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Tong Tana
Bruno Manser Fonds
Heuberg 25
4051 Basel
Switzerland
phone +41 61 261 94 74
fax +41 61 261 94 73
info@bmf.ch
updated 2002-09-25
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Journal of the Bruno Manser Fonds
on the subjects of rain forests, indigenous rights and timber trade
Contents
Covertext by Bruno Manser: "The jungle child "Lawang" doesn’t
know anything else but life under a shadowy roof of evergreen leaves.
She can neither read, nor write, nor calculate. Her place of birth
and age are unknown to her. No missionary has ever taught her from
the Bible. ~ While her parents are out hunting or felling sago-palms,
the maybe 8-year old girl looks after all her younger brothers and
sisters, cuts firewood with a bush-knife and walks to the little spring
to fill the bamboo-tubes with drinking water."
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Editorial
jk – Half of the original forest area has disappeared from the Earth over the
last two centuries, most of which in the 50 years after the Second World War.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates the annual
loss at 170,000 km2, the World Resources Institute at more than 200,000
km2. On the surface, the reasons for this extensive loss of forest
appear to lie in deforestation for agricultural projects or for meeting the
demand of the local population for fuel wood (in the dry, subtropical zones
such as India or South Africa). On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear
that these clearing operations are usually preceded by commercial felling. In
the tropics, so-called "selective" felling is practised. As valuable tree species
grow only sparsely, large surface areas have to be opened up for individual
trunks. Because of the heavy machinery, rough ground and densely interwoven
forest canopy (creepers), up to 70% of the forest is destroyed by the extraction
of just a few trunks!
Commercial logging - which, according to economic experts is what gives the
forest value in the first place and is therefore supposed to protect it from
destruction – undeniably undermines the forest and opens it up to lawless small
farmers and poachers. Once the commercially usable species of trees have disappeared
from the forest, no-one has the time or sufficient interest to wait for anything
from decades to centuries for the natural regeneration. Huge agricultural projects
(oil palms, pulp wood plantations) are rapidly replacing the once natural forest.
Fire is used to rid the vast surface areas of the last remaining natural forest
and, this year too, extensive parts of South-East Asia are being smothered beneath
an unhealthy cloud of smoke again – so much for the argument "protecting through
use"!
In terms of opening doors, commercial tree felling is the greatest threat to
the remaining primeval forests. The wood-processing industry in the countries
that export wood from tropical forests also plays an important part in this
respect. In some former export countries the raw material for the processing
industry, which has been massively developed also with Swiss money, now has
to be imported. In others the demand for raw material is met by illegal logging.
With the increasing scarcity, illegal logging has become an increasingly pressing
problem. According to World Bank estimates, around 55 % of world-wide tree felling
is illegal, i.e. incompatible with the applicable national legislations. In
several forests, the proportion of illegal wood is even higher, such as, for
example, in Cambodia (90%), Brazil (85%), Bolivia (80%) or the Cameroon (50%).
Even the timber industry and the export countries have, meanwhile, acknowledged
the problem - a fact that induced the International Tropical Timber Organisation
(ITTO), in the early nineties, to set itself the goal of tolerating only sustainably-produced
tropical timber on the international market as from the year 2000. The ITTO
admits that this goal is still far from being achieved.
Forest and particularly primeval forests have a variety of different functions.
They influence the climate locally and globally. Primeval forests store many
times more CO2 than secondary and planted forests do. They provide
a habitat for a large part of the great global variety of the species. They
are both the habitat and food source of many indigenous peoples, who today all
stand on the brink of disaster. World-wide, several hundred millions of people
are directly dependent on tropical forests, e.g. the Penan in Malaysia, the
Yanomani in Brazil or the Pygmies in Central Africa. Their poverty is not, as
is often claimed, the cause of the deforesting of the tropical forests. On the
contrary, their poverty is a direct consequence of the destruction of their
natural environment.
The responsibility of wood-importing countries such as Switzerland therefore
lies in putting a stop to the consumption of wood from overfelling and, instead,
using wood that has been produced in an ecologically and socially acceptable
way. They must take steps to combat the global destruction of the forests. National
legislations on forests must be improved and effectively implemented. And profit-orientated
investors must finally assume responsibility. In this respect, once again, the
governments of the industrial countries are also challenged because of short-sighted
and egotistically-issued export risk guarantees! Finally, greater co-operation
with the forest peoples is necessary. They are largely excluded from both the
proceeds of this timber trade and international development co-operation efforts.
