Bruno Manser Fonds updated 2001-09-07 |
Tong Tana, August 2001Journal of the Bruno Manser Fondson the subjects of rain forests, indigenous rights and timber trade
Content
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Illegal products derived from the last rainforests of our earth are everywhere. In Indonesia 7 out of 10 trees are felled illegally. In Brazil 80 % of the felled timber is illegal. The last of the Ramin trees are being plundered in Indonesia's nature reserves; the state implemented a total export and logging prohibition as a last rescue attempt. A court in Sarawak rules that it is illegal to issue logging and plantation licences in the territories of the indigenous people. Internationally funded companies illegally burn down immense areas to clear space for cattle, soya bean, palm oil and cellulose plantations. In May this year the Cameroons withdrew licences from 32 logging companies for smuggling logs out of the country to evade taxes. The resources of the Congo Basin are being looted by criminal units. The buyers, multinational corporations of the timber, gold, diamond and mobile telephone branches are financing the blazing African world war through these businesses.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Countless crimes are committed against humanity and nature in the name of growth (of the mighty) and prosperity (of the over fed). Just as innumerable illegal and partly illegal products are permeating all segments of our daily life.
Why do we let this happen? Are we not shocked? Burning Orang Utangs in the flaming rainforest canopy? Bruno Manser disappearing without a trace on the way to his friends who are fighting against the destruction of their environment? The last nomadic Penan's desperation at being forced to give up their traditions, live squeezed together in settlements and work as cheap labour on the palm oil plantations? The extinction of the last apes in Africa because of logging? The extinction of the Sumatra rhinoceros, once the symbol of the animal protection movement? The devastations caused by tornados and floods in Central America?
Why is business still being done at all with the people responsible for such a deplorable state of affairs? Why do the rich industrial nations even support such businesses with taxes (state subsidized export guarantees)? Why is trade in illegal products not prohibited and trade in endangered species hardly controlled? Why are the strong partners of the strong and not of the weak? Who is interested in a criminal world and who profits from all the illegal deals? That is the question.
In the mean time the almighty economy and its political accomplices are unanimously trying to convince the dumb masses that - FOR THE BENEFIT OF US ALL - such sacrifices must be made and they spend a lot of money to ensure that we kindly do get the message.
Our Federal President receives a Brazilian chief; our Minister of Foreign Affairs skillfully lectures on human rights; Switzerland plans donate 700 million Swiss francs in gold to victims of persecution, those deprived of their rights, the weak and the poor of this world; all those forums, conferences and agreements; it all has no more meaning than window dressing and the aim is to divert our attention from reality, a reality the mighty have no intention what-so-ever to change.
Unfortunately the only means to get the economy to revise their thinking is through boycotts. Boycotting products, boycotting companies, boycotting whole industrial branches and nations.
It doesn't make it easier for us and certainly not cheaper -
but it makes the difference. Diversification is wealth - stay tuned! John
Künzli
In 1995 the Pigmys in the Ituri Forest (Congo-Basin in Central Africa)
were visited by Bruno Manser.
Penan Ceremony for Bruno
Jk - On 20th April 2001 several Penan communities came together
at the upper reaches of the River Baram to hold a ceremonial in honour of Bruno.
They had written their message on a banner which they carried in candle light
into the forest after the ceremonial. On the left side of the banner they painted
the Batu Lawi, the holy mountain of the Penan and the place where last traces
of Bruno were found.
The message of the Penan:
Words of remembrance for our great man
May god protect your life and your soul
BRUNO MANSER
We all the Penan people from eastern Sarawak, Malaysia
Organize this big gathering on 20th of April 2001
For our respect and honour to our friend
as a leader Who has went missing for almost a year now.
