Bruno Manser Fonds
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updated 2003-08-19

Tong Tana, August 2003

Journal of the Bruno Manser Fonds

on the subjects of rain forests, indigenous rights and timber trade

Content

Editorial
Sarawak (Malaysia)
BMF-Internal
Impressum

Editorial

Dear readers,

This newsletter is, in its length and form, one of the economy measures we have been forced to take at the moment due to our financial situation – and as outlined in the letter from December 2002. Although the offensive strategy we chose to adopt has given us a greater scope of activity, as well as the desired presence within the public, we have not succeeded in compensating for the resulting excess expenditure by increasing the amount of donations. We were aware of the risks of this strategy – but the consequences still took us by surprise. Gradually, as a result, the cost-cutting measures available to us were applied and we reduced staff from 180% (4 Persons) down to one part-time (50%) position in July 2003. Wage and allowance cuts were undertaken and the office downsized. This mini-newsletter should remain a one-off, however, enabling us to reduce the translation and printing costs. As the production and dispatch of the newsletter costs more than 20 Swiss francs per addressee per year, we reviewed our list of addressees in April and shortened it by several hundred.

The aim of these measures is a restructuring of the BMF finances by spring 2004. Then, it should be possible to create a second part-time position, again.

All the same, the BMF gave almost 100 000 swiss francs (70'000 US$) – over a third of its gross revenue in 2002, and more than in every year previously – directly to Sarawak! This achievement is as astonishing as it is joyous – and possible only thanks to your support, together with the contribution made by the foundation "Kunst für den Tropenwald" (www.artfortropicalforests.ch).

Donations are a hard-fought commodity. Collecting donations – fundraising – has become a lucrative business. For example, one out of every four francs for the WWF goes directly to the specialised advertising agency involved. In the case of "Menschen gegen Minen" ("People Against Mines") it was as much as 95%: of seven million francs, just 80 000 went towards their real purpose in Africa; the rest remained in the hands of prosperous private businesses. Others siphoned off tens of millions for themselves, relatives and friends or hoarded 100 million francs (10 annual revenues!) – partly invested in shares and lost on the stock market – instead of putting the money to its proper use.

In addition to the outsourcing of fundraising to profit-oriented businesses, the increased number of collaborations between non-profit organisations and the private sector – starting with the huge multinationals – also comes across is rather dubious. Up until now, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have attempted to convince the general public of a particular necessity by using their expertise, credibility and idealism. They thus managed to sensitise the individual to the problem at hand, creating in him a part of the solution. The private advertising agencies, on the other hand, rely on speed and quantity as opposed to quality. It is enough for them to confirm to the donors that they have done the right thing by giving money and thereby gained the right to a clear conscience. This is achieved by daily advertising, for example in free newspapers which are ultimately just as superficial as the commitment of the donors. The same problem arises when an airline company donates 20 cents for each of its passengers to an environmental organisation. This might help the organisation – and the "conscience" of the passengers – but it leads neither to fewer passengers nor to a sustainable use of our planet’s resources. On the contrary: nothing can be achieved with these ridiculously low "contributions" that is not immediately destroyed by the air travel somewhere else. The question of the independence of these NGOs is likewise open.

It is mainly multinational NGOs which, against the background of an ever faster – and more superficial – society, have revived the selling of indulgences so profitably: give us your money and you’ll go to Heaven – or at least you won’t spend quite so long in Hell!

There is no guarantee of paradise, however. If, beyond donating money, individuals are not convinced of the need to change their consumer behaviour (boycott tropical wood!), the dream of a just world cannot become reality; then, sustainability remains unattainable.

Donations are a rare commodity. Various projects for the Penan, such as a dentist’s surgery, a school, agroforestry, a.o. are still awaiting their realisation for want of funding. Every franc you send us is used correctly. We do not do any fundraising – we obtain our donations through PR and in collaboration, as well as by working together with other NGOs. We immediately invest the funds available to us in the objectives that have been laid down statutorily. Tell people about this – spread the word!