It is therefore also in the interests of the industrial countries to see an
end to the destruction of the forests and variety of the species, because the
numbers of victims of landslides, floods, fire-related disasters, droughts and
famine are continually rising. Increasingly close to our front doors!
Ceremonial sticks protect the Penan from ghosts ... and from the greed of the
first world, too?
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Sarawak - Malaysia
The Declaration of Long Sayan
jk – The biggest Penan meeting since the 1980s was held from 7th to 9thJune.
More than 700 Penan from 47 communities and many nomadic groups came together
in Long Sayan. This historical meeting was organised by the Sarawak Penan Association
with the help of Sahabat Alam Malaysia SAM and also supported by the BMF with
2’000 US$. The meeting’s aims were to analyse the current situation of the Penan,
exchange experiences and strengthen solidarity an traditions.
After ceremonial dances, a game of soccer and presentations of traditional
handicraft a discussion was held on the miserable living conditions of the Penan,
their origin and possible solutions. The Penan gave the worst grades to governmental
aid which they evaluated as unsatisfactory to inexistent. Their personal situations
are worsening daily.
In the common "Declaration of Long Sayan 2002" the Penan complain that the
government does not keep its promises. They ask why the government constantly
declares such aid as efficient procedures against poverty while they, the Penan,
become poorer and poorer? The government must come to realize that the totally
obscure issuing of logging licences is the root of the problem. The system gives
preference to the interests of the political-economic complex who has become
extremely rich thanks to the looting of the forests.
In the Declaration the Penan demand once again the recognition of their land
rights and that industrial activities in their territories are to cease. They
demand that the reservation promised in 1993 be established and that at long
last their community forests be protected, which the Penan communities have
been begging for since the 1980s. Additionally, the promised programmes in agriculture
and housing construction should now, at last, commence.
It is neither naturally nor lawfully permissible that the Penan should suffer
as never before in their history in a country as prosperous as Malaysia. And
the problems are growing: not enough food, lack of possibilities to earn money,
bad health, miserable living conditions, no identity cards – and most of all:
no land.
The central issue here is the democratisation of access to Sarawak’s natural
wealth - indigenous communities must be given the right to a free and continuous
access to and utilisation of the natural resources on their ancestral lands.
It has nothing to do with wanting to preserve the people as museum pieces or
the agenda of foreign environmentalists. At stake is the cultural, social and
economic survival of an already marginalised people, which can only be protected
by granting the people self-determination and a guaranteed access to and control
of the resources within their ancestral domain, all of which are the natural
rights of every citizen.
Sources: Long Sayan Declaration, press release SAM, June 2002
Traditional opening of the meeting at Long Sayan
Kayan blockades
jk – Since July 19th 200 families of the Kayan communities of Long Laput and
Sungai Dua are alternatively blockading the road. The two companies Rimbunan
Hijau (the owner is one of the richest people of the world!) and Shing Yang
(partly owned by the state!) entered the community land without permission and
are already operating near the water sources of the two long houses. Rimbunan
Hijau has already totally destroyed part of the community forest and the buffer
zone around the bird nest caves, a valuable source of income to the Kayan. The
logging companies cynical reaction to their complaint was to send in 10 additional
teams of bulldozers and tractors! The Kayan don’t feel like negotiating: "How
can we negotiate with the thief who has stolen everything and now wants to dish
us off with crumbs?" said the village chief.
Source: press release SAM, 20th July 2002
SUHAKAM annual report 2001
jk – SUHAKAM, the young, Malaysian human rights commission, have trouble getting
started. They may give more attention to the problem of the land rights of the
indigenous people of the Sarawak than before. But SUHAKAM acquired information
on the rights of the Dayak people from, of all people, Sarawak’s public prosecutor
– that’s working back-to-front! Does SUHAKAM have doubts about the rights of
the indigenous people? According to Colin Nicholas of the Orang Asli Centre
there are many hints in that direction: SUHAKAM’s idea to put the Dayak communities
together to be able to support them better could have come from the government
and shows lack of real understanding. SUHAKAM sees itself as a mediator – necessary
would be an organisation which, at last, manages to accomplish that which has
been obvious lawfully and morally: the recognition of the legitimate land rights
of Malaysia’s indigenous people!