He who support us to voice out and preserved the last
remaining piece of Borneo Rainforest
We hope to gain this fight for you and us
You have disappeared and left us but in our heart
And memories you are never forgotten by all of us your friends
We promised to our self to keep firm to our words
and never give up This battle on your behalf and for our next generation
The Penan ceremony for Bruno in Sarawak
jk - The German "Agency for Technical Assistance" (GTZ) supported the project FOMISS with German tax money. FOMISS made it possible for the logging company Samling Co to clear "with care" the biggest still intact forest of Sarawak in the Penan territory on the Baram river. This project has now definitely been completed. Lothar Zimmer, director of the "Federal Ministry for Economical Cooperation and Development" (BMZ) told the BMF on 9th July 200l that the project was, on the part of the GTZ, officially concluded on 31st March this year in accordance to the agreement with the Sarawak forest authorities and Samling Co. Since the beginning of the project (1993) - which contrary to ist size (1700 km2!) was classified as "scientific" - environmental organisations criticized the GTZ and the BMZ for simply forgetting the directly affected Penan communities, which resulted in the FOMISS-project being modified several times and, at the end of 1999, supplemented with a social component. The Malaysian partners promised to look after the Penan. This "promise" was enough for the German "foreign aid workers". They concluded the technical component of the project and left the country. Today the BMZ does give merit to the NGOs for having brought their attention to the big mistakes they themselves admit to having made already at the planning stage of the project but don't consider any future projects to aid the Penan affected by the FOMISS project. This is highly questionable considering that the GTZ/BMZ stockpiled the Sarawak's government, notorious for its inconsiderate dealings with human beings and nature, and the Samling Co, one of the worlds biggest and most disreputable logging companies, with know-how worth over 8 million DM, which is more than Malaysia officially spent for the Penan in over 10 years! Apart from that fact, the owners of Sarawak's logging companies as well as Chief Minister Taib Mahmud belong to the richest people in the world, according to Forbes Magazine's recently published list of the world's 500 super rich.
On 16th June we received the information that two Penan villages affected by the project, Long Benali and Ba Pengaran, were blocking the roads to stop the Shin Yang Co from penetrating into their tribal territory. Five policemen tried to arrest the Penan at the blockade but were, for the moment, unsuccessful. Long Benali and Ba Pengaran are, in the mean time, divided communities because the logging companies bribed a few of the Penan - the majority, though, stands united against logging in their region.
Source: BMZ, www.rengah.c2o.org, Sarawak Tribune 16th May
2001
Bruno in the rain-forest of Kalimantan/Indonesia, March 2000
jk - Adat, the unwritten law of the Dayak peoples of Borneo which among other issues regulates social communal life, i.e. rights of property and use (usufruct) - was already in power long before British colonisation and their first white Raja, James Brooke. Accordingly the High Court in Kuching ruled on 12th May in the favour of the 63 Iban families of the Longhouse Rumah Nor. A unique verdict for Sarawak. The Iban had sued against the state and the plantation company Borneo Pulp & Paper (BPP) for having forced entry into their territory without permission. After a two year fight (street blockades, arrests, intimidations by authorities and the media, high lawyer costs, etc) involving high financial and personal commitment the 200 Iban, who had undertaken the voyage to Kuching, were overwhelmed by their emotions: These indigenous people who had even had to prove that they were real Iban received what was theirs by right: Judge Datuk Ian Chin ruled that it was proven that the Longhouse Rumah Nor posses traditional rights over an area of 700 hectare and therefore the plantation-licence was issued illegaly.
Because the Iban today still use the disputed territory in the traditional way it is to be assumed that already their ancestors did likewise and therefore their land entitlements were legitimate. What makes this verdict particularly interesting is that for the first time ever Native Customary Rights are being recognized over non-agriculturally used territory. The Dayak differentiate in their land claims between Temuda (area actively used for cultivation) and Menoa (area passively being used for hunting, fishing and gathering, etc). Until now only Temuda land has been recognized - but dozens of such cases concerning Menoa are awaiting trial. Amongst them are also those of the Penan who didn't even cultivate any land before 1958 and 3 complaints lodged by the Iban against the BPP. Truly a verdict with explosive potential!
