The headmen of 10 Penan settlements, among them the representatives from Long Kevok, Long Lunyim and Long Nen as well as the chairman of the Sarawak Penan Association, Ajang Kiew from Long Sayan, submitted a formal protest in a letter dated April 28 to the state's Forest Department as well as a personal letter to the Chief Minister Taib Mahmud protesting the intentions of the government to release the forest areas traditionally utilized by the Penan for logging and conversion into paper pulp and palmoil plantations.
A total of 20 Penan settlements with several hundred inhabitants on the Tutoh, Apoh, Layun, Pelutan and Patah rivers are affected by the government's monstrous project. The settlements partly lie in already logged forest areas and have already suffered large losses on account of the logging industry without any compensation for the damage. Already in 1998, when the government announced that it planned to issue logging and plantation licences for these forest areas, the affected communities had protested against these intentions - without success. Their complaint has remained unanswered until today.
For this reason the local environmental organisation Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM, Friends of the Earth) requests the government of Sarawak to relinquish these plans and instead to change their laws and policy in order to finally respect the rights of the indigenous people.
Malaysian Press: Utusan Konsumer
Ajang Kiew's group set up two blockades in order to stop the notorious logging company Shin Yang Sdn. Bhd. from destroying further destroying the land which their livelihood depended on. The duration of the blockades in Long Sayan is unknown.
Map showing blockade-sites in the year 2000
Reports on the Penan are contradictory. The government of Sarawak claims that there are no problems, that they are taking pains to take care of the Penan and that many projects have been realised for them. Environmental and human rights organisations have however reported that the Penan are suffering from continued sanctions, violence and arrests, that their land rights have been disrespected, their culture was being destroyed and that all efforts to resolve issues, to negotiate or to report serious incidents are merely being ignored.
It seemed appropriate to send a team to investigate the situation at the headwaters of the Baram river. The investigation was carried out from 1995 to 1999. The report shows what the logging industry actually bestows on the people instead of the promised development, how the police react to blockades, that the public education and health services have not improved, etc.
Four cases are also presented whose court cases are still pending, two of them concerning declared murder (death through the use of teargas) and the rape of a minor girl.
Fact-Finding-Mission's Report: "Not Development, but Theft" - The testimony of Penan communities in Sarawak, PDF file 557 KBytes.
Photos: Police Field Force with the help of the loggers destroy the Long Sebatu
Blockade in September 1993, using tear gas, causing the death of 4-year-old
Sonny
A group of nomadic Penan, among them Along Sega, headman of the Penan nomads in the Limbang/Madiit area, representing a total of over 100 families, submitted a petition on July 3 to the Chief Minister of Sarawak, to Abang Johari from the Committee for Penan Affairs as well as to the forest authorities of Sarawak, demanding an immediate stop to all logging in their traditional territories.
Petition of Nomadic Penan: Fulltext
A press release was issued together with SAM which was heard by the government, causing a typical reaction from the authorities.
Nomadic Penan Press Release: Tulltext/Malaysian Press
Malaysian Press: Typical reaction of Sarawak's authorities
The FOMISS project (Forest Management Information System Sarawak) for the "sustainable" logging of the last extensive intact rainforest, promoted for years by the Sarawak Forest Dept. together with the timber company Samling Sdn. Bhd. and receiving significant support from the German "Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)", is being definitely rejected by the Penan settlements concerned. The settlements of Long Kerong, Long Sait, Long Kepang, Long Benalih, Long Sabai, Ba Pengaran, Long Ajeng, Long Lamai, all in the headwaters of the Baram river, reject entering into a partnership with a company such as Samling Sdn. Bhd, who has cheated and stolen from them for decades.
The same applies to the Sarawak Forest Dept. The protests of the affected population were ignored by the project's team, i.e. also the German employees of the GTZ. With threats such as "If you don't consent to the project "Schonende Abholzung" protective logging, then we will carry out logging without protection!" FOMISS employees extorted and still exert pressure on the Penan. Samling bribed several Penan with money payments to soften up unified resistance.
For this reason the concerned Penan settlements saw themselves forced to make a "final decision" and a press release on the Long Kevok blockade.
