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The difficult process related to the definitive recognition ot the indigenous territorial rights in Aracruz seems to come to an end.

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:-

Sarawak will open up some 50,000 hectares of land every year for the next few years to be developed into oil-palm plantations due to rising demand for edible oil. Business will be developed and managed jointly by state development agencies and publicly-listed companies that have the experience and expertise in plantations. According to the government, the state is prepared to invest heavily in the palm-oil sector (see WRM Bulletin nr. 8) because the products would remain attractive despite the economic downturn, as can be seen from the increasing demand for edible oil worldwide.

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.

It is important to begin by highlighting the fact that to receive FSC certification, a plantation company needs to comply with all FSC's principles and not only with the principle concerning plantations specifically-- principle 10.

The Ist Indigenous Assembly of the Tupinikim and Guarani took place in December 8th at the Community Center of Coquerial in Aracruz.

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.

On November 4 the period of 60 days ended during which FUNAI had to make a restudy, according to a letter of the Minister of Justice dated August 4. Concerning the decision of the Minister, there are three possible options: - to declare the boundaries of the claimed lands and establish its demarcation. In this case Aracruz will go to court, according to declarations of representatives of the company; - to declare the boundaries, but proposing a reduction of the area - to take no decision.

According to a report from Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, the Malaysian Minister of Industry, illegal logging offenses are declining as a consequence of the 1993 revision of the forestry law. This norm establishes that illegal logging can be punished with inprisonment or a maximum fine of 500,000 Ringgit (ca. U$S 172,000). If the rule of the law were applied, the Minister himself would soon be in jail.

The Executive Commission of the Tupinikim and Guarani had met in the village of Comboios on 13 September to evaluate the visit of representatives of FUNAI’s Regional Administration (ADR) and FUNAI’s officials on September 9 and 10. The visitors allegated that ADR was not well-informed about the land matter and also that they had some useful information to support the indigenous struggle.