NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/8550

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From: EcoNet via Jym Dyer <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.activism,talk.environment,alt.native
Subject: NEWS: Sarawak/Penan Update from Sahabat Alam Malaysia
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Date: 20 Nov 1992 01:44:38 GMT
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  SARAWAK UPDATE 23 October, 1992

1. 10% of Timber Operators Overcut in Sarawak's Concession Areas

During the official opening ceremony of the 4th dialogue between
the Sarawak Timber Industry (STA) and Japan Lumber Importers'
Association (JLIA) on 25 September 1992, Chief Minister Datuk
Patinggi Taib Mahmud told newsmen that " according to reports
received, some 10% of the timber operators were violating
regulations by over-cutting the timber concession areas......
these operators had secretly gone back to the area they were
supposed to abandon to cut down more trees and claiming that the
logs were from a current production area".

        The Chief Minister threatened to blacklist the culprits
if the situation gets worse.  He admitted that the figure for
Sarawak's timber production is very high and that the State
needs to take drastic actions to reduce it.

        The International Tropical Timber Organisation has
recommended an annual timber production of 9.2 million cubic
metres since 1990, but Sarawak targeted her timber production
for 1992 at 16.5 million cubic metres.  By August 1992, timber
production in the State had already reached almost 15 million
cubic metres!  18 million cubic metres were produced last year.

        The above high figures probably explains why a recent
United Nations report placed Malaysia tenth on its list of major
tropical destroyers with 0.36 million hectares of forest lost
every year.

        Timber production in Sarawak is expected to continually
exceed the 9.2 million cubic metres quota in the years for the
Chief Minister had assured the timber industry that although
production from the State's permanent forests will be reduced to
9.2 million cubic metres, there would be contributions from
state lands in the next decade which are cleared for development
purposes.

2.   "Logging Must Continue in Sarawak"

Chief Minister Dtk Patinggi Taib Mahmud claimed that the people
in general will suffer more than timber tycoons if the State's
timber industry was stopped.  As an example, he cited the likely
retrenchment of at least 30-40% of the timber camp workforce who
may have to take up new assignments in Cambodia decision to cut
commercial timber industry.  Besides, majority of the 30-40%
would-be retrenched workers consist of illegal workers from
Indonesia who are mostly employed as fellers and debarkers.

3.   High Timber Industry Accidents

The Ministry of Human Resources is keen to reduce the number of
accidents in logging and timber related industries in Sarawak
which claimed 78 lives in Bintulu Division alone from 1990 to
August this year.

The Deputy Minister reported that the total cases of accidents
related to the timber industry in the Division in 1990 was 750
including 720 non-fatal compared with 745 including 716
non-fatal in 1991.

4.  2,090-hectare Tanjong Manis Timber Processing Zone, Kuala
    Rejang

The Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC)
has been entrusted with the development of Tanjong Manis into a
gigantic integrated timber and wood-based industrial estate. It
will cover an area of 2,090 hecctares of mangrove-forested land
at the mouth of the Rejang River.  The area will be divided into
four phases and is to be developed in stages; Phase One will
cover 420 hectares; Phase Two 4770 hectares; Phase Three 590
hectares and Phase Four will cover 610 hectares.

        The Department of Environment has not approved the
Environmental Impact Assessment Report but construction work on
the 420-hectare Phase One has already been under way and is
expected to be fully complerted by 1995.

        In fact, a proposed M$4 million sawmill owned by STIDC
is nearing completion and should be in operation soon.  The
sawmill is expected to consume around 4,000 cubic metres of logs
monthly.  The sawntimber produced will then be exported to
Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China and the Middle East.

5.   KTS Timber Industries Plywood Mill

KTS Timber Industries plywood mill, a joint-venture between KTS
and Japan's Marubeni Corporation was officially launched on 11
October, 1992.

        KTS Timber Industries was formed in 1973 to produce sawn
ramin timber for export.  The plywood factory was completed in
1990 with a production capacity of 6,500 cubic metres per month.
Exports go to the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, the United
States, China and the Middle East.


6.   Blockades

6.1. 200 Lun Bawang Protest Against Contamination of Their Water
Catchment Area

        About 200 Lun Bawang youths detained 5 workers of the
timber company, Samling Timber Sdn. Bhd., and seized the
ignition keys of two bulldozers belonging to the company on 17
September, 1992.

        The youths claimed that the operations of the timber
company, which was levelling a hill near a water catchment area
for the construction of a logging road, was contaminating their
source of drinking water.

        The next day, a police inspector and two sergeants
negotiated with the villagers and the 5 timber workers were
released.  However, the villagers refused to hand over the
ignition keys of the two bulldozers.

        So far, no arrests have been made and the timber company
has not lodged an official police report on the incident nor
held any negotiations with the villagers.

