Malaysia

A big campaign is being pushed ahead to stop a dam project in Selangor, Malaysia, which will not only destroy rainforest but also evict indigenous people from their ancestral homelands. The campaign is aimed at protecting 600 hectares of rainforest from being devastated by this project.

On January 12th the Penans of Long Sayan and Long Belok set up blockades at strategic road points to prevent Lajung Lumber S.Bhd from conducting logging activities in their communal forest, after the company refused to meet their demands. In October 1997 Lajung Lumber had signed an agreement with the Penans to log pre-established areas of their communal forest. However the company violated the terms and conditions stipulated in the agreement trying to log undesignated areas even without paying compensation. This abuse provoked the reaction of the indigenous communities.

The Sarawak State government and the Ministry of Resource Planning have recently proposed to constitute Protected Forest and/or Forest Reserves in the State, that would encroach on areas claimed as Native Customary Right (NCR) lands by the various native communities. The risk exists that the natives will find that their rights to their ancestral lands and forest will be extinguished in the process, without having been consulted.

Seven Dayak Iban natives from Rumah Bugah, Tubai, Ukong, Limbang are suing the Police for wrongful arrest and baseless imprisonment.

The forest near the village of Long Lamai was in flames last week after Penan people refused to let timber company workers into their lands, to which the latter reacted by setting th forest on fire. Local people were worried that the fire might extend to larger areas. This region is being targetted by a Malaysian-German technical co-operation project which put in place a comprehensive Forest Management Information System. Samling was the first logging company involved in the project by providing two concession area in Upper Baram as a pioneer testing ground.

We have received the following statement from Sarawak with a request to circulate it as widely as possible: "The Bakun Region People's Committee (BRPC) urges the State government and the Bakun Resettlement Committee (BRC) to shelve the resettlement of the Bakun residents which is tentatively set for July this year, as announced recently by the Chairman of the BRC, YB Dr. James Masing. The BRPC makes this urgent appeal for the deferment of the resettlement exercise based on the following:-

In WRM Bulletin nr. 3 (8/8/97) we informed about a megaproject of industrial tree plantations in Eastern Cape province of South Africa by Malaysian forestry companies. The activities of the Malaysian in Africa continues, also in the logging sector. In September 1997 Innovest Bhd began logging in a 3,360 km2 concession in the southwest of Congo-Brazzaville. The company, that holds 92% of the shares of the Congolese subsidiary Innovest Congo SA, is planning to cut 100,000 m3 of timber each year.

In the last issue of our Bulletin we informed about the events of December in Sarawak. Enyang ak Gendung who was shot by the police while protesting peacefully, died in hospital from his injuries on 24 December 1997, after five days in coma under intensive care. A postmortem performed three days later revealed a bullet lodged inside his head. Enyang ak Gendung was married with three children, aged between seven and 17 years.

The Malaysian Ministry of Economic Affairs has announced an increase in pulpwood plantations throughout Malaysia, Sarawak included. At present, an area of 10,000 hectares is occupied by tree plantations in Sarawak and it is increasing as in other regions of the country. While in the past most of the tree plantations were established by the State, at present private companies are becoming more and more involved. The role of the State is changing: Dr.

As a response to the violents events of last December in Sarawak (see WRM Bulletin nr. 7) faxes were sent to political, Policy and Justice authorities of Sarawak and Malaysia expressing our concern for the arrest and shooting of Iban natives that resulted in the death of one of them, and the violation of their custommary land rights. We appealed to conduct and inmediate and fair investigation on these facts that would lead to the punishment of this offence against Iban engaged in peaceful protests, and to make sure that Native Customary Rights are definitevely respected.

About 300 Iban of Rumah Bangga longhouse, about 100 kilometres from the town of Miri, put up a blockade to protect their Native Customary Land after two companies, Segarakam Sdn Bhd, and Prana Sdn Bhd. -which are contractors to Empresa (M) Sdn Bhd.- trespassed on and cleared their land, which resulted in extensive damages to their property. Without notice or consultation with the Iban, the land and Survey Department -a Sarawak State government department- had issued a provisional lease to Empresa (M) Sdn Bhd, an oil palm plantation company.

Sarawak NGO people have asked us to thank all those who sent faxes in support of the Iban people imprisoned last June. They stressed the importance of those messages in achieving the release of those imprisoned. A new call for action is now requested (see above article on Sarawak) and we hope to count once again on your cooperation.