Bruno Manser Fonds updated 2001-01-31 |
Tong Tana, September 1997Journal of the Bruno Manser Fondson the subjects of rain forests, indigenous rights and timber trade
Content |
The four Penan arrested by the Malaysian military police on March 13th (see Newsletter of April 1997) have been freed after 2 1 /2 weeks of imprisonment. A court hearing has been scheduled for November 11, 1997. If they fail to appear, they will be subject to a fine of 8000 Ringgit (ca. $US 2800). The Penan were accused of interfering with logging activities. Until now, no legal action has been taken against the paramilitary troops who severely beat fourteen Penan. In the morass of corruption Kota Kinabalu, May 21, 1997 («New Strait Times»)
42 Iban, including nine women, were arrested by members of the paramilitary as a result of their opposition to a projected oil palm plantation on indigenous lands. During the course of the arrest, some people were beaten, jailed, and subsequently refused medical care. A letter written from the jail in Miri states: ‘’it is a denial of basic human rights if the government of Sarawak intimidates us so that it can establish an oil palm plantation on our land against our will’’. (Since the law of land rights was changed in 1958, the government has claimed ownership of all primary forests and imposed farreaching limitations on the land rights of the indigenous.) The indigenous are now initiating legal steps against the government. The court case is pending.
Datuk James Wong, Minister of Housing and the Environment, appointed more than 500 village chiefs as voluntary gamekeepers in April 1997. The move was meant to return rights to the village communities and to strengthen control over the abuse of flora and fauna (poaching). The gamekeeper Tr. Rayong Anak Lapik was arrested in Miri because he prevented the Ogawa Sdn. Bhd. Company from illegally felling protected trees. The tree in question, the illipe nut, has been under total protection in Sarawak since 1990. Its fruit is an important source of income for the Dayak people. The gamekeeper has repeatedly reported the illegal activity of the Ogawa company to the Ministry of Forestry, until now without success.
According to a report from Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, the Malaysian Minister of Industry, illegal logging offenses are declining. This is due to the 1993 revision of the forestry law by which illegal logging can be punished with imprisonment or a maximum fine of 500 000 Ringgit (ca $US 172 000). If the rule of law were applied, Lim Keng Yaik would soon be in jail. The state of Sabah (in North Borneo) has prohibited the export of logs since 1993. On January 18, 1997, the Forestry Department of Sabah stopped the freighter ‘’Able Helmsman’’ in the harbor of Tawau and confiscated 16 000 cubic meters of wood in the form of more than 3000 tree trunks valued at ca. 6 million Ringgit ($US 2.1 million). Prior to the incident, six shipments of logs had apparently already been sent outside of the country without the knowledge of the Department of Forestry. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s Minister of Finance, ordered an investigation and said «we are talking about tree trunks and not about pine needles». Documents have been found confirming that Lim Keng Yaik’s department approved of the export without having legal reason to do so. In addition, Lim Keng Yaik admitted that his Ministry had issued many permits for the import of logs from Indonesia even though Indonesia has forbidden the export of tree trunks since the end of the 1980’s. In the meantime, the court has issued an order releasing the 3056 tree trunks. Syarikat Raspand, the company involved, is suing the government for a total of 113,9 million Ringgit (ca. $US 38 million). The reason: illegal confiscation!
By Peter Bosshard, «Bern Declaration», Zurich
(The text has been slightly shortened by the BMF editorial staff.)
With 2400 megawatts and a budget of $US 6.2 billion, Bakun is one of the world’s
largest projected hydroelectric power plants. The dam will flood 700 square
kilometers of rainforest and necessitate the resettlement of 9500 people. Financing
for the power plant should be found on the private capital market. The Ekran
timber group and five paragovernmental institutions are participating in the
operating company with holdings of 32% and 43% respectively. The remaining 25%
will be offered to international investors. The Malaysian government forced
the seminationalized electric company to sign a power purchasing agreement which
would be advantageous for the operating company. 
The Bakun Dam Site
Photo: Bernama
Nevertheless the outlook for profitability is poor. In an extensive study published in July 1996, the English investment advisory firm of Delphi International judged the risk of the dam to be ‘’unusually high and largely uncontrollable. ’’ In addition, it said that returns on investment are «inadequate». In February 1997, the three major Swiss banks and the investment fund of the cantonal banks declared that they did not want to participate in the stock issue. Ting Pek Khiing, the strong man behind Ekran and the Bakun Hydroelectric Plant, initially seemed unimpressed. But in April 1997, there was a turnaround. Ekran now intends to only approach Malaysian investors because it would apparently cost too much in terms of time and money to convince foreign investors of the project’s alleged viability. Although Ekran finally decided on a massive capitalization increase in June of 1997, only 11% of the new shares have been placed outside of the Ting Pek Khiing family. To avoid relinquishing control of Ekran to the banks, Ting Pek Khiing must put some $US 500 million of his own private assists into the capitalization increase. The Bakun issue, originally scheduled for 1996, has been postponed until September 1997. The $US 5.4 billion Bakun contract is the largest order for Asean Brown Boveri SA, the Swiss-Swedish electric group. ABB is not only delivering generators but, as general contractor, it is also responsible for the entire building project. Land slides and flooding during the preliminary work have already caused delays of at least six months. ABB is under tremendous time pressure. If Bakun is connected to the grid with a similar delay, the seminationalized electric company can get out of the power purchasing agreement. This agreement is the only assured source of income for the operating company. If the operators of the power plant cannot get hold of the necessary capital or if the purchasing agreement should be voided, ABB will not remain unscathed. The Bakun Dam Site Photo: Bernama
It is not merely by chance that in examining the reasons for deforestation of the primeval forest and its socio-ecological consequences we are repeatedly confronted with Malaysian timber companies. The same is true for Belize. After the Malaysian companies have almost entirely depleted their own national resources, with no consideration for man or nature, it is natural for them to look around for new domains.