In the name of the Penan and our organisation for the peoples of the rainforest, I thank you most heartily for your loyal support. John Künzli

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Sarawak- Malaysia

Malaysian timber, certification and the FSC

jk – The Malaysian destroyers of the rainforest are using all available means to gain international acceptance for their own "green" timber labelling. What hasn’t quite worked (yet) in the city of Hamburg in Germany was achieved by the multi-million-dollar-propaganda campaign in Denmark: this country now accepts the Malaysian timber certificate – though for the time being only as proof of the "legality" of the wood – and not (yet) as proof of sustainable forestry. At least Malaysia will no longer be able to resist the duty of declaration, for the MTCC certificate is none other than a stamp of origin.

The delegates of the Gesamtverband Deutscher Holzhändler (Association of German Timber Traders) and Initiative ProHolzfenster, Deutschland were then able to find out on location about Malaysia’s "admirable" forest protection programme (in Mulu National Park...) and were quoted in the Sarawak Tribune from 21^st July 2003: "The timber industry is managed well". Based on his encounter with one (1!) Penan in the national park, Dr. Luers concluded that only old Penans have a problem with the destruction of their habitat – and they will soon die … Dr. Luers also believes that forced resettlements as a consequence of development projects are the best solution, for, "What else can you do? You can’t let them live in the forest." Luers compared these resettlements with the consequences of the Second World War in Europe – thereby confirming indirectly that a war is indeed being waged by the timber industry against the natives of Sarawak! Similarly, Andreas Neumeier could happily note that the meranti timber (45% of the raw materials used by ProHolzfenster) come from sustainable forests (?), something which was "a very important matter of concern for [his] customers"…

With certification according to the criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) of a primary forest in the state of Perak, there are now two FSC-certified concessions in Malaysia (the second is in Sabah). Even those responsible admit that the primeval forest in question, situated in the mountains, is quite possibly a high value conservation forest – especially as the rest of Perak has already been cleared, with the result that this mountain forest has become the last retreat for many animal and plant species exclusive to the region. According to the principles of the FSC, it is forbidden to clear a high conservation value forest – nevertheless, the appropriate inspections to decide the classification of this forest were not carried out. And now that logging has started – and the WWF has given its blessing – it is too late. The fact that the Orang Asli (forest dewllers like the Penan) have been granted liberal access to the forest – they were forced in the past to resettle here and dispossessed in the process – is a further mockery.

The government of Kedah, another state, describes the activities of the logging company WTK as environmentally friendly – despite the fact that the latter is destroying Penan land as well as forests in Brazil and Papua New Guinea. Moreover, it has issued a license to clear one of the last remaining intact primeval forests in the mountains of Kedah. Opposition to this is strong and comes from various social strata, since the matter in contention involves a watercatchment area on which a large and fertile rice-growing area (62’000 farming housholds) is dependent. WTK intends to work with helicopters; nevertheless, over 400 km of roads are being built in the 1’200 km² forested area.

The timber industry is running out of raw material-supply, and so it is using its immense wealth and traditional connections to the corrupt political elite to make sure it gets the very last tree left on the mountain top. Although the population is opposed – and the state of Kedah receives only 2.5 million francs’ tax per year from WTK – the government refuses to back down. (Sources: www.Malaysiakini.com, The Star Malaysia, Utusan Consumer)

During a visit to the German DIY store "Bauhaus" in July 2003, we discovered that garden furniture made from Keruing wood from Malaysia carried the FSC logo, despite consisting of only 70% FSC-certified tropical wood: the remaining Keruing came from conventional logging! So, the growing band of FSC-believers now carries only a third of the responsibility for the destruction of the tropical rainforests and their inhabitants… For environmentally conscious consumers, the message is clear: tropical timber is to be boycotted – even if it has an FSC label on it!

That boycotting is definitely worth the effort can be seen not only in the religiously repeated superstitious lines of the timber and environmental multinationals, that only an exploited tropical forest can be sustained. The Malaysian Trade Secretary knows that boycotting works, too. In the Sarawak Tribune from 18^th July, he complains that governments and public authorities are demanding "special" labels and certificates for Malaysian timber à the "Pristine Forest Friendly Community"-Campaign sends its regards – join us at www.urwaldfreundlich.ch!

