FMT Staff, October 4, 2012
KUCHING: Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), which is leading the global struggle against Sarawak’s bid to build 12 mega dams and in the process strip the state of its rainforest and displace its indigenous communities, is demanding the immediate release of all studies related to the projects.
In a statement today, BMF said the projects were in violation of the international standards and indigenous rights as guaranteed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Malaysia is a signatory to the UN convention.
The statement came following a blockade of the access road to the Murum Dam construction site by over 200 Penan and Kenyah villagers from seven villages. They were representing 1,500 citizens from upstream and down stream villages from as far as 100km inland.
The blockade came about after a secret resettlement plan by the Sarawak government involving the moving of over 1,500 natives was leaked out to the affected communities just a few months before the impoundment of the 944MW Murum Dam is to start in early 2013.
Said BMF: “The impoundment of the Murum dam is meant to start in early 2013 and will flood almost 250km2 of forest and cause the displacement of six Penan and one Kenyah native communities.
“It verges on hypocrisy that the leaked Murum Resettlement Action Plan claims that ‘the main documents’ concerning the construction of the dam and the resettlement are ‘to be made available to the public’.
“But this has obviously not been done so far.
“The affected communities have only received information about the conditions of their resettlement through the report leaked to the whistleblower (online) website Sarawak Report.
“The withholding of the Resettlement Report goes against all international standards on transparency.
“We are demanding the immediate release of all studies conducted on any of the currently planned dams.”
No consent secured
According to BMF, the resettlement report revealed that the compensation offered to the affected communities is “anything but fair”.
“The monthly allowance to be paid after resettlement falls below the poverty level and ends after four years.
“In addition, the affected Penan and Kenyah have stated that they have never been asked for consent as demanded by international standards, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
BMF has actively supported the Save Rivers Network campaign against the construction of the 13 dams, including the Murum Dam since the issue first came to light.
Earlier today, Save Rivers, a coalition of local NGOs, frustrated at the ignorance of local government leaders of national and international laws and the UN Declaration on indigenous communities, had offered to enlighten officials.
In relation to this, BMF said it “wholeheartedly supports this highly necessary tutoring on indigenous rights for the government”.
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