site.
They are appealing for the help of all concerned organisations
and individuals both in Malaysia and overseas, particularly tropical
timber consuming countries, to support them in their action. They are
asking you to publicise their action and their plight as widely as
possible; to boycott tropical timber from Malaysia and to write to the
Malaysian and Sarawak governments (please refer to 30/3/93 Update for
details of addresses) to respect their rights as Indigenous people and
to stop the logging of the rainforest in their traditional land (or
customary right land) NOW. They also urge the international community
not to give up. Pressure from all over the world must continue. They
need both your moral and physical support in their struggle to protect
the rainforest and their culture.
Logging Updates
The logging firm, Stunkor Butan with their contractor, Venturekin
Sendirian Berhad, have moved into the mountain ranges at the Sarawak
side of the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. Under the timber licence No.
T/0093, logging operation has recently started on the Undan Range,
Mount Api, Mount Kisam and Mount Brunei.
These mountain ranges are covered with lustre tropical
rainforest, homes of myriad flora and fauna and water catchment areas
for the surrounding Bidayuh villages. Since logging has begun, rivers
have been polluted, soil erosions are regular occurrences, forests
destroyed, included fruit trees and farm lands of the Bidayuh people.
The Bidayuh tribe is the second largest Indigenous group in
Sarawak, after the Iban tribe. Like all the other Indigenous people,
they are not spared the adverse effects of commercial logging.
According to reliable sources in Sarawak, the Bidayuh people, too are
beginning to find their strength and courage to stop the encroachment
of their traditional lands and forest.
Thousands of Bidayuh people from 10 villages in the border area,
about 60 km from Kuching (the capital of Sarawak) are now facing the
grim prospect of losing their land and forest and thus their
traditional means of survival as logging progresses. Some villagers
have accepted pittance in monetary compensation from the logging
company and surrendered their lands without a fight while the majority
are getting organised to seek fair compensation for damages already
done by the logging company and to put up resistance to further
destruction to their forests, land and culture.