Sources: SUHAKAM annual report 2001, Colin Nicholas, COAC, June 2002
Interview with Along Segah
B: What’s useful: government laws or the laws of your own?
A: It is our laws that are good. Our life was prosperous. But the government
of today is a very bad government, it destroys our land. In the old days
we travelled in the forest and gathered sago, found fruit, used dogs to
hunt wild boar, there were no problems! Also during the British period and
during the reign of Raja Brooke, life was good. They ordered resins, latexes,
leaf monkey gallstones and hornbill ivory. There were no problems at all.
There was game in great abundance. It was excellent.
B: Why have you been arrested by the police?
A: Because I live in the forest! My legitimacy over the land there comes
from my father Sega and my uncle, the late Tamen Teren. They were using
the medicines of the forest before I was.
B: Why are you against the government projects?
A: Because I cannot abandon the forest. I hate clearings and the burning
sun. If oilpalm-plantations are to come, I will die. I am used to walk in
the forest, that is my tradition.
B: The Government claims, it brings progress...
A: It is not progress that I hate! What I hate is being far from the
forest, missing the call of the gibbons, the sound of the grey leaf monkeys,
seeing the stands of Jakah-Palms, all the giant trees. When the fruit season
arrives, the wild boar and many other animals come. If progress comes and
destroys the land, we will have no way of living here. The government wants
to help. But the "benefits" kill my people. If the government had a heart,
it would not bulldoze down the forest like this. Making the rivers muddy.
If the animals flee, if the forest is destroyed, if the trees are no more,
where will the hornbills, where the gibbons live? When the time comes for
the wild boar to return, what will they eat, where will the animals live,
if the forest has been destroyed? They distribute the poster of endangered
animals to us - telling us we cannot hunt them for food. But they are the
ones who have been killing the forest!
I rely on the medicines from the forest, but since the logging companies
came, we suffer from fevers, pollution, erosion and many other illnesses.
My daughter died from drinking polluted river water...
B: Do you ever think of living in a concrete house?
A: Not me. I am used to live in the forest. Every night going hunting
and looking for game. If I see the spoor of a wild boar, I feel very happy
and am willing to walk until dawn. And in the morning it gladdens my heart
to look at the hills and the distant mountains where no bulldozer has left
its red wounds. If the government ordered me to live in a dirty house with
garbage and faeces scattered everywhere, I would immediatly return home.
In the forest, I go far away to defecate. We are clean here!
B: In 1993 the Chief Minister Taib Mahmud said that he had set aside
an area of land for you...
A: He did not! I went to Kuching in 1999, but he refused to meet me.
We lost the land that has been bulldozed by the companies of Taib Mahmud.
The graves of my ancestors were bulldozed into oblivion. The government
claims to spend millions of Ringgit for us Penan, but we don’t know where
the money has gone. Perhaps they bought bulldozers, so they can destroy
our land.
B: Does the Police threaten you?
A: Yes, even now some of them say that if I am arrested, they will take
me to a faraway place. They want to kill me because I struggle so hard to
save the land. But some time or the other we all have to die. It is good
to struggle to save the land. I shall struggle until I die. The companies
say they want to kill me because I was a friend of Bruno. He was like my
son.
B: Some say that Bruno led you Penan in blockading and struggling against
the companies?
A: It’s not true! We have struggled against the companies because they
have entered and destroyed our lands. No one told us to struggle, for of
course the urge to save our land came out of our own hearts. We struggled
already before Bruno came.
B: What are your thoughts on the future?
A: I want my children and grandchildren to live like me in the forest,
to drink clear water, to travel across the land without interference from
others.
B: Why do you need maps of your land?
A: Because I want to set aside land. When the company comes I can tell
them and show them the maps. If I have nothing in my hands, they say I am
just a person riding for free (a beggar with no rights, Ed.).
Source: Interview at Long Sayan, June 8th, 2002Since
February 2002
Along has been blocking the logging road of the Samling Co. - the employees
threaten to take his eyesight, if he does not give in...