This may well be why this verdict has been ignored by all the national media. Only Sidi Munan, a member of the Dayak party, showed true courage by welcoming this verdict as long overdue and demanding that all licences concerning disputed areas in the whole of Sarawak be immediately suspended until every legal case has been solved: "Does anyone really believe that the indigenous people would have voted for independence from the British Crown (1946) or to join federal Malaysia (1963), if we had been told that we would thereafter lose all our traditional rights?" He then advised the two defeated parties not, as announced, to appeal against this verdict. Such would give the Dayak definite cause to seriously assume the government intended to take their land from them, which would be counter productive for the coalition government especially in an election year (2001).
But exactly this situation confirms misgivings that the above verdict is solely an election strategy. For the Sarawak elite this billion dollar project is already of great importance: The Vice Minister Alfred Jabu's son has managed to secure diverse lucrative commissions from the BPP - and the sales for clearing and plantation licences for an area of over 3,000 km2 must have yielded quite some profit (in bribes). And the state is principal shareholder of the plantation company. It is very possible that after the elections 'business will go on as usual'. The direction the appeal is pressuring towards is already noticeable: The Iban of the Rumah Nor had, it seems, already surrendered their land claim rights years ago by accepting compensation payments from Samling Co. for permission to felling in their forest. And the Iban are no longer Iban because a 100 years ago a Chinese woman married into the tribe and therefore they now are just criminal squatters on the land. Everything is possible in the system of Sarawak. At the moment though hope has broken out, hope that Sarawak at long last realises that things can no longer go on as usual.
The BMF financially supported the lodged complaints of the Iban from Rumah Nor and will continue to do so. Additionally the BMF supports demarcation projects because good maps of the Temuda and the Menoa territories are the key to the success of the claims raised in the courts.
Sources: www.rengah.c2o.org, http://brimas.www1.50megs.com, www.malaysiakini.com,
http://communities.msn.com/HighCourtI
The Penan much prefer to live in the forest...
jk - The Government revives the Bakun dam-project. More than
10,000 indigenous people of the Dayak tribes Kayan, Kenyah, Ukit, Lahanan and
Penan have already been forced to evacuate the area where the intended reservoir
will be. The government promised compensation payments for the surrendered territories,
longhouses, schools, clinics and jobs. But only for those who resettled in
the government's rapidly constructed settlement named Asap. Those who were
not prepared to give up their much bigger territories with good hunting and
fishing for three hectares of partly barren soil have - as is traditional -
independently gone their way and are left empty handed. In the mean time dozens
of families have also left Asap: They suffer from hunger, have nothing to do,
the promised schools and clinics don't function, the compensation payments have
been used up, the promised jobs in nearby plantations are so badly paid that
almost only cheap and mainly illegal Indonesian workers are employed. Alcoholism,
gambling and prostitution finish off the culture. Up till now the only ones
to profit from this gigantic project are the logging companies who get to clear
the basin of the reservoir - even though it is still uncertain if the dam will
be built at all: Malaysia does not have the funds to build it and also has no
use for 2,400 megawatt of electricity. This project, an ecological and social
failure, is now even going to be used as a model example for the development
of the Penan! The Penan Minister, Abang Johari, told the Sarawak Tribune (16th
May 2001) that the government plans to pack the Penan living in isolated areas
together in one big settlement similar to the Asap model and use them as cheap
slaves in the plantations. Johari said: "We believe that the Penan, like everybody
else, wish to profit from government services." That the government of Chief
Minister Taib Mahmud is "fair to all races" can be construed from an article
printed (18th May) in the Sarawak Tribune: The Chief Minister, himself a Dayak,
informed a discontented politician that he should kindly not complain because,
after all, he (the Chief Minister) is "fair to all races" and had even given
him, a Malay, a logging licence valued at over 13 million US $ as a gift…
... than to live in an oil palm plantation (Sarawak, May 2000)