Photos: The affected Penan communities draw up their Final Desicion concerning
the FOMISS-project
Report on FOMISS/Samling by Penan from Ulu Baram, march 1999
Background on FOMISS project, 1998
World Rainforest Movement on FOMISS Project, 2000
Photos: Although FOMISS is designed to be the Pilot-project for sustainable
forest management in Sarawak, unsustainable logging inside the project-area
goes on as usual. Pictures: June 2000
Photos: The Baram headwaters are polluted already
Photos: Penan Communities from the Ulu Baram stage blockade in 1998
Photos: Penan Communities from the Ulu Baram stage blockade in 1995
Map showing blockade-sites in the year 2000
Photo of the Blockade-site
Photo of the Blockade-site
Photo of the Blockade-site
Photo of the Blockade-site
Photo of the Blockade-site
Photo of the Blockade-site
Photo of the Blockade-site:
Press Release by Penan and SAM: Fulltext
Photos: In 1997 the nomadic Penan from the Ulu Limbang-area errect barrricade
near I-Ot Apang accross a logging-road of SAMLING subsidiary Ravenscourt Company
(5d.jpg)
Photos: In 1999 another blockade was put up in the same area
Press Release by SAM: Penan Disputes with Logging Companies are Real
The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) recommends the Penan to submit a formal complaint to the Commission. .
Although the negotiations with the logging companies and the authorities ended without a result, the Penan broke off the blockade, as they had to till their rice fields in September. The blockade would be resumed after that.
Over 50 Penan from the settlement of Long Tanyit on the Linau river in the district of Belaga erected a road blockade in protest of the activities of the notorious logging company Shin Yang Sdn. Bhd. with headquarters in Miri. Unfortunately, further information is not available as Shin Yang Sdn. Bhd. sealed off the conflict area in retaliation and denied the Penan access to the nearest town, letting no more people into the crisis area. For this reason the Penan of Long Tanyit could neither make contact with local organisations nor with representatives of the media. The blockade nevertheless seemed to have existed until September 7, 2000.
Under the leadership of Ajang Kiew the largest gathering of Penan took place in Marudi since the meeting in Long Seridan in July 1985. The leaders and elders of 12 Penan settlements as well as of the nomads of the Limbang river renewed their will to fight for their landrights after the resistance had somewhat stagnated. The meeting in Marudi signified a turning point in the 20 year-old conflict. The Penan communities who were present clearly spoke out in favour of defending their landrights and stated that road blockades were the only means to be perceived by the authorities. The two blockades in August were described as the beginning of a new wave of protest in the event the government would not change its policy
A written petition was set up and submitted to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission.
Malaysian Press: The Penan Struggle
Photo: Meeting at Marudi
Sarawak's Minister of Tourism, Abang Johari, chairman of the "Committee for Penan Affairs", which is loyal to the government, in a typical reaction rejected all accusations and claims, saying it was irresponsible to accuse the government of any transgressions...
About 100 partially nomadic Penan from 7 settlements in the Apoh/Tutoh and the Akah/Patah areas erected a road blockade at the settlement of Long Nen on the Layun river in order to stop the logging companies Shin Yang Sdn. Bhd. and K.T.S. Sdn. Bhd. from continuing their destruction of the Penan's traditional territories.
Details on the Long Nen blockade, provided by The Borneo Project
Photos: various pictures of the Long Nen blockade
Demands of the Penan at the Long Nen blockade
Over 100 Penan from the settlement of Long Lunyim, with the support of the settlements of Long Belok and Long Sayan erected a road blockade at Long Lunyim in order to stop the Lajong Lumber Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of the Malaysian Rimbunan Hijau Group of Companies, one of the world's largest timber companies, from entering further into their territory.
Photos: various pictures from the Long Lunyim blockade
A police commando from Marudi breaks up the blockade and orders the protesters as well as the manager of the Lajong Lumber Sdn. Bhd. to come to the office of the District Authority in order to resolve the conflict. On October 9, 2000, five representatives of the Penan arrive in Marudi where they are brought to the office of Rimbunan Hijau Sdn. Bhd. to negotiate with the logging company in the presence of a police officer, but without success. So they wanted to meet on October 11 in the office of the District Authority but the head of the Lajong Lumber Sdn. Bhd. did not appear. Without a single result, the Penan returned back to Long Lunyim, ready to erect the blockade again.
