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updated 2001-01-31
Ulu Baram Facts: Not Development but Theft - The Teestimony of Penan communities in Sarawak
Situational
A fact-finding mission comprising of NGOs from Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsula Malaysia visited 15 Penan communities in the interior of Sarawak in Ulu Baram, Miri Division in 1995 and 1996. The visits were at the invitation of the communities and after numerous reports of escalating problems faced by the people.
In addition to the two visits, the mission also carried out a follow-up reporting of the people's situation at the end of 1999 to ascertain the situation since the mission's initial visits.
A report has just been published, detailing testimonies from the affected people, accounting the people's struggle for survival and the problems faced. The people tell of sufferings brought about by the indiscriminate logging and the encroachment of logging activities onto their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.
Specific testimonies about alleged rape, death due to tear-gas fired by paramilitary police stationed in several timber camps and other injustice brought upon these semi-settled Penan.
In addition to vivid testimonies from the people, the communities also account how insufficient the people are being served by various public services, such as educational, and health matters. The people accounts how little the communities can depend on government and others outside and instead reinforce their determination to be self-sufficient.
Need To Tell
The report is now ready and is for all to see. Sarawakians especially, Malaysians in addition, and the world in general need to hear the people's testimonies.
It is proposed that a formal launch of the report by representatives from the affected communities be carried out in Kuching on Sunday, 15th October 2000. Together with support NGOs and concerned individuals, community representatives will also attempt to hand over the report to the Sarawak Chief Minister and the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Penan Affairs, Datuk Abang Johari in Kuching.
After their activities in Kuching, the community representatives will travel to Peninsula Malaysia to tell their testimonies to more Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley and Penang. They will attempt to meet the Malaysian Prime Minister to tell him in person that they are suffering due to supposed development, not as the Prime Minister has been repeatedly miss-informed of the Penan being instigated to reject development, and to seek the Prime Minister's intervention to bring justice to the people.
The delegation will also attempt to meet the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister to tell of the situation concerning Police behaviour towards the community people and for the Minister to take action to stop abuse immediately.
The people will further meet with the general public, NGOs, Opposition politicians and other civil society groups.
The trip will call for specific demands throughout the tour.
Oct 16, 2000
www.malaysiakini.com
Victims of development to meet next month
Zakiah Koya
10am, MON: For the first time, victims of development projects in Malaysia will come together in a national conference to share their experience of the last 20 years, to discuss alternatives of a sustainable path of development.
Titled People before Profits: Asserting the Rights of the Community in Development, the conference also aims to form an activist network for a Malaysian green movement.
According to one of the organisers, human rights group Suaram, many development projects have invariably disregarded the right of the people affected to be consulted and violated the regulations on environmental protection.
"In many cases, there were allegations of corruption, non-accountability and violations of human rights," said Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong (photo, centre) in a statement on Friday.
Over the years, many communities - especially the indigenous and the poor such as the Orang Asli, the Penans and the rural farmers - have had their rights transgressed by major development projects which put profits before anything else, he added.
Among the major development projects that have had communities displaced, put in danger or simply set back are the Bakun project in Sarawak; logging operations in Sabah; the Sungai Selangor dam; the Damansara highway; and the paper and pulp mill project in Sabah.
Other cases where communities were victimised included the disposal
of radioactive waste in Bukit Merah, the factory pollution in Kuala Kuang
and the housing development displacing estate workers in Kampung Sungai
Nipah.
Turning point
Kua said that it is hoped the conference will mark the turning point in the resolve of the people to say "No" to irresponsible destruction of the environment and the victimisation of communities in development projects.
"This conference aims to establish a national network of support and solidarity for all communities under threat from irresponsible and dubious projects. It will also pose an alternative path of development for the country in which the interests of the people come first before profits," said Kua.
International renowned activists and human rights specialists who will speak at the conference include Medha Patka, a commissioner in the World Commission of dams; Rajindar Sachar, a UN special rapporteur on housing rights; and Anwar Fasal of UNDP.
The conference, which will be held on Nov 4-5, at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur, is a collaboration of Suaram, Save Our Sungai Selangor (SOS), Amnesty International Malaysia and Pusat Komunikasi Malaysia.
It is open to the public and registration is RM50 per day. The organisers can be reached via e-mail at kuaks@djz.edu.my.