MALAYSIA   

Police arrest eight tribespeople protesting dam

NOVEMBER 07, 2013

Police on Thursday arrested eight tribespeople blocking access to a dam which they say will displace them from their land.

Penans protested at road side infront the
 police makeshift near the Murum dam

Police arrested the eight Penans including two teenagers, took down banners and dismantled wooden barriers on the road to the remote US$1.3 billion (RM4.1 billion) Murum dam in Sarawak state, said activist Raymond Abin.

Abin, an official with the NGO, Save Sarawak's Rivers Network, said some 100 other Penans remained at the site to continue the blockade.

"The authorities find that this is the only way to deal with the people - refusing to deal with their demands," Abin told AFP. "The easy way is to arrest them in order to intimidate and threaten them."

A police official confirmed eight were in custody, but declined to comment further. Abin said the Penans were not told the reason for their arrest.

The Penans set up the blockade in September to demand RM500,000 ringgit for the loss of their land, property and livelihood.

The dam is expected to flood 245 square kilometres and cause 1,500 Penan and 80 Kenyah natives to lose their homes.

Sarawak Energy said the 944-megawatt dam began filling in late September and would be completed within 14 months.

It added that relocation of affected natives was set to be completed by year-end and insisted that displaced villagers were being compensated fairly.

The company dismissed the protest as "instigated" by activists.

The Murum dam is one of a series of hydroelectric facilities planned by the Sarawak state government as it pushes economic development in one of Malaysia's poorest states.

But the building spree in the resource-rich state along the powerful jungle rivers has been dogged by controversy.

Activists allege corruption, while natives complain it has flooded rainforests and uprooted thousands of people.

Hundreds of Malaysian tribespeople have blockaded the construction site of the nearby Baram dam.

While the Baram dam is expected to generate 1,200 megawatts of power, activists claim it will flood 400 square kilometres of rainforest and displace 20,000 tribespeople.

Sarawak's longtime chief minister Taib Mahmud has faced mounting accusations of enriching himself and cronies through a stranglehold on the state's economy, charges which he denies. 

- AFP, November 7, 2013.

Human rights groups fret over fate of protesting Penans at Murum Dam site

BY STEPHEN THEN

A police blockade being set up at the entry point into Murum Dam after more than 200 Penans staged a protest against the Murum hydro-electric dam project. - Pic by Raymond Abin

MIRI: Human rights activists are worried over the fate of some 200 Penans protesting at the Murum Dam site in interior central Sarawak who are running out of food.

Police have "cordoned off" the area near where the protesters are camping.

Representatives of Borneo Resources Institute (Brimas) and Society for Rights of Indigenous People of Sarawak (SCRIPS) were in Murum the last few days to visit the Penans but found themselves unable to enter.

Brimas state coordinator Raymond Abin and SCRIPS secretary Michael Jok went there on separate occasions and told The Star Online that they were stopped from passing through the police barricade.

Jok, a former Catholic priest turned social activist, said on Monday that he and several officials were trying to deliver food to the Penans.

"Police have set up a roadblock preventing people from entering the Murum Dam site where the Penans are protesting against a hydro-electric project.

"We went into Murum in two 4WD vehicles filled with food rations over the past week. We wanted to give the food to the Penans, who are manning the blockade day and night.

"However, the access road leading to the protest site has been barricaded by a police team at the entry point.

"We have to leave the food at the place where the police blocked the road with a makeshift barricade.

"We asked the police to help get in touch with some of the protesting Penans to come and get the food.

"They agreed to that arrangement," Jok said after he made his way out of Murum, which is about 300kms from Bintulu town.

Abin said he took pictures at the police barricade.

"I tried to pass through the police blockade but was told that nobody is allowed in unless with permission for official business.

"I heard that the protesting Penans may set up blockades at other points along the road into the Murum Dam soon.

"They may be tired and hungry but they are determined to fight for their cause even though they are facing harsh weather conditions staying in makeshift camps," he said.

The Penans are from the remaining four settlements in the Murum Valley who are protesting the move to uproot them to resettlement schemes.

So far, three groups of Penans and Kenyahs have already agreed to move out of Murum Valley to the Tegulang Resettlement Scheme.