jk - The BMF has been pointing out for a long time that the International Tropical Timber Organisation ITTO has failed to reach their goal to, by the year 2000, trade solely in tropical timber from sustainably managed forests. Less than 1 % of internationally traded tropical timber is derived from ecologically and socially soundly managed forests, in Sarawak even less! Notwithstanding, the Malaysian New Straits Times claimed on the 11th July, in an article titled "Successful Malaysian Forestry", that the ITTO's demands had been successfully fulfilled. Chief Minister Taib Mahmud sounded very different in the Sarawak Tribune, 3rd April: Mahmud pointed out that 90 % of the trees in Sarawak had been felled, (quote) "We are now dependant on the remaining 10 %. If the felled trees are not replaced the timber industry will face a sunset situation!" To guarantee supplies Sarawak relies on fast growing tree species which in future should cover over 20,000 km2. "If we succeed", said the Chief Minister's secretary, "the timber industry won't disappear in the near future and the locals would still have jobs." (Sarawak Tribune 02.07.01). The frantic efforts of the forest and timber industry to certify their products proves how bad the situation in the forest really is. The markets of Europe, the USA and increasingly also Japan demand certified timber. While during 1999 Malaysia's timber exports grew by a total 20 %, exports to Europe could only be increased by 8 %. At the moment Malaysia doesn't stand a chance of fulfilling the requirements of the FSC label (Forest stewardship Council) supported by ecological and social organisations. The FSC namely values the land and land use rights (usufruct) of the indigenous people higher than the rights of the logging companies. Outraged Chew Lye Teng of the Malaysian Timber Certification Council said to the "Far Eastern Economic Revue" (7. Sept. 2000) (quote) "How can a government be expected to be accountable to non governmental organisations (NGO)?" Who should then undertake "independent" certification and controlling? Naturally the notorious ITTO! Firstly because it no longer has a function and secondly because the ITTO certainly would never cooperate with NGOs!
This development once again proves that the ITTO has lost
its raison d'être. Demand your country's resignation from this alibi organisation!
Please print the joint Petition (english/deutsch/francais),
collect some more signatures and send back to BMF latest end of november - for
the Rainforest - many Thanks!
jk - Ten percent of our world's rainforests are to be found in Indonesia and amongst them, on Borneo, is the oldest primeval forest of all. The world famous Tanjung Puting National Park in the south of the island is one of the last intact low-land forests on Borneo.
These predominantly swampy rainforests are the original habitat
of the Ramin tree (Gonystylus spp.). They are also the preferred environment
of the endangered Orang Utans, whose numbers have already been reduced to less
than 20,000. Ramin fetches especially in Europe good prices (for poles,
strips, frames, pannelling etc.) and both Malaysia and Indonesia are the only
producers. Because the forests are near the coast, looting is easy. Holland
recognised the danger of these circumstances and already in 1994 wanted to control
the Ramin trade (CITES List 2) but didn't stand a chance against Malaysia, Indonesia
and the silent majority. So inevitably, because there are no other alternatives,
the Ramin stock of the Tanjung Puting NP is now being plundered, as the Environmental
Investigation Agency (eia) could prove in April this year. The roughly 500 Orang
Utans in the park are acutely endangered and though the instigators are known
they are protected from punishment, thanks to their political and military accomplices.
The Indonesian Minister of Forestry recognized how serious the situation had
become and placed Ramin on the CITES List no. 3 (Convention on international
trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora) and immediately prohibited
all felling and export of this tree species. He hopes to get international
support for this rescue attempt: From the 6th August 2001 onwards importing
countries like Switzerland can take legal action against Ramin imports from
Indonesia! In the meantime Sarawak/Malaysia is looking forward to having the
monopoly on Ramin trade - most likely including Indonesian wood that will be
available on the black market soon...
Teak is still a sought after raw material for the (garden)furniture industry. Since the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified Indonesian plantations more teak wood products from FSC certified production as well as from overexploitation of the primeval forest and plantations can again be found in Swiss shops. On the 11th July SmartWood company surprisingly exposed the deplorable state of affairs in the plantations they had certified according to the criteria and principles of the FSC: The plantation runners are felling massively more trees than permitted! In 1999, the volume of illegally felled teak confiscated by authorities corresponded to half the annual production. The following year it was even more and the timber actually felled, i.e. not confiscated, exceeds the FSC guidelines by up to roughly 7 times.