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Switzerland
Petition that Switzerland resign membership to the ITTO handed in
jrd – On June 19th the BMF and the Society for threatened peoples (GfbV) handed
in their petition demanding of the Federal Council Switzerland’s resignation
of membership to the International Tropical Timber Organisation ITTO. Dressed
up as animals of the rain-forests the activists were able to hand in 6’200 signatures
to the Federal Chancellery. Many thanks to all those who contributed to this
good result.
The deciding factor to hand in the petition was the fact that during ITTO’s
session on Bali (13th–18th May, 2002) their still unachieved ‘Year 2000 Objective’,
to exclusively trade in timber from substainably producing sources by 2000,
had been totally ignored. Additionally, none of the BMF’s demanded measures
stated in our letter to the ITTO’s CEO (see Tong Tana 1/02) had been tackled.
In support of our concerns 3 parliamentary proposals (each with a national
and international component) are being handed in to the National Council: National
Councillor Maya Graf (Green Party, BL) demands that the importation of illegally
gained timber is stopped, that the Federal Council officially support certification
of wood to, at least, FSC standards and that Switzerland’s representative to
the ITTO demand analogous measures of the organisation.
National Councillor Remo Gysin (Socialist Party, BS) demands that Switzerland
introduce mandatory declaration (of kind and origin) for all wood and wood products
and upholds the same demands in international trade (concerning the ITTO and
other such bodies).
National Councillor Jacques-Simon Eggly (Liberals, GE) demands Switzerland
implement projects in co-operation with the neglected peoples of the tropical
forests and that Switzerland lobbys for support for the indigenous peoples in
the ITTO. We will be keeping you informed on the Federal Council’s responses
and on the fates of these parliamentary proposals.
Handing over the petition in front of the Bundeshaus
Malaysias’ Prime Minister Mahathir in Switzerland
jk – On June 10th "Dr. M" paid a first official working visit – accompanied
by double page advertisements in the big Swiss daily newspapers - to Switzerland.
Both sides spoke glowing words on their mutual, good relations. In 2001 Switzerland
imported goods valued at Swiss francs 241 millions from Malaysia and exported
goods valued at Swiss francs 553 millions. In the last 6 years Swiss companies
have invested over Swiss francs 1.2 billion in the Malaysian economy. Capitalism
and terrorism were the issues of the round table talks held by the Federal Councillors
Deiss and Villiger.
The BMF and Bruno’s relatives asked, without success, for a short meeting
with the 76 year old and longest serving Asian ruler. We had to hand in our
issues – Bruno’s disappearance and support for the Penan in the conflicts concerning
their territories - in writing to the EDA (Federal Department for Foreign Affairs)
to pass on because we had also not been admitted to the press conference. At
least the return of Bruno’s diaries, confiscated in 1986, was addressed by the
Federal Council and the press. Mahathir assured that in the case of Bruno everything
possible had been done and that his estate would be returned to his family.
Mahathir, who had used the "war against terror" to imprison members of the opposition
without legal proceedings, announced the coming re-opening of the Malaysian
consulate in Berne which has been closed since 1992: We are looking forward
to such direct contact!
Campaign "The Pristine Forest Friendly Community"
ch - In co-operation with Greenpeace, the BMF is starting a new community campaign
from September onwards. The campaign entitled "The Pristine Forest Friendly
Community" aims at convincing all the Swiss communities to renounce the utilisation
of timber from plundered forests and to shift paper consumption towards recycled
paper.
"Friendly to the pristine forest" means renouncing timber
and timber products from overexploitation. Instead, FSC certified timber and/or
timber from Switzerland or from neighbouring countries shall be used. Additionally,
the consumption of paper will be generally reduced and recycled paper used when
ever possible.
The goal of our collaboration with Greenpeace is to anchor the concept "pristine-forest
friendly" in Switzerland and thereby to make Switzerland more active in protecting
the virgin/primary forests. By August 2002, 306 Swiss communities and 6 cantons
have already passed appropriate resolutions. To double the amount of communities
is the ambitious aim of our co-operation.