The timber smugglers of Malaysia

jk - In April/May 2003 the English organisation Environmental Investigation Agency (www.eiadb.org) exposed how Malaysia was continuing to import illegal timber from Indonesia, including ramin, which can now be found almost exclusively in national parks. During just one hour, they counted 32 boats carrying tropical wood smuggled from Indonesia. Cynically, the eia found a customs point at the two improved smuggling harbours, too, where duties could be neatly pocketed… And all this after the Malaysian Ministry of Trade had imposed a total ban on the import of raw logs from Indonesia as far back as June 2002 – officially to support the Indonesian authorities, who themselves had imposed a total export ban then (80% of the trees cleared in Indonesia are felled illegally). Now, Trade Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik – the same minister who was in Europe recently on a propaganda tour to finally gain due recognition for the "excellent forestry and timber industry of Malaysia" – has once again imposed a total import ban on unprocessed wood from Indonesia. This could go on for a while, for Malaysia’s own forests are destroyed; there are still a couple of mountains left to clear, and then it will all be over. According to The Star of 31^st May 2003, Sarawak (120 000 km²) has only 10 000 km² of intact primeval forests left... Incidentally, Dr Lim also condemned the European "smear campaign" of the soy farmers (!) against Malaysian palm oil: "Oil palms are being planted in Malaysia on old rubber tree plantations." But these hardly exist in Sarawak! By the way: Malaysia remains the worlds largest exporter of tropical timber and palmoil.

How many Penan?

According to Alfred Jabu, the Minister for Penan-Development, the number of Penan in Sarawak has risen from 9 400 in 1988 to over 12 000 – a huge success for the government. The number of nomadic-living Penan has apparently increased, too: in 1990, 11 groups with 388 members were counted in Sarawak – compared to nine groups with 431 members in 2003. Since hardly any Penan possess ID cards, however, this achievement is to be taken with a pinch of salt. Also suspect is the fact that a Penan leader by the name of Datuk Hassan Sui is quoted, whose high blood pressure has fallen thanks to heavy labour on the palm oil plantation. And because he has benefited from his job so much, he recommends the expansion of the plantations into the Penan area at the Baram river (where there aren’t any rubber trees yet!). It’s just a shame that Hassan isn’t a Penan at all but a Dayak from the Punan tribe… (Sources: www.bernama.com, www.thestar.com, Penan)

How many blockades?

In the months of May and June 2003, at least seven Penan settlements, set up a total of five road blockades. The first three blockades at the Apoh and Patah rivers were set up by 200-300 semi-settled Penan from four different communities, to bar the Interhill Co. and the Rimbunan Hijau Co. access to the roads. Following the promise of the General Manager of Interhill to resolve all demands by 31^st May, the Penan re-opened the roads – only to take up the blockade again on 1^st June for obvious reasons… A short while later, however, the blockade was demolished by several truck-loads of police. A further blockade was set up by the Penan from Long Pengaran, whose territory and history is currently being doceumented (Mappingproject). Here, the Penan abstained from negotiations with the Samling company, preferring intact forest to empty words. Another blockade had been set up in March 2002, by the nomad tribe of Chief Along Sega, at the Nyakit river – Bruno’s destination in 2000. This blockade was removed this April by loggers of Lee Ling Timber, the company of the former Minister of Environment.

On 20^th May, 13 leaders of the nomads from the Tutoh and Limbang rivers sent a new petition to the Trade Minister, Dr Lim, in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. They stuck by their statement that they were happy, in principle, with their lifestyle, but last year the loggers had intruded onto their land illegally. Now, their survival as nomads was in jeopardy. They demand:

the total protection of their land- and customary rights
the withdrawal of all logging concessions that cut onto their territories
the respect of their base rights such as self-determination, mapping of their territories and control of the economic activities on their ancestral land

The reaction was as expected: irresponsible NGOs are poisoning the minds of the Penan and misusing these people to their own ends. Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu: "Most Penan have been caught in these NGO traps."

But the Malaysian Human Rights Commission SUHAKAM paints a different picture: 28 complaints from Sarawak natives have been filed with them so far – and all concern land- and customary rights…

Yes, the unity of the Penan – from sharing the same experience! – is astonishing. By now, almost 10% of all Penan have already been arrested for their cause, and the number who have participated in the blockades is no doubt several times larger. The mapping project is a step in the right direction – and it will be pressed ahead with.