SmartWood states that rampant corruption and non-cooperation on the part of the plantation managements was hindering endeavours to find solutions. Obviously the situation is now so disturbing that SmartWood resorted to exposing it publicly and doesn't see any other solution but to withdraw the FSC certification from the teak wood plantations. Such wheelings and dealings undermine the FSC label carried by environmental and social organisations particularly because this is no novel criticism: The FSC concentrates too narrowly on growth, works naively and sloppily and only sluggishly takes measures against abuse.
This withdrawal of certification from the plantations means
that from the middle of next year onwards there will only be teak out of overexploitation
on the market.
Indonesias richness sold down the (Mahakam-)river, east Kalimantan,
march 2000
And even worse is to come: The Rainforest Foundation (U.K.)
demanded, in a press release on 11th July 2001, the immediate withdrawal of
the FSC certificate from the PT Diamond Raya Co. which runs a 900 km2 concession
on Sumatra. This rainforest is known as one of the last retreats of the barely
300 Sumatra tigers still living wild - in spite of this the company has no plans
to protect them. The Rainforest Foundation's further research uncovered
illegal logging and violent conflicts with the local population. Longgena Ginting
of the Indonesian environmental forum WALHI: "FSC must learn from the circumstances.
As long as 7 out of 10 trees in Indonesia are illegally felled we need, as soon
as possible, a moratorium on timber logging and no doubtful rewards to companies
who have not earn them. As long as the national legislation does not allow the
implementation of the FSC's principles and criteria no more concessions should
receive certification."
Orang Utans at the edge of extinction
According to official statistics Indonesia annually produces 21,4 million m3 timber and imports a further 21.9 million m3. The officially available volume stands in contrast to a domestic consumption volume of 51 million m3, plus an export volume of 49 million m3. WALHI (affiliated to the umbrella organisation "Friends of the Earth") sees clearly that the discrepancy of 56.7 Mio m3 - 70% of all wood annually felled - comes from illegal timber logging. This situation is caused by an immense overcapacity in the timber industry's plywood, paper and cellulose branches. These industrial branches were aggressively supported, often with international funds, and their exports safeguarded by state subsidies. The profitability of the factories was explained by cheap raw materials from timber plantations. When it became clear - among other problems - that the plantations' yields came no where near to the budgeted volumes, it was already too late: The highly indebted - therefore now state controlled - industry was and still is to 85 % dependent on supplies from the rainforest. Thereby it is also clear that the timber companies with official logging licences are those doing the illegal business and, in corrupted Indonesia, they can easily whitewash the illegal timber by means of "official" papers. This self destructive process will lead to the disappearance of the rainforests in Sumatra within 5 years, on Borneo within 10 and on Sulawesi and Papua within 15 years. Indonesia will thereby lose an annual income of 7 billion US dollars. WALHI sees the only way out of this dead end by reducing the capacity proceeds to a yearly 20 million m3. But the mighty industry can only be made to see reason through drastic measures. Therefore WALHI demands a total moratorium on logging for the whole of Indonesia and an export prohibition for unprocessed logs. This would allow the government to effectively persecute illegal activities and also to implement long overdue reforms in other areas (rights of the indigenous people, slash-and-burn clearing by plantations, timber industry debts). Another positive effect this measure would have is an increase in the price of tropical timber on the international market.
Are these the first signs of the collapse of the South East Asian rainforests? Thailand, the Philippines and West Malaysia already have long been dependent on timber imports and other countries will follow soon.
Those who refuse to condone this massacre can now already boycott tropical timber from overexploitation of the last rainforests, be it from Asia, Africa or South America!