Greenpeace and BMF still have different points of view concerning evaluation
of the FSC label. The BMF wishes to prevent tropical timber becoming, once again,
acceptable to the public by the under cover of the FSC label. But Greenpeace
and BMF have found a justifiable compromise in the above definition "pristine
forest friendly" to help the pristine forests of the world to receive the urgently
needed public attention and greater protection. On this basis a successful co-operation
with Greenpeace has already been achieved in the "rain forest ambassador test"
for children and young people (see: http://www.greenpeace.ch/kids-for-forests/php/index.html
On September 12th BMF and Greenpeace are lancing the campaign "pristine forest
friendly community" at a national press conference in Berne. At the same time
every Swiss community will receive a letter inviting them to renounce timber
from overexploitation, i.e. to pass a community council resolution, and to submit
to binding rules (Baukostenplan BKP/Constrution Cost Plan).
Active citizens and young people will also be invited to take part in the campaign
and make their community "pristine forest friendly". Since the beginning of
the year a comparable Greenpeace/WWF campaign has been launched in schools.
Naturally we tried to gain the support of the WWF for the community campaign.
Due to differing points of view concerning indigenous woods, not as yet FSC
certified, it was not possible to reach an agreement.
The common campaign of BMF and Greenpeace is an ideal area of activity for
our activists. In your region there are surely communities, church and school
communities, as well as associations which should become "pristine forest friendly".
Participate and support the campaign so that by the end of the year as
many communities and organizations as possible become "pristine forest friendly"
in Switzerland! From the beginning of September onwards you can obtain the revised
documents and leaflets at our BMF office.
Spruce, pine, and larch are the most common trees
in the boreal forests,
such as here in the Siberian Taiga.
The habitats of the orang-utans in Borneo and Sumatra
are sacrificed
for a "throwaway" mentality of the First World.
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BMF-internal
Bruno-Manser-Exhibition in Berne open until 14th September
The exhibition ‘Life in an Endangered Paradise – The Diaries of Bruno Manser’,
produced by Basel’s Natural History Museum and the Bruno-Manser-Fonds, can still
be visited – but probably for the last time in the near future – until 14th
September 2002. Take the opportunity and go look at the exhibition in the "Kornhausforum"
(the gallery) in Berne! Opening times are: Tues.-Fri. 10 am to 7 pm, Thursday
to 9 pm, Sat. 10 am to 4 pm; no entrance fee.
Positive Response to BMF’s New Presence on the Internet
ch - Since mid-June the BMF has a new, clearly lay-outed internet site in three
languages under http://www.bmf.ch. First reactions
over the net were very positive. Michel Bovey and Reto Stauss, our computer
specialists, in intense teamwork, have been able to correct any initial problems
concerning the sending of contact, order and donation forms. Many thanks. You
can now, unproblematically, also order books, videos, Penan rattan products
and more over the internet from us.
We were grateful to receive the generous donation of two Dreamweaver licences
(version 4) to create and update our web pages from the software company Macromedia
Europe. Many thanks.
BMF General Assembly 2002
jk – On 13th July 27 persons took part in the 11th members assembly of the
Society for the Peoples of the Rainforest in Basel. After the unanimous acceptance
of the protocol of last year’s general assembly the 2001 annual report was presented,
which showed what an intensive BMF year it had been.
Important work areas were the big BMF presence in the media due to Bruno’s
disappearance (the totem in Berne), lobbying, lectures and public relations
work – together with guests from Sarawak, Malaysia and Canada – as well as the
sensational verdict for the indigenous people and against the government and
plantation industry.
Since December Claude Haltmeyer has been working for the BMF with John Künzli
and Hansruedi Dietrich.
Erika Müri-Marrer then presented the 2001 annual fiscal report. All in
all the proceeds (donations, fees, sales) were higher than budgeted. Biggest
expenditures were the salaries and employers’ contributions (Switzerland, Malaysia,
Canada) followed by the journal "Tong Tana". The annual fiscal report closes
with an income of CH Fr. 290,541 and a profit of CH Fr. 8,000.
The members thanked Erika for her perfect bookkeeping with a big applause and
the committee’s work was okayed, as had been applied for by the auditors. The
two auditors, Rolf Loosli and Roger Graf, were thanked and re-elected.
There was a discussion during the acceptance of the budget 2002 concerning
the expected income from donations of CH Fr. 235,000. This prognosis was seen
as too optimistic. Therefore it was decided to cut the big and small donations
by CH Fr. 20,000 each – having budgeted total expenditure of CH Fr. 305,000
this would result in losses amounting to CH Fr. 50,000!