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BMF internal

Bruno Manser’s Rainforest Diaries 1984 - 1990

jk – To get as close as possible, with his head and hand and heart, with his pencil and paint box, to the objects of his endless thirst for knowledge; to fathom and to understand these objects to their core; and to record in writing what he observed and learned, sharing these with other people: this was how Bruno most loved to spend his time. Untiring devotion and a great eye for detail are therefore obvious qualities in the title pictures and illustrations Bruno made each time for the BMF newsletter and also in the book "Voices from the Rainforest". Since Bruno went missing, we have been using drawings from the diaries he kept in the rainforest of Sarawak– a volume of work covering 1’200 pages from the years 1984 - 1990.

The publication of these extensive and fascinating diaries was a wish Bruno never found time to fulfil. Now, together with a few people chosen by Bruno himself, as well as the publishing house Christoph-Merian-Verlag and several other partners, we intend to publish these diaries. The financing of this, which has to be made outside the BMF, has not yet been worked out down to the last detail, but we are confident that the book will be out by spring 2004. For the time being, though, there will only be a German edition. Should there be enough interest – and the necessary financial means – the book will be translated at a later point into French and English.

For an impression, we produced a 1:1 pdf-file over 16 pages "Tagebuch.pdf" and if you would like to order the book at apprixatly Swiss Franks 98.-- (US$/Euro 65.--), you get a discount of 10% if you order in advance until end of the year. Please use the subscription-list - many thanks!

The aim of the project is to preserve the memory of Bruno Manser: may the voice of this humorous philanthropist, resolute fighter and daring adventurer be heard for many years to come and cause many to marvel!

Below follows an extract from Brunos book "Voices from the Rainforest", 1996 - 294 p., about the Rainforest of Borneo, the Penan and their struggle against logging with lots of drawings, pictures.

--> still available at BMF! Price: 19 US$/Euro

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Police Field Force troops armed with M16 rifles showed up in twelve jeeps at the Limbang blockade. A helicopter droned and landed. A bigshot, Datuk Mohammed Yassin Jaafar, got out, having come from a night's stay with the manager of the logging camp, and made the following speech (transcribed from a tape-recording in Malay):

"I am the head of the Sarawak police, a good man. I've been visiting Penan blockades now for a week and my shirt is dirty. Don't be afraid we won't shoot! We'll give you a place which hasn't yet been destroyed by the company. There, we will build a house for you with a school and hospital for your use. Because you aren't educated, you're poor and can't become the Chief of police like me, or a doctor or a pilot....

"We understand your concern that people will come from the valley and hunt in your areas. We'll prohibit this and confiscate their guns. If you are good, we can even provide you with guns. Your blockade here is against the law. You have no right to do this. With other tribes, we would have already broken up the blockade. But we know about your concerns, so we're lenient. We policemen are good men and are merely upholding the law laid down by the 48 men (members of the Sarawak state assembly) we elected democratically.

"The company does not make big profits; half of it goes to the government. There are many expenses for bulldozers, cars and wages - not a lot is left over. Two years ago, timber prices fell and many companies went bankrupt. Now, the prices are rising again. Five thousand cubic meters of cut wood are lying here and can't be transported to the valley because of your blockade. That's a great pity. The company is prepared to pay RM1,000 if you remove the blockade. Do you agree? Who is your Chief?"

"We have no Chief, we are all equals!"

"That's not possible! There has to be a Chief! If you won't open the blockade, I'll put an end to it myself - but then you won't get a single sen from the company! Datuk James Wong said to tell you: `What help the government can give, it will give, but it can't do the impossible.' There is no Penan land, Kelabit land, Iban land. It's all government land!"

"What's the name of this stream? And this hill? If this is government land, you must know their names."

"Shut up! We don't want to hear your opinion while the big guy's speaking!"

The police Chief struck the ground with a stick.

"The white man, Bruno Manser, is a liar. Don't believe him! He's not the king. If you went to his country, people would beat you. Now that we know about your concerns, we can help you. But you can't just sit around and expect us to feed you! You have to work. The animals that have fled will return. You Penan don't know what you are saying! You're like little children! One minute you say yes and the next minute no."

Before the crowd, eager for a debate, had a chance to answer, the police Chief thanked them, left the manager to hand out money to the natives and climbed back into the helicopter.

"Don't take the money! Give it back!" After some hesitation, the money was returned.

"A government that brings life listens to the concerns of its children, they didn't give us a single chance to speak, they only talked themselves!" one Penan commented later.