SCANE News

Belaga police chief stands firm on Murum dam arrest

BY STEPHEN THEN

   

District chief DSP Bakar Sebau said his men would detain those taking part in unlawful activities once they had sufficient evidence.

MIRI: Belaga police have been left with “no choice” but to arrest people including teenagers found to be actively involved in blockades and protests against dam projects in the interior of Sarawak.

“We have no alternative but to arrest them, including teenagers, because they were found to be involved in illegally soliciting for money from those wanting to enter the dam site,” he told The Star yesterday.

The Belaga police have came under heavy criticism from human rights activists and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for arresting three Penan teenagers, including a 13-year-old youth, during a recent swoop against protesters at the access road leading into the Murum dam.

The three were among 10 natives who detained late last week but had been released on police bail since.

“A date has been fixed for them (suspects) to appear in court on Nov 26, pending a possible court charge.

“We have prima facie evidence, in which we seized a sum of money from the protesters believed to have been demanded from visitors wanting to enter the Murum dam site,” DSP Bