Sarawak native communities urgently ask for support
Rimbunan Hijau owner Tiong Hiew King (picture) is cheeerful about his estimated 1 billion US-dollar fortune. But his company continues destroying the livelihood of Sarawak's native Iban communities.
By Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), Kuching
Dear friends,
We would like to call upon all sympathisers around the world to pressure the Sarawak government and also the Malaysian government to stop Rimbunan Hijau from discriminating, robbing and depriving the indigenous people of their native customary land rights in Sarawak.
Rimbunan has been vandalising, discriminating, displacing local natives in the Balleh basin in the Kapit division of Sarawak. This giant company has been carrying out logging activities on native people's land for nearly half a decade. However this has not been noticed as the area is so isolated by every means this includes transportation, telecommunication, media, etc. It takes three days from the state capital "Kuching" to reach the villages by river.
On 1st November 2007 the company successfully convinced the Sibu High Court to grant injunction to stop the local natives from disallowing Rimbunan Hijau to pass through native Customary rights land.
How ever the local people are still in high spirit defending their land. They are very determined and even willing to go against the injunction order and face what ever consequences may come. They said this is the only land given from the Almighty god to their ancestors and to be passed to themselves and only to be kept for their grand children and their future siblings.
We are very concerned about the local people's safety because of the court's decision and the situation up there, likewise the unforeseen and the unpredictable circumstances in the days to come.
In another district of Simunjan of Samarahan Division Sarawak, the same Rimbunan Hijau also started bulldozing and destroying native land that include rubber gardens, fruits trees for the planting of oil Palm trees. The Company is said to use the local Chiefs," Penghulu" to frighten the local native. There are growing Police report made by the local communities on the encroachment.
Many villagers like Kampung Temiang, Kampung Keniong, Kampung Tebuan, Kampung Sungai Lingkau , Kampung Sengkalan, has approached their lawyer wanting to file a legal suit against the gaint Company.
Besides persuing legal action the local communities have hinted to set blockade to stop the company from further destroying their crops.
Your letter should be addressed to the;
Chief Minister of Sarawak
"Pehin Haji Taib mahamuh"
Tingkat 14, Wisma Bapa Malaysis
Petra Jaya
93502 Kuching.
Fax:082444566.
(10 November 2007)