Sources: CITES, UNEP, WALHI, Rainforest Foundation, eia, Pro
Regenwald, Bernama Malaysian News
Shaman of the Mentawai (indigenous people of Sumatra)
jrd - In the Botanical Gardens of Bern a 145 year old Jura spruce tree was transformed into a totem for Bruno, by his numerous old friends and relatives. On 23rd May the totem pole, which had been carved according to American Indian tradition, was carried in a small procession to the Bärenplatz and set up. Our joint effort reminded the many passers-by, interested persons and media representatives, that it was here where Bruno held his (futile) 60 day hunger strike demanding an embargo on all tropical wood imports, as well as mandatory wood declaration, and that our friend disappeared a year ago without a trace. As this issue goes to press, end of July, we are yet unable to give you any more information about Bruno's whereabouts.
Five days later the totem was transported back to the Botanical Gardens and given a definite place to stand. If you go by please sign the visitors book.
The illustrated broadsheet gives a good impression of our successful
joint effort. The BMF would like to thank all those who contributed, especially
Walter Brunner, who supervised the carving, and Franz Hohler for his impressive
performance on the Bärenplatz.
The circle of Bruno's frieds were carving the totem-tree in the Botanical
Gardens in Bern
and carry it through the city...
...and put it up at the Bärenplatz, where Bruno did his hungerstrike
over 60 days in 1993 to urge the Swiss responsibles to STOPP IMPORTS of timber
from Sarawak/Malaysia.
at the Bärenplatz, close to the Swiss Government Buildings in Bern.
friends and relativese spoke to the public and the media.
Finally the Totem-tree was brought back to the Botanical Gardens, where it
got its final standing-place.
Every last Saturday in May our patroness, Barbara Hartmann, wants in future to hold a meeting for Bruno's friends, relatives and affiliates in order to "carry on" his spirit. Those who wish to participate should please contact her: B. Hartmann, Loch, CH-3157 Milken; Fax 031/731 08 79.
jrd - On the 23rd of May there was also a beneficiary event for the BMF and the Penan at the Pro Natura Center, Champ-Pittet, on the lake of Neuchâtel. First the still relevant film "Blow pipes against bulldozers" was shown, then Marie-France Jankow performed African dances. Marie-Claude Bruss then performed dances from Bali accompanied by musical improvisations to Indonesian themes. This successful event made a clear profit of CH Fr. 1,163.- which we will invest in the continuation of our operations in Sarawak. The BMF would sincerely like to thank all the persons involved for their efforts, especially the dancers and the musicians as well as the organisers, Roseline Clarière and Pierre-André Monney.
jk - On the 19th of June in the Museum of Natural History in Paris a press conference was held in memory of Bruno. The media and interested organisations were invited. The occasion was organised by the French association "Peuples des forêts primaires" and speeches were given by Sonia Fraquet, Prof. Francis Hallé from the university Montpellier, Prof. Francois Terrasson from the Museum of Natural History, Telo Abing of the Penan tribe, as well as representatives from the organisations ATTAC and Robin des Bois and the BMF. Later this year a sculpture dedicated to Bruno will be placed definitely in the Bretagne.
db - In Switzerland wood imports statistics are evaluated and read annually. Depending on who gave the commissions variations of a few tons more or less occur, but imports anyhow vary annually. The question is what information do the statistics give? Actually only that more or less has been imported. Nobody really has an exact understanding of what these given numbers of tons and cubic meters of round wood equivalents entail. Therefore this year the BMF has calculated how much tropical forest has been destroyed for the imports of the years 1970 - 2000.
Our calculations are based on the evaluations of the Swiss customs and foreign trade statistics. Round wood (logs, mostly without bark) and sawed timber (i.e. boards) clearly declared as tropical wood as well as products derived thereof which were imported directly from tropical countries were taken into account. The different entries were converted into appropriate equivalent values1 in round wood and then converted into the area destroyed2. In other words the destruction was calculated backwards in the statistics, i.e. product and sawed timber to round wood, from round wood to area.
An area of 270 km2 tropical forest was cleared for Swiss imports
between 1970 - 2000, which approximately equals the size of the canton of Geneva.
This equals an annual average of 8.7 km2 or an equivalent of 5 football fields
per day! Note that these numbers do not consider half finished and finished
products (i.e. furniture, doors, cooking utensils, paper, etc.), which could
contain tropical wood, but are not directly imported from a tropical country.