        Deputy Minister of National Unity and Community
Development Datuk Alex Lee who paid a visit to the area reported
that the water in the catchment area had been contaminated and
the water was very murky.  He also told newsmen that the
Department of Agriculture had reported that the water problem
could affect the 2000 heads of water buffaloes and the 150
hectares of rice field on which the Lun Bawang depend for
their livelihood.  He promised to discuss the matter with the
Commissioner of Police.

        Assistant Minister of Science, Technology aand
Environment, Peter Chin and Senator Ding Seling had also visited
the area and were convinced that the water pollution was severe.

        At the moment, there is a temporary cessation in logging
activities in the water catchment area.  The villagers are
continuing to protest against the encroachment by the timber
company into the area.

6.2. 70 villagers Blockade in Kampong Opar, Bau

        70 Bidayuh natives of Kg. Opar, Bau staged a blockade
on 28 September, 1992 to halt a logging contractor from
harvesting timber in the Gunung Undar area after one month-long
negotiations between the two parties failed to reach any
results.

        According to news reports, all logging activities have
ceased since the blockade.

        The villagers are planning to take legal action against
the company for polluting their water and causing destruction to
their land and to their illipenut and fruit trees.  They claim
that timber harvesting in the vicinity of their water catchment,
where a dam has been built to supply water, has polluted their
water supply.

        They also claim that they have forwarded their concerns
to the Sarawak Department of Environment but that their plight
remained unresolved.

7.   Update on Court cases

7.1. 5 Penan acquitted

        5 Penan were acquitted on 27 August 1992 by the Marudi
Magistrate Court, Baram after they were found not guilty by
Judge Ms.  Anita Harun.  They are Aping Mirai, Seng Turit,
Balan Bong, Nio Ajeng and Osip Lolee from Long Leng, Layun,
Tutoh, Baram District.

        They were arrested on 28 August 1987 and 29 August 1987
for allegedly burning four logging bridges belonging to a timber
company, Samling Timber Sdn. Bhd.  The five were remanded for
14 days in the Marudi and then the Miri Police Station and
subsequently charged with arson under Section 435 of the penal
code.

7.2. 6 natives discharged

        Three Kenyah and three Iban were discharged not
amounting to acquittal on 24 June 1992.  The six natives, Joseph
Ngau, Lucas Erang, Marcus Laing, John Ladi, Libau ak Gemok and
Leong Ungka, were charged with criminal intimidation when they
protested against a timber company, Samling Timber Sdn. Bhd. in
1989.

       They were discharged on grounds that the case had been
adjourned four times since 1989 and that the prosecution managed
to produce only three out of the nine key witnesses needed.


7.3. 26 Penan charged under Section 90B (1)(b) of the Sarawak
Forest Ordinance

        26 Penan were charged under Section 90B (1)(b) of the
State's Forest Ordinance by the Miri Sessions Court on 25
September 1992 with wilfully obstructing the dismantling of a
blockade on a timber road in Ulu Baram on September 16, 1989.

        The Penan were initially charged with putting up a
blockade AND with wilfully obstructing the dismantling of their
barricade.  However, on 22 September 1992, the prosecution
withdrew the earlier charge.

        The court allowed the application of the defence to
adjourn the case to Nov 12, 1992.

8.   Penan Biosphere Reserve

The Sarawak State Government has made a number of public
statements since 1987 claiming to have taken steps to set aside
two large forest areas in the State as "biosphere reserves" for
about 400 nomadic Penan to live in.

        The State Government had also publicly stated that these
two forest areas which are in Melana, Upper Tutoh river, Miri
Division and in the interior areas of the Adang river in Limbang
Division would not be logged.  Furthermore the government
promised to resettle all the 400 nomadic Penan in the said areas
by September 1992.

        However, logging in Melana has been in operation over
the past 20 years and intensive logging is still going on.
In fact, the Penan near the area put up blockades in 1987 in
protest against logging activities there.

        Eventhough it is common knowledge that these two forest
areas have already been licenced out to be logged by various
logging companies, it was thought that such licences were
withdrawn or revoked.

        The State Government again made an official announcement
on the matter in 1990 when the International Tropical Timber
Council was discussing the Council's mission report to Sarawak.
A similar announcement was made in March this year but steps
to set aside the areas are yet to be seen.  Instead, logging
activities in the two forest areas are actually going on more
intensively and extensively than before.

        The current Forest Ordinance of Sarawak provides for
the setting aside of forest as communal forest reserves for
the use of the communities.  However, these reserves have
shrunk over the past 20 years as the areas are released for
logging and new applications have been put aside in favour
of logging activities.

        The biosphere reserves announced by the State Government
would not be sufficiently protected by the existing law even if
they are to be gazetted as Communal Forest Reserves.  However,
such a move is not even in evidence.  Sahabat Alam Malaysia has
written to the Sarawak Chief Minister and the Forest Department
for clarification on the status of the reserves and to ascertain
whether the forest areas are logged.  No reply has been
forthcoming.

Yours sincerely,
S M MOHD IDRIS, JP
President, SAHABAT ALAM MALAYSIA, PENANG