On April 17th we sent a letter to the Primer Minister and to the Inspector General of Police in Malaysia on the arrest and ill-treatment suffered by four Penan natives, who were claiming against the destructive activities of a logging company (probably Samling). On April 30th messages were sent to the Chief Minister of Sarawak and to the Prime Minister of Malaysia expressing our concern for the arrest of three members of the Dayak Ibans people happened a few days before and requesting that the legitimous rights of indigenous peoples of Sarawak be respected. They were prossecuted under the false accusation of having intimidated, threatened and assaulted a group of workers of Nation Mark Sdn Bhd, a company that has been destroying the forest by cleaning up lands for the commercial plantation of palm trees. Brought to Court on May 3rd. they were released after having executed a bond to keep peace. The prisoners refused to consider themselves as guilty for having peacefully defended their rights.
Concern for events in Sarawak
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