The income from donations of the first half of 2002 is not a good example
as only one journal has been sent out – but some financial difficulties can
be expected which will demand measures to be taken by the end of the year. We
need your help – every donation counts!
Donations for specific projects: This year, for the first time, we have applied
for financial support. If we are successful and receive the necessary funds
for our long term project "community mapping of the Penan territories" from
a big Swiss foundation then the above mentioned financial situation will be
defused.
After a prognosis of the rest of 2002 – which promises to continue as turbulently
as now - the assembly was closed with a snack for all.
The people we can depend on: Many thanks to all our voluntary co-workers:
Michel Bovey, Erika Müri-Marrer, Peter Rudin, Dominik Bucheli, Dany
Endres, Walter Brunner, Zoë Jeger, Rahel Wunderli, Chantal Pfiffner, Nicola
Gfeller-Barth, Lisbeth Gisin, Martin Leuenberger, Gill + François Steimer
and Marianne Dodd.
Many thanks also to the many donators – every franc confirms our commitments!
We would especially like to thank all those patronesses and patrons without
whose decisive contributions we could not carry on our work:
Renate and Alex Rabus, Neuchâtel - Michel Bovey, Berne - Barbara Hartmann,
Milken - Daniel Kuster, Geneva - Elisabeth Sulger Büel, Heerbrugg - Nanni
Reinhart-Schinz, Winterthur - Silvana Immobilien AG, St.Gallen - Michel Egloff,
Neuchâtel - Brunhild Börner-Kray, Zell am Main - Büro Gegenwind
(Daniel Brunner), Zug - Veronika von Stockar, Berg am Irchel - Andreas Ochsenbein,
Riehen - Ernst Beyeler, Basel - Marcus Wiedmer-Müller, Sissach - Ebi-Pharm
AG (Jürg & Erika Binz), Kirchlindach - Mathias and Renate Uhl, Offenburg
- Danielle Delarageaz, réverenges - Georges and Eveline Mermillod, Marchissy
- Pierre-André Monney, Franex/Murist - Römisch Katholisches Pfarramt,
Langenthal - Markus Koch, Reinach/AG - Mettiss AG, St. Gallen - Jean-Jacques
Belet, Ecublens - David & Tanja Koechlin, Riehen - Carmita Burkard, Boudry
- Marco Sager, Gonten - Christiane Maier, Munich - SPRING DANCE (Peter Höltschi),
Arch - Isabelle & Mario Oss, Stäfa - Schenker-Winkler Holding AG, Baar
- Manfred Brockhans, Bettingen - Katharina Perez-Nathan, Sala Capriasca - Société
Campenon Bernard Régions (Odile Boyer), Vaulx-en-Velin - Peter Leuthold
AG - Hortense Anda-Bührle - Janine Rensch - Johannes Nathan - Franz Hohler
- Greenpeace Schweiz (all from Zurich).
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Published by Bruno-Manser-Fonds (BMF)
Society for the peoples of the rainforest
Heuberg 25, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
Telephone ++41 61 261 94 74
Fax ++41 61 261 94 73
E-mail: info@bmf.ch
Internet: www.bmf.ch
Donations:
Switzerland/Liechtenstein: Post account # 40-5899-8
Bank Coop, 4002 Basel, Acct. 421329.29.00.00-5
France: La Poste, Strasbourg, Acct. CCP 2.604.59T
Germany: Deutsche Bank, Lörrach (BLZ 683 700 24) Acct. 1678556; IBAN =
DE85 6837 0024 0167855600
Please note: Voluntary contributions are very welcome
and very needed! Thank you!
Editors: John Künzli, J. Rudolf Dietrich
Authors: J.R. Dietrich (jrd), Claude Haltmeyer (ch), J. Künzli (jk)
Photos: BMF, Fritz Berger, Greenpeace/Steve Morgan
Title: Bruno Manser
Translations: Nicole Widmer, Tradoc (English); Robert Gogel, Tradoc (French);
J. Künzli (German)
Edition: 6100 (3800 German, 1500 French, 800 English)
Appears trimesterially
Printed by Gremper AG, Basel
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