URGENT - Please write letters.
According to a recent communications with Penan of the Upper Baram in
Sarawak, Malaysia, the Malaysian Police Field Force (PFF) shot over the
heads of Penan tribal people on Monday 10th March, 1997. The Penan were
attempting to negotiate with the logging company to stop them from
destroying their traditional lands. Members of the Police Field Force also
entered the village of Long Kerong threatening to arrest anyone who was
against the logging. The current situation in the region is described as
'tense'.
The Police have been stationed in this area to 'protect' the logging
company from the Penan (who are regarded as perhaps the most peaceful and
gentle of humankind) since the military's violent dismantling of a
blockade in 1993. During this time they have constantly harassed and
threatened the Penan. Armed with M16 rifles, the PFF have repeatedly
entered the villages to cause intimidation and in particular they have
harassed the women and girls in the community.
The Penan of Long Kerong in the Upper Baram region of Sarawak, Malaysia,
are one of the 16 Penan villages who have continued to actively resist
logging up to this day despite threats, harassment and intimidation by the
logging companies and the police. Over the past few months blockades have
been erected and meetings held with the logging companies (Samling and
Umas) who are working in this area. Since the 1980's, 700 tribal people
have been arrested in Sarawak as a result of their peaceful resistance to
destructive logging.
Very little news of these actions have reached other parts of Malaysia, or
the rest of the world. The Sarawak and Malaysian timber companies have
instead gained worldwide attention for their incursion into other pristine
forests and the homelands of other indigenous peoples (South America,
Africa, Indo-China and the South Pacific). They have also been reported to
be spending millions of dollars on their corporate image. The Malaysian
Timber Council (MTC) has commissioned Shandwick, the world's largest
advertising agency, to promote their timber.
Some of this information is sourced from a recent (January 1997) visit to
these communities. Further information available from alight@peg.apc.org
and bmf@bmfonds.links.ch
WRITE LETTERS.
Please write polite letters to the Malaysian Prime Minister and Chief
Minister of Sarawak expressing your concern over the current situation. It
is important that the authorities are aware that military activities in
this area are being noticed by the outside world. Names of military
personnel and timber company managers that the Penan highlighted as
causing particular harassment include: Timber camp managers: Ah Kie,
Chieng and Seah. Police Field Force: Andrew Goh, Lance Corporal Mohd Aziz
B Zakaria and Guro Horon Singh.
* Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak,
Tingkat 22, Wisma Paba Malaysia, Petra Jaya, 55302 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
* Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Prime Minister's Department, Jalan Dato' Onn, 50502 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.