THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2000
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2000
Sarawak govt to tell its side of the story
By George Francis
MIRI - The Sarawak government will tell the Human Rights Commissions of Malaysia (Suhakam) its side of the story about allegations that logging and land clearing have victimised the native customary rights if the State ethnic groups, said Datuk Abang Johari Tun Openg, chairman of State Task Force on Penan Affairs."We'll tell Suhakam what have been done to the Penan and the facilities provided for them by the State government, and the other natives' contentious issues like the state land development for large scale agricultural-plantation and the opening up of Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands for them to participate in oil palm plantation," he said.
Johari was responding to questions that Suhakam would be coming to Sarawak to look into the plight of Penans and other native groups.
He said that he learnt about the imminent fact-finding and investigations by Suhakam later this month following the native representatives' presentation in Kuala Lumpur of their cases at a closed-door meeting fortnight meeting ago and sought Suhakam's intervention in their issues.
"But we don't really know the contents of their memorandum. The State government certainly vested with the power of rendering assistance to Suhakam or counter the subject matter of the complaint," said Johari, also Minister for State Tourism.
It was said that vice-chairman of Suhakam, Tan Sri Harum Mahmud Hashim, after meeting the native group in Kuala Lumpur, promised that the commission would meet the State government on Nov 19 and, if possible, visit areas affected by the logging in Ulu Baram and Ulu Niah, in Miri Division. Harun said the commission had heard their case and wanted to investigate further before it intervened.
Ten representatives for the Penan and Iban people who had been displaced as a result of logging and land clearing, relayed their problems at a press conference organised by several NGOs at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Nov 4.
A Penan representative said he was pleased that Suhakam was making the effort to meet with the relevant authorities to settle the matter.
He said logging companies had began encroaching into their native land and they have resorted up blockades to stop logging activities.
"We had no choice but to take this matter up with the commission because we feel that everytime we make a complaint to the State government, our case is shoved away," he was quoted as saying.
An Iban from Ulu Niah said land clearing and logging activities had resulted in a murder and rape cases.
On Sept 1, 1999, four "muscle men" allegedly having business alignment with an oil palm plantation company operating in Lamaus Estate, Ulu Niah were killed and four seriously injured by a group of Iban farmers on "warpath" against invasion of their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.
The case had been classified as multiple murder with the High Court trial expected to start this week.
In another incident in 1997 in Bakong sub-district, one Iban was killed and three wounded by M16 rifle fired by members of General Operation Force (GOF) who were called by an oil palm company to help them get their heavy machinery back.
The Iban then opposed the destruction of their smallholdings and the surrounding community reserve before holding the machinery at ransom.
The Iban disputed the company's encroachment into their NCR boundary without compensation whatsoever with the company's bosses remaining elusive.
After the Iban were being intimidated by "muscle men" allegedly connected to the oil palm company, they had held the machinery and on that fateful day held a traditional "warpath ritual" conducted near their longhouse.
Failing to win any compromise on their native rights, the Iban even filed an injunction in the High Court to stop the destruction of the land.
The company claimed that the area is land and leased to them by the State government for oil palm plantation.
Meanwhile, a Marudi branch of Malaysia Friends of the Earth (SAM) with headquarters in Penang welcomed Suhakam's investigation into the plight of natives in Sarawak that they have been victimised by loggers and planters.
"It is important to be responsive, responsible, and create an equitable society with fairness towards the disadvantaged groups," SAM representative Thomas Jalong said.
Copyright © 1999 Brunei Press Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved.