Sydney Rainforest Action Group LOCATED AT: 4th floor, Suite 8. 134
Broadway, Sydney 2007
ph: (02) 212 1132 fx: (02) 281 5216 PO Box A474 Sydney South
Australia 2000
* MEDIA RELEASE * MEDIA RELEASE * MEDIA RELEASE * MEDIA RELEASE *
PENAN BLOCKADES BUSTED BY MILITARY IN MALAYSIA
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SYDNEY GROUPS BLOCKADE MALAYSIA TOURIST CORPORATION
WHERE: 65 York st. City WHEN: 11.30am Friday October 22, 1993
Members of peak Environmental Groups in Sydney will blockade the
Malaysia Tourist Development Corporation Office to protest the
recent brutal arrests of 39 Indigenous Penan people and the
continuing destructive logging and human rights violations in the
Malaysian state of Sarawak.Aboriginal Legal adviser Jenny Munroe
will address the crowd and media on various issues concerning
Native Customary Land Rights for indigenous peoples.
Demonstrators will be distributing information and discouraging
people from travelling to Malaysia until such time that the
Government cleans up its shocking track record with treatment of
its Indigenous people and excessive exploitation of its
rainforests and natural environment.
On the 3rd of October 1993 it was reported that the 9 month long
Penan blockade at Long Mobui, in the upper Sela'an region was
forcibly broken down by the police and the airforce. 39 Penans
were arrested in the violent attack where it is said that tear gas
was used to disperse the peaceful blockaders. Human barricades
have been erected in Sarawak since 1987 as a desperate measure to
protect the primary forest essential to their survival.
The Penan, one of the last tribes of nomadic hunter-gatherers in
the world, are among many tribal groups in Sarawak who have for
many years pleaded for their native customary rights to their
lands. Their pleas have been ignored by the Government while the
logging, currently carried out at the fastest rate in the world,
continues unabated.
Plutan Tiun, headman of Long Spigen who was receiving medical
attention after being severely beaten by the military at the
blockades, appeals for international support:"Please don't buy
timber from Sarawak... I call upon all of you to take whatever
social action against our authority (Malaysian Government) you
can, to convince them that cutting down trees is destroying the
life of the Penans and other tribal groups."
There have been increasing reports of abuse and harassment of the
tribal people resisting the encroachment of logging companies,
land schemes and development projects onto their lands. Since
1987, over 400 tribal people have been arrested for carrying out
peaceful activities, many of whom have been further detained.
Gabby Greyem, from the Sydney Rainforest Action Group says "In
this year and age it is a shame that many indigenous people of the
world are treated like violent criminals.Malaysia like Australia
needs to recognise the Native Customary Rights of its Indigenous
people and treat them with the respect they deserve."
For further information contact Gabby Greyem 2121132
BROADCAST VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF THE PENAN BLOCKADE AVAILABLE
To all who read this little bit of info.
I apologise for the lateness in posting this, but unfortunatly
we've been a little short on computer and modem access lately!
Anyway, the action went off fantastically- it was an incredibly
inspiring experience for all those involved AND not only did it
happen in Sydney, but also in Brisbane and Lismore- all in the
same week!!
In Sydney, we managed to occupy the Tourism Development offices
for over 3 hours! Initially the manager of the building was
opposed to us being there, but in the end he said to us that he
totally agreed with what we were doing, and signed a petition to
Mahatir saying that he would not visit Malaysia until the country
stopped human rights abuses against its Indigenous people. Got
stacks of media too!!
In Lismore the people there visited a bunch of tourism offices
distributing info. to interested folks about alternative travel
destinations, with over 30 people present at the demo. They too
had aninspiring time, singing songs and trying to encourage people
to get active on this seemingly forgotten issue of extreme
urgency. 4 television stations covered the story, and stacks of
local media too.
In Brisbane ther were similar protests happening, with a new mob
of people arriving on the scene for this one. A big bunch of
inspired young people protested outside Malaysian Tourism office
there. Unfortunately it wasn't picked up by the media.
Looking forward to doing more joint actions in Australia for
Sarawak and for life in the near future- Any feedback on campaign
directions (ie. whether a "please don't visit Malaysia until..."
campaign would be effective, and who to target.) Got strategy
planning gathering down South in a couple of days.