Abin and Jok appealed to the state government to again look into the grouses of the remaining Murum Penans who have yet to agree to the relocation plan.

Murum is located some 550km south of Miri and the protests there are by the Penans.

In Ulu Baram, the protests are being staged by more than 300 natives from the Kenyah, Kayan and Penan communities against the proposed Baram Dam site located between Long Kesseh and Long Naah some 200km inland from Miri.

The Star Online Published: Tuesday November 5, 2013 MYT 9:47:00 AM 

PENANS MURUM DAM BLOCKADE STILL STAND

Penans have not left their blockades

KUCHING (Oct 28, 2012): Contrary to what has been claimed, Penans from eight villages in Sarawak's Belaga district have not dismantled their blockades on access roads to the controversial Murum dam.

Sarawak Conservation Alliance of Natural Environment (Scane) coordinator Raymond Abin, who returned to Miri today after an overnight stay at one of the two blockade sites, said that the situation remains as it is and the international community is monitoring the issue.

"Over the last two days, many of them went back to Long Luar, one of the eight villages, because an elderly man died and later an elderly woman from Long Singu also died," he said.

He said that the Penans who have gone to the two villages will return after the mourning period is over. "But there are some still left to man the blockades," Abin said.

Abin stressed that not only are world bodies watching the matter, but also concerned Malaysians and those affected by the dam projects in Sarawak.

He was commenting on Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing's statement on Saturday that 320 Penan have abandoned the blockades after their negotiations with Belaga state assemblyman Liwan Lagang.

Masing, who is also PRS president, had quoted Liwan as telling the Part Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council meeting in Sibu about the Penans leaving.

Masing, who is also the state land development minister, had also told the government that the international community was keeping tabs on how the Penans were being treated.

"We have got to handle them carefully and with fairness," he told reporters after chairing a meeting, adding that it was important that the government knows that the Penans are a reasonable people.

 

Posted on 28 October 2012 - 08:53pm

Sulok Tawienewsdesk@thesundaily.com

Govt ignores Penan's choice of resettlement land

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:53

By Joseph Tawie

MIRI: The government’s plan to relocate about 1,000 Penans affected by the Murum Dam project to a 24,000 hectares area has been described as “merely paying lip service”.

“We still don't know how the government came to a decision on the size of the area without consulting us,” said Ramlie Bujang, a spokesman for the Peleiran-Murum Penan Affair Committee (Pemupa).

Land Development Minister James Jemut Masing recently revealed that the government will alienate 24,000 hectares of the land in upper Murum for the Penans.

“This revelation would be another lip service from the minister,” Ramlie said.

Pemupa represents more than 1,000 residents from six Penan villages: Long Singu, Long Luar, Long Tangau, Long Pelutan (Menapa), Long Malim, Long Wat as well as the Kenyah-Badeng of Long Umba who are directly affected by Murum Dam project.

The Penans have themselves proposed and informed the government on their preferred choice of resettlement areas that have large tracts of natural forest.

They include Metalon River area in upper Peleiran as proposed by four villages - Long Singu, Long Luar, Long Tangau and Long Pelutan (Menapa), the upper Tegulang River area as proposed by Long Wat village and, the upper Malim-Danum area as proposed by two villages of Long Malim and Long Umba.

He said the respective Penans proposed these areas as their resettlement areas because they are still rich with forest resources needed to sustain their daily livelihood.

“We want our forest in these areas to be preserved and free from any kind of human development activities such as logging and large scale plantations,” he said.

Revoke plantation leases

Ramlie also urged the government to revoke the provisional leases for plantations in upper Murum area, and immediately stop companies from further exploitating forests in the area.

“The state government must revoke all the provisional leases for plantations within the catchment area of the Murum Dam project before the Penans agree to be relocated.

“Pemupa is shocked to learn that the state government has leased the Murum catchment area to Shin Yang Forestry Sdn Bhd for an oil palm plantation.

“It is disturbing to learn that the areas which we proposed as resettlement areas have been parceled out for oil palm plantations.