The actual area of forest destroyed is therefore much bigger. Those who trade
in tropical wood as well as the Swiss consumers who buy it carry the responsibility
for this destruction! The statistics also show that round wood imports have
decreased massively (1970: 124,955.63 m3, 2000: 11,130.67 m3). Up till 1982,
when a few countries prohibited exports of unprocessed timber, round wood dominated
imports. Since then sawed timber imports, which have stayed quite constant since
1970, have been dominant and can just about be looked on as the economic index
of our construction industry.
Swiss Imports of Tropical Wood 1970 - 2000 Roundwood / Sawnwood / Total Cubic
metres of round wood equivalents
jk - The Brunegg Co (Brunex), from Brunegg, canton of Aargau, is by far the biggest Swiss door merchant and probably also the biggest Swiss tropical wood consumer. Since 1954 Brunex has sold five million doors, practically all of them with a hidden percentage of tropical wood! We have calculated the consequences for the rainforest, mainly that of Africa. If one takes as a basis a door measuring 200 cm x 85 cm framed with 4 x 4 cm panels made out of tropical wood and containing three panels laid over each other at the bottom (in order to adjust each individual door), then a tropical wood volume of 0.011328 m3 is used per door. Five million doors installed makes a total of 56,640 m3 tropical sawn wood. Converted into round wood equivalent1 this equals nearly 102,000 m3. Converted into cleared area2 it equals over 10 km2 all of which has been used in Swiss buildings by Brunex Co! The area is actually quite a lot bigger because many doors are veneered with tropical wood and specialized products, such as fire protection doors, are sometimes made completely out of tropical wood.
"Don't build your houses out of our forest!" Chief Unga Paren, Long Bungan, Sarawak
1 Processing round wood
to sawed timber produces a lot of waste, therefore 1 m3 round wood yields(1
: 1.82 =) 0.55 m3 sawed timber. Source: Ara Konkret 2 (1992)
2 Proceeds = 1 m3 round wood per 0.01 hectare.
Source: Grünberger (1999)
jrd - The International Tropical Timber Organization ITTO (headquarters in Yokohama) was founded by the consumer and producer countries to take the wind out of the sails of the appeal to boycott tropical wood.
It aims to save the rainforests mainly by supporting trade in tropical timber!
The main goal, to only allow sustainably produced tropical timber in international trade by the year 2000, has clearly not been reached: Not one of the associated producer countries manages its forests sustainably! Nonetheless, nobody ever took resort to sanctions and the trade with tropical timber from overexploitation is happily carried on (or even increased).
Such an ineffective organisation does not merit further support. All the more because it serves Switzerland as an excuse not to undertake any measures against the destruction of the tropical rainforest: Fr example, with reference to ITTO membership, the motion for mandatory declaration of wood and wood products and other issues was fought against (in parliament).
We therefore demand that the Swiss Federal Council resigns from membership to the ITTO and reinvests the saved funds in other more effective measures to protect the tropical forests. We also demand, as an immediate measure, that all imports of wood from non-sustainably managed tropical forests be stopped.
Please ask your government to withdraw as well from this alibi-organisation
- and please print out the attached Petition,
collect some more signatures and send it back to us latest by end of November
2001 - For the Forests - many thanks!
jrd - The ILO (the UN International Labour Organisation with headquarter in Geneva) Convention 169 is the only internationally valid agreement protecting indigenous and tribal people. It not only establishes their equality in the work force but also upholds their basic rights and claims to their own territories, their own way of life, culture and language. The BMF has for quite some time now demanded the ratification of this very effective instrument and collected over 400 signatures on the "Bärenplatz" in Bern in a petition to the National Parliament and the Federal Council which was submitted shortly before the National Council's debate on 31st May.
The National Council's Foreign Affairs Committee formulated a motion which demanded that Switzerland soon become a member of the ILO Convention 169. But when then the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs "seco" spoke out against the ratification the Federal Council turned tail and followed suit (despite its previous support of the Convention)! During the debate on the motion in the National Council Federal Councillor Couchepin received support from right wing politicians. They argued that through this ILO Convention the Travelling People of Switzerland could receive privileges over the rest of the Swiss population.
