Staking Their Lives for Their Land
AMIDST concerns that the "Allah" issue infringes on the religious freedom of East Malaysians, Bumiputera Christians in Sarawak are facing another struggle deep in the interior. It is the struggle for the right to land, livelihood and selfdetermination. The latest in this decades' old struggle are the Baram Dam and Murum Dam blockades.
An excavator leaving the site of a blockade at Long Lama against the Baram dam.
Photo: Peter Kallang/SAVE Rivers.
The Baram blockade
Kayan, Kenyah and Penan natives are fighting plans for yet another dam which will displace up to 20,000 natives and submerge a rainforest area of over 400km2.
Blockades at different locations were launched in Oct 2013, one, to stop construction of an access road, and the other, at the proposed dam site itself. Both blockades enjoyed success when workers left the area and took their heavy machinery and other equipment with them.
Points to note in the Baram case are: 1) The affected villages have not consented to the dam. 2) No social or environmental impact analysis (EIA) has been conducted on the proposed site, and yet, road works and surveys at the site have started. 3) Nothing about the project, resettlement and compensation has been discussed with the affected natives.
On 6 Nov, two Baram villages, Long Na'ah and Long Kesseh, sued the Chief Minister and State Government at the Miri High Court. They are claiming rights over 4000 ha of their land which will be submerged by the dam. They are also challenging the constitutionality of provisions in the Sarawak Land Code on the grounds that land, being their source of life, cannot be taken away by such laws.
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 The Murum Dam |
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The Murum blockade
The wall of the Murum Dam was recently completed and impoundment began on 21 Sept. It has displaced about 1500 Penan natives. To date, three affected villages have resettled in Tegulang.
However, the affected Penan natives tell a different story: 1) That the first two years of the dam's construction was carried out in secret. 2) That the EIA report was not disclosed until the dam had reached an advanced stage of construction. 3).The villagers who resettled in Tegulang had no choice as their original homes would inevitably be submerged. 4) The compensation offered and living conditions at Tegulang are atrociously sub-par. There are no farmlands and forest to grow and hunt food. There is no clinic and waste disposal system.
The Penans have launched blockades since Sept 2012. The latest blockade began in September this year and still continues. With their land already lost to the impoundment, they are now protesting the terms and amount of compensation, and to stop materials from coming in to complete the dam's turbines and powerhouse.
On 7 Nov, 10 Penan protestors were arrested for blockading. They include two under-aged boys. All 10 were released after three days but will be charged with wrongful restraint and criminal trespass.
 Penans at the Murum blockade.
Photo: Joe Lamb |
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A critical juncture
The blockades against both dams continue and are manned by the natives numbering up to several hundred strong on some days. They include whole families; women, children and the elderly. They live in makeshift tents and occasionally receive food, drinking water and medicines supplied by groups of concerned Malaysians and some NGOs. Long-term exposure to the elements and lack of nutritious food has caused some of them to fall sick. At times, police have stopped humanitarian aid from reaching the blockade sites. Natives have also reported harassment and use of force against peaceful protestors.
Many among the tribes currently affected - the Penan, Kenyah and Kayan - are Christians, and so are the lawyers and the NGO leaders helping them. These NGOs include the Sarawak Indigenous Lawyers Alliance, SAVE Rivers, Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS) and the Society for Rights of Indigenous People Sarawak (SCRIPS). They are asking for prayer and support to cover the cost of food, aid and transportation to reach the interior and to help lawyers prepare legal cases.
As far as the natives are concerned, they will continue to hold their ground. But for how long? The state government plans to build a total of 12 hydroelectric dams for industrial parks under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) project. The first of these, the Bakun Dam, has already displaced 10,000 natives. The Baram and Murum blockades are thus appealing for help at a critical juncture that may determine whether more dams will be built and more natives displaced.
Article sources: News reports and personal communications with lawyers and NGO leaders. |