"We have found out that Shin Yang Company has started clearing and felling the forest for oil palm plantation in Metalon River area without our consent.

“The clearing of forest by the Shin Yang within the proposed Metalon resettlement area will adversely affect our livelihood in the near future,” said Ramlie.

Pemupa strongly urged the government to alienate land for the Penans before the Murum hydroelectric power (HEP) Dam is completed.

“We have seen the failure and unfulfilled promises of the government to the people at the Bakun Asap-Koyan resettlement scheme, no land at all has been alienated to them.

“It is with anxiety and grave concern for our community over the ongoing construction of Murum dam project that we made our stand to the government.

"However, our voices have fallen on deaf ears,” added Ramlie.

Source: Free Malaysia Today
URL: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/12144-govt-ignores-penans-choice-of-resettlement-land

Penan Long Luar Longhouse gutted in mid-night fire

A one row of 14-door Penan wooden longhouse at Long Luar in Pelieran river at the headwaters of Murum river was reduced to ashes, when gutted to the ground in wee hour of 18th June night.

The fire occurred at about 2.00 am mid-night. The Penans believed that the fire was caused by a spilled kerosene lamp that was accidentally kicked by a boy while in deep slept. The fire spread swiftly and took less than half an hour to raze the whole wooden longhouse.

At the time, most of them were already aslept, however were shaken and awakened by those families and relatives next door to the fire, who has noticed it earlier as it razed.

The fire had mercilessly taken away everything they owned and left them with the clothes on their backs. They could not help to salvage their personal belongings and heirlooms at all as the fire was too flammable. Fortunately no life was lost in the mishap. The fire made more than 60 families (250 people) homeless. The longhouse was built sometime in 1996.

Most of the victims are now taking temporary shelter with relatives at another Penan longhouse in Long Tangau which is situated about 500 metres away from Long Luar. Long Tangau is made up of 18 doors/units. Hence, it could not accommodate a large number of Penans from Long Luar. Some Penan families have to build makeshift huts around the village as well as in the nearby forest.

The costs of the damage were yet to be ascertained. Due to the remoteness of the village, information about the mishap was rather slow. At present, there hasn’t any assistance given to them. They are appealing for immediate help especially on basic items such as foods, cooking utensils and clothes.

Village headman, Madai Salo was with tears as he narrated their sorrow and despair at the fire that had completely destroyed their longhouse.

Long Luar is one of the six (6) Penan villages in Pelieran river area affected by the mega Murum hydroelectric dam project in Belaga District in the central region in the interior of Sarawak. The Long Luar Penans are strongly opposing the dam project. The other Penan villages are Long Tangau, Long Wat, Long Singu, Long Menapa and Long Malim. Also affected is a Kenyah-Badeng village at Long Umba in Danum River. There are about 1,000 Penans in the area are affected by the Murum dam project.

Penans Appeal:

Long Luar Penans are appealing for help. Any assistance and donations to the Penans of Long Luar, be it financially or in-kinds are most welcome. If you need to visit them, kindly contact us for information and logistic arrangement at: scanenetwork@gmail.com or call us Tel: 085 423044

Penan community wants to scrutinize the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) Report for Murum dam project prior to approval

Press Statement

4 August 2010
Regent Hotel, Bintulu

The Pelieran-Murum Penan Affairs Committee and the residents of the Penan villages affected by Murum Hydroelectric Dam project are urging the Sarawak State Government as not to make any approval to the “Social and Environmental Impact Assessment” until it has been scrutinised by themselves and the public.

Throughout last year (2009), we have been visited by various parties claimed to do some studies related with Murum dam project. We were told that the government has carried out the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) in order to study the impacts of the Murum dam project that on our community.

Up till now, we do still not know the actual progress whether the said studies and the SEIA report as well as other related reports have been completed and ready for public scrutinizing.

We would like to state here that, before the approval made to the said SEIA report, we urge the government especially the authority concerned, the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) to provide an opportunity to the public at large to scrutinize the SEIA report. And most importantly, our opinions and feedbacks on the said SEIA report should be seriously taken into account.

As our community is directly affected by this dam project, we should be duly informed regarding the progress of the said studies especially the effects and impacts of the project on us.

