A new report by JOANGOHutan, the Malaysian Network of Indigenous Peoples and Non-Governmental Organizations, paints an atmosphere of abuse and ambivalence toward indigenous communities embroiled in land disputes in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
According to the report, there are currently 140 land dispute cases in limbo in the Sarawak courts. Indigenous groups are fighting loggers, oil palm plantation developers, and the paper industry for their tribal lands, yet indigenous tribes have not found advocates in state government.
“It frequently happens that rather than ensuring the law is being upheld, local authorities, police and loggers act in collusion to harass and intimidate indigenous communities,” the 40 page report reads.
 A new report alleges that Sarawak’s natives have had little benefit from logging despite development promises by the state authorities. Copyright: Bruno Manser Fonds, which works with forest tribes in Sarawak. |
Even when indigenous communities win legal cases against developers, the report states that state governments largely ignores the rulings. For example, the Iban indigenous tribe won a landmark ruling in 2001 that stated that indigenous communities have customary rights over their primary rainforests, yet the Iban have been fighting industrial interests ever since. In January of this year, 25 Iban homes were demolished by state police without prior notice.
Another indigenous group, the Penan, have also long struggled to have their rights over tribal lands respected. For example, an independent review found that Interhill Logging, a Sarawak-company, had abused the rights of the Penan people. According to the report Interhill Logging was conducting unsustainable logging of the rainforest and that there was “no inherent long-term development advantage” for the Penan people. Compensation for deforestation was given arbitrarily to the Penan and not recorded by the company. Worse incidences have also occurred. In 2008 an indigenous leader was allegedly murdered for his opposition to logging. More recently, the Sarawak government confirmed that a number of Penan girls were abused, molested, and raped by loggers.
In response to this situation, JOANGOHutan is calling on the European Union not to sign a timber trade agreement with Malaysia unless it “includes a mechanism that forces the Malaysian Government to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples.” The agreement should also ensure that the state government “must uphold and implement all recent court judgements”.
“We urge the Malaysian government and the European Union to ensure that any agreement is based on procedures in accordance with existing national and international human rights laws and instruments recognising the rights of indigenous peoples.” Wong Meng Chuo, Director of JOANGOHutan, said in a press release.
Malaysia is the world’s largest exporter of tropical timber and the second-largest producer of palm oil.
Sarawak logs are often harvested on native lands without the consent of the indigenous population. Copyright: Bruno Manser Fonds, which works with forest tribes in Sarawak.
In 2008, Sarawak timber exports atained a value of 7.4 billion Malaysian Ringgits (2.3 billion US $). Copyright: Bruno Manser Fonds, which works with forest tribes in Sarawak.
: Protests against logging by Sarawak’s indigenous communities have mostly been disregarded by the state government. Copyright: Bruno Manser Fonds, which works with forest tribes in Sarawak.
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