Details on the Long Lunyim blockade, provided by: http://www.earthisland.org/borneo
Details on the Long Lunyim blockade, provided by: http://www.earthisland.org/borneo
Need to tell: Victims of development
Complaint filed with Malaysian Human Rights Commission
The Malaysian Human Rights Commission plans to first interrogate the government of Sarawak on November 19 on this issue and then to travel to the conflict area in order to gain an overview of the situation. The commission assured the Penan that it would in no case leave them alone in their fight for justice.
Concerns over Borneo Pulp & Paper-project
Natives suing Borneo Pulp & Paper Company and the Government of Sarawak
Tatau/Bintulu (22 November 2000): The 11 longhouses community in upper Tatau continuing with their blockade against the establishment of the pulp mill project of Borneo Pulp & Paper Sdn Bhd (BPP) despite of stern warnings of their possible arrests by the authorities.
Over hundred native Ibans (men and women) stand vigil day and night to monitor if BPP is carrying out its illegal operation within the project area. They have set up camps on the road leading to the BPP's pulp mill project site. The blockade is remain strong and have gained support from the other neighbouring longhouses who are yet to be affected by the BPP forest plantation project.
Over the week, they have received all kinds of intimidation from the authorities and BPP. The police and government officers who visited the protest site were forcing them to open up the blockade. The police have given warnings to the Ibans to dismantle the blockade and disperse before stern actions will be taken against them. They were even told that their action is illegal and related to unlawful assembly.
On 20 November, the Ibans sent a letter to the Bintulu Divisional Resident Office clarifying their action for putting up the blockade as follows:
The copies of this letter were also sent to the Tatau District Office, Tatau Police Station and the BPP Office in Bintulu.
BORNEO RESOURCES INSTITUTE
Malaysia Sarawak (BRIMAS)
P.O.Box 1065,
98008 Miri, Sarawak
MALAYSIA
Tel: +6 085 423 044
Fax: +6 085 438 580
Email: brimas@tm.net.my or bri@tm.net.my
Middle of April 2000 members of 8 Iban long houses destroyed train tracks the companies Alwayield Sdn and Novelpac Sdn had used to transport timber extracted without legal permission on Iban territory to clear land for an oil palm plantation. The Iban felt compelled to such drastic measures after a holy altar to the Spirits had been destroyed and nobody, neither the police nor the accused companies reacted to their complaint.
Beginning of July, in the Mujong region, the Iban blocked a logging road with three barricades and stopped all trucks carrying timber from their forest. Beginning of August members of 3 Iban long houses confiscated the bulldozers of a palm oil company working without permission on their land. Middle of September the court hearings of the Iban of 6 long houses will be held. They have filed complaints against the police and the paramilitary Police-Field-Force for incorrect arrests, arbitrary criminal prosecutions and unjustified imprisonment.
In November and December the court case against the 19 since a year imprisoned Iban will take place. They have been accused of participation in the murder of 4 plantation workers.
Photos: Showing land-clearing for Oilpalm-Plantation
Iban stage human blockades against logging
Judgement by High Court against 8 Iban communities
4 gangsters, hired by State-owned company, die in tragic clash
Outbreak of violence in December 97 - Iban killed by police
Photos of the December 97 clash
The rough road
to achieving biodiversity conservation in north-eastern Sarawak,
excerpt from Tong Tana January 2000
Map: Proposed biodiverstity-reserve in Sarawak
Map: Showing the traditional nomadic Penan territories
Map: Showing protected areas gazetted/promised
Malaysian Press-article/map: Promised Penan reserves, (New Straits Times 19/10/93)
Map showing blockades by Penan and other Sarawak natives from
Map: Logged areas in traditional Penan territories: 1992
(map2.jpg)
Map: Logged areas in traditional Penan territories: 1994
Map: Logged areas in traditional Penan territories: 1998, estimates Bruno Manser
Map: Logged areas/areas under logging-concession in whole Sarawak, provided
by Forests Monitor U.K., 1998
Map: showing the logging-concessions in Sarawak
List: naming the logging-concission-holders in Sarawak