The government should also brief and clarifying to us regarding the specific development plans that is related with the resettlement programme as well as our livelihood and future.

We are totally discomfited with the construction works of Murum dam project that have been going on intensively at the project site while the said SEIA report is not confirmed of getting approval from the relevant authority concerned. What will happen if such report is not approve and what will the government do to recover back those land, forest, river and natural resources that had been destroyed?

In addition to the said SEIA report, we also call upon the government to inform us regarding the plan for resettlement area for us. Likewise, as being advised by the government, we have forwarded our suggestion for the proposed resettlement area that at Metalon River in the upper course of Pelieran River. However at present, Shin Yang Company is on the verge of clearing the proposed resettlement area for the purpose of large scale oil palm plantation. Shin Yang has entered the area illegally without our consent. If Shin Yang is allowed to extensively clear and fell the forest in the area there will be no more forest left for our community to sustain our livelihood. Thus, it would be meaningless for us to be resettled in the proposed area if it is to be developed with oil palm plantation.

We call upon the government with high hope to be involved in developing development plans for our betterment which will determine the future direction of our community. With that, as a start we urge the Sarawak state government and the Natural Resources and Environment Board to furnish us with a copy of the SEIA report to be scrutinized prior to it approval.

Statement issued by: Mr Surang Alung, Chairman Pelieran-Murum Penan Affairs Committee

Masyarakat Penan mahu meneliti laporan Kajian Penilaian Kesan Sosial dan Alam Sekitar Projek Empangan Murum sebelum kelulusan dibuat

Kenyataan Media

4hb Ogos 2010
Regent Hotel, Bintulu

Jawatankuasa Hal Ehwal Penan Pelieran-Murum, Belaga dan penduduk-penduduk kampung-kampung Penan yang terjejas oleh projek empangan Murum memohon kepada Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak agar tidak membuat sebarang kelulusan ke atas “Laporan Kajian Penilaian Kesan Sosial dan Alam Sekitar Projek Empangan Murum” sehingga ia-nya diteliti oleh orang awam dan mereka sendiri.

Sepanjang tahun lepas (2009), kami telah dilawati oleh pelbagai pihak yang membuat kajian-kajian berkaitan dengan projek empangan Murum. Kami diberitahu bahawa suatu Kajian Penilaian Kesan Sosial dan Alam Sekitar [Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA)] telah dijalankan oleh Kerajaan demi mengkaji akan kesan-kesan projek empangan Murum ke atas masyarakat kami.

Setakat ini kami belum tahu perkembangan lanjut berkenaan laporan kajian tersebut serta laporan-laporan berkaitan samada ianya telah siap dan sedia untuk diteliti oleh orang awam.

Di sini, kami ingin menyatakan bahawa sebelum laporan SEIA tersebut diluluskan, kami memohon kepada kerajaan dan terutamanya Lembaga Sumber Asli & Alam Sekitar (NREB) Sarawak yang bertanggungjawab untuk memberi peluang kepada orang awam supaya laporan SEIA tersebut diskrutini. Dan yang amat penting ialah pandangan dan maklumbalas kami ke atas laporan SEIA tersebut harus diambil kira dengan serius.

Sebagai masyarakat yang terjejas secara langsung oleh projek empangan ini, kami patut diberitahu berkenaan dengan perkembangan kajian tersebut terutamanya kesan-kesan dan impak-impak projek ke atas kami.

Kerajaan juga seharusnya menerangkan kepada kami tentang rancangan-rancangan pembangunan tertentu yang berkaitan dengan program penempatan semula, kehidupan dan masa depan kami.

Kami sangat khuatir dengan kerja-kerja binaan projek empangan Murum begitu giat dijalankan di tapak projek sedangkan laporan SEIA tersebut belum tentu mendapat kelulusan pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan. Apakah akan terjadi sekiranya laporan tersebut tidak diluluskan nanti dan adakah kerajaan akan membaik-pulih tanah, hutan, sungai dan sumber-sumber kami yang telah dimusnah?

Sehubungan dengan laporan SEIA tersebut, kami juga menyeru kepada kerajaan untuk memaklumkan kami berkenaan dengan rancangan kawasan penempatan semula (resettlement area) untuk kami. Kami telah mengemukakan cadangan berkenaan dengan kawasan penempatan semula yang kami pilih seperti yang dinasihatkan oleh kerajaan, iaitu di Sungai Metalon dibahagian hulu Sungai Peliran. Namun pada masa ini, kawasan yang dicadang tersebut sedang dibuka oleh Syarikat Shin Yang untuk tujuan perladangan kelapa sawit berskala besar. Syarikat Shin Yang memasuki kawasan tersebut tanpa kebenaran dari kami. Sekiranya Shin Yang dibiar membuka dan menebang hutan secara meluas di kawasan tersebut maka masyarakat kami akan tidak ada hutan lagi untuk meneruskan kehidupan. Maka, tidak ada gunanya kami untuk ditempatkan di kawasan tersebut sekira ianya dibangun dengan ladang kelapa sawit.

Kami menyeru kepada kerajaan dengan harapan tinggi untuk dibawa bersama dalam menentu rancangan-rancangan pembangunan demi kebaikan dan menentu hala-tuju masa depan masyarakat kami. Dalam pada itu, untuk bermula pihak kami menyarankan Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak dan Lembaga Sumber Asli & Alam Sekitar (NREB) Sarawak untuk bekalkan laporan SEIA tersebut untuk diselidiki sebelum kelulusan dibuat.

Kenyataan oleh: En. Surang Alung Ju, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Hal Ehwal Penan Pelieran-Murum

SCANE: Amend the Sarawak Natural Resources & Environment Ordinance

Sarawak Conservation Alliance for Natural Environment (SCANE) calls upon the Sarawak state government to amend the existing Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance 1994 (NREO 1994) relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and allow for public participation prior to the approval of the EIA in the state.

SCANE opines that it is time for the state government to review and amend the NREO 1994 to provide transparency in the EIA processes that requires public participation and scrutiny prior to EIA approval as well as strengthening environmental measures by incorporating the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), the Equator Principle and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples.

As it is now, the authority of the EIA approval for certain projects in Sarawak is the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) which is subject to the NREO 1994.

Unlike the Federal Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA), the NREO 1994 excludes public participation in the EIA process, unless the project proponent so desires. The nature of the EIA process in Sarawak is non-transparent and contrary to good governance, as there is no right given to the public to scrutinize and give feedback prior to EIA approvals. As a result of this exclusion, there were several shortcomings in the EIA approvals in Sarawak.

SCANE has found several shortcomings and flaws in the EIA processes and reports since the NREO 1994 came into force in 1995. There had been numerous of development projects related to forestry, plantations and dams where EIA have being conducted were approved without the knowledge of the public. The public at large is still in the dark as to how the EIA reports of these projects were approved in the first place. Even the approval of EIA for highly controversial projects such as hydro-power dams remain shrouded in mystery, despite of public outcry.

SCANE has also noticed that certain development projects that involve government-link corporations and certain private companies have started their activities ahead of the approval of the EIAs. In the case of the Murum hydropower dam project, the works have started about 10 months prior to EIA approval.

SCANE is also extremely shocked to learn that the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SIEA) studies for Murum hydropower dam has yet to be completed and approved by the NREB.

The EIA process and practices are clearly a mockery of the NREO, since they are approved despite suffering from serious flaws. As a result, public perception of the NREO is that its job is none other than to legalise stitched up jobs and the collusion of project proponents and the appointed EIA consultants in order to get the EIA approval of out of the way.

SCANE has also noticed that the EIA process under the NREO 1994 is only procedural and meant to pave the ways for the implementation of development projects. In most cases, it seems to serve merely to comply the requirements of the project proponents and their financiers.

SCANE therefore calls for the Sarawak government to amend the NREO 1994 for the sake of transparency and pave the way for free, prior and informed consent in the exercise and enforcement of the laws pertaining to the conservation and management of the environment in the state.

SCANE trusts that amending the NREO 1994 is the only way forward if the Sarawak government is serious about achieving sustainable development and putting in place sound environmental management policy to deal with our sensitive ecosystems.