But in the end the pro arguments got the Motion through and on
the 5th June 2001 it was referred. Now it still has to be debated in the Council
of States. The BMF, the Society for Threatened Peoples and other Swiss NGOs
who support "indigenous and tribal people" invite the Council of States to follow
the National Council's courageous decision.
jrd - Some time ago the pharmacist classes 2c and 3c of the Vocational School in Luzern worked on the subject of the people in the rain forests and heard about Bruno Manser's effort for the Penan. They decided to support his work against the felling of the primeval forests. In the course of their studies they found out that in central Switzerland very few communities had officially renounced the use of wood from overexploitation and then ordered the detailed documentation from the BMF office.
They then wrote to 23 communities of varying size and asked them
to, in future, renounce use of wood from overexploitation. The response was
almost always positive. Two communities will soon decide about the motion. In
ten other communities further clarifications are necessary before they can be
put on our list. Baar and Buttisholz have, in the mean time, already been admitted
to the list. The following nine communities have recently decided to commit
themselves to renounce wood from overexploitation in public buildings: Ebikon
LU, Hünenberg ZG, Kerns OW, Oberkirch LU, Rothenburg LU, Seedorf UR, Sempach
LU, Steinerberg SZ and Wauwil LU. The BMF would sincerely like to thank the
students of both classes for their fantastic effort and to congratulate the
above-mentioned communities for their decisions.[School classes intending to
follow this example can obtain documentation from the BMF office. Now 297
Swiss communities with a population totalling 2,83 million figure on our list.
jrd - On the 16th June the BMF held its general assembly, attended by 23 persons, in the "Remise" (coach house) at the "Gellertgut" in Basel.
The annual report and the auditors report were heard. The 2000 annual fiscal report closes at CH Fr. 303,155.63 with an expenditure of CH Fr. 321'196.15 and a deficit of CH Fr. 18040.52 and was accepted unanimously. Barbara Jäckli and Marco Baettig, long-standing committee members, stepped down. The BMF would like to sincerely thank them both very much for the work they have done.
Members put forth four motions dealing with the future of the BMF. After quite some discussion it was decided to reduce the committee to three members, to build up a group of active volunteers and to develop a part-time job for a campaigner (see ad below). The BMF office will be reorganised to suit.
The consensus is that the BMF should continue. This we feel is our obligation to its founder, Bruno Manser, and we will now also not let the Penan down! In addition the cooperation with allied organisations should be intensified and the target areas of the BMF work be broadened without losing sight of our main topics: supporting the Penan and lobbying against destructive felling in the rain forests (of Borneo, principally). To be able to do this we need more funds.
Finally seven new members were admitted and the auditors, Rolf
Loosli and Roger Graf, re-elected. Michael Mettler and Michael Studer were re-elected
into the committee and Thys Meyer from Basel elected as a new committee member.
Thys (born 1972) is now training to become a primary school teacher and has
been very active for many years in environmental and human rights issues. He
will surely give the BMF new impetus.
John Künzli, Mutang Urud, Michael Studer, J. Rudolf Dietrich, Thys Meyer
(left to right)
bmf - The BMF is participating in "Declaration of Bern's" campaign against the sale of the public services. Through the WTO's (World Trade Organisation) GATS (General Agreement of Trade in Services) Switzerland committed to opening up it's mostly state controlled public sector, such as water supply or health services, to competition on the private market. It is our opinion though that the population should retain their right to a say in matters concerning basic services so that American corporations can't suddenly take-over our schools…
It is very important for the poorer countries in the south to
be able to decide themselves about the basic services of their people and, if
necessary, to subsidize them. Additionally the underdeveloped countries must
be enabled to set up general conditions of work policies, for example which
percent of the executive workforce must be of local origin. Such regulations
would not be permitted under GATS. To all Swiss addressees: Please sign the
enclosed card against these GATS regulations that go too far and send it to
Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin. Thanks!