Although Belize was praised in the past for its ecological efforts, logging permits
have been issued since 1994 to 17 different timber companies for an area in the
south of about 220 km² kilometers. This area, in which 39 Maya groups are
living, extends over parts of the Columbia River Forest Reservation and a part
of the Maya Mountain Reservation. In September of 1995, the government of Belize
issued logging concessions to the Malaysian-owned Atlantic Industries for another
810 km² which are entirely in the Columbia River Protected Area. The company
is continuing to log, with no concern for the damage being done to the forest
and to the hunting grounds and existence of the indigenous people who live there.
Annual rainfall in the Toledo District amounts to more than 4000 millimeters (ca.
1000 millimeters in central Europe). It is obvious that the soil, without the
protection of large trees and their roots, is being rapidly eroded. The uppermost
layer of soil is washed away in short time, first into the rivers and then into
the ocean. It includes not only topsoil but the residues of fuel and chemical
waste which have already accumulated in the forest from the processing of tree
trunks. Belize knows no safe and organized system of waste disposal. There is
no law which prohibits the polluting of rivers and soil with chemicals and other
ecologically harmful substances. The Maya people, whose sources of water and food
are being destroyed, are the ones who are suffering. In 1996, the government of
Belize officially revoked the protective status of the ‘’Maya Natural
Resources Reservation,’’ thus enabling Atlantic Industries to cut timber
in this area. The government is intending to resettle the Maya communities which
have been affected. But in all aspects, the proceeding would violate both human
rights and the tribal rights of the indigenous inhabitants. Letter campaign: Please
write a postcard or a letter to the following address and demand a stop to the
re-settlement of the Maya peoples and the annulment of the logging license issued
to Atlantic Industries: Hon. Henry Young Hon. Manuel Esquival Ministry of Tourism
Prime Minister and Environment Belmopan, Cayo Dist. Belmopan, Cayo Dist. Belize
C.A. Belize C.A. Fax: 00501 8 23 815 Fax: 00501 8 22 085
Graphic: Christoph Wiedmer
Swiss forestry complies with its standards as do most of the European countries.
The buyer of wood is responsible for control. The ‘eco label’ has been
primarily chosen for marketing reasons, without taking into account its actual
meaning.’’ There is nothing more to be said in this respect. Roman Jann,
lawyer and self-appointed protector of the rainforests, has resigned as delegate
of the Board of Directors of Precious Woods. A committee under the leadership
of Andres Gut has been appointed to replace him. Precious Woods, a Swiss company,
is operating a teak monoculture in Costa Rica and logging in Brazil’s primeval
forests. The company is being supported with a 3 million Swiss franc grant ($US
2.1 million) from the Department for Development and Technical Cooperation (DEZA).
In spite of the taxpayers’ millions, the company is still suffering from
financial problems. BMF has heard from reliable sources that reasons can be found
with the management of Precious Woods. The protector of the rainforests and his
colleagues have been accused of ‘’lacking operational experience, naive
and blind trust in Roman Jann, and wasting money’’. According to market
information published in ‘’Perkasa,’’ the journal of Sarawak’s
timber industry, there is still a strong demand for ramin wood in Europe and Australia.
A cubic meter of ramin sells in Europe for $US 510–565. Ramin grows in the
marshlands of Borneo’s lowlands. The wood is used for frames, floor strips,
curtain rods and broom handles which are sold in supermarkets. The city of Lausanne
will soon build waiting halls at bus stops with a contemporary design. Tropical
wood will be used for the benches. After having had a close look, BMF came to
the conclusion that the wood in question could be African iroko. First models
of the hall are already in use at the ‘’Tunnel, Riponne and Ouchy’’
bus stops. 
The new ‘’Riponne’’ bus stop in Lausanne
with a bench made of tropical wood
Photo: Roger Graf
Jacques Christinet and Bruno Manser at a breathtaking height
Photo: Marc Kronig
and Catherine Nicola left Basel at the end of the year for her native southern
France. Catherin2e’s responsibilities at BMF included correspondence in the
French language. For health reasons, Jean-Claude Bourgnon handed over his honorary
position as treasurer to Erika Müri-Marrer at the end of the year. Lukas
Heierle has also resigned from the executive committee because his studies and
other responsibilities, especially those with IWGIA in Basel, did not leave him
sufficient time for BMF. We would like to thank Lukas for his especially dedicated
and constructive collaboration. Michael Mettler from Zurich has been newly elected
to the executive committee. Our special gratitude to members of the executive
committee and to all of those who support and help us with our work. We are also
especially grateful to Maja Schwab-Glarner for her generous contribution of Sfr
20 000! Despite this very generous gesture, and despite other donations totaling
Sfr. 89 698 and Sfr. 25 330 in proceeds from the sale of various articles, the
1996 accounts still closed with a loss of Sfr. 36 109. The financially very poor
results were mainly due to wage costs of Sfr. 57 146, spending on projects in
Malaysia of Sfr. 27 407, and Sfr. 52 693 in costs for public relations. The Bruno-Manser-Fonds
has been financed for more than two years from resources which were accumulated
in 1993 and 1994. A detailed balance sheet and auditor’s report are available
from the office. Tel. 061 261 94 74. 
Photo: Rob Howard
Bruno-Manser-Fonds (BMF)
Association for the peoples of the rain forest
Heuberg 25, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
Telephone 41 61/261 94 74
Fax 41 61/261 94 73
E-mail: info@bmf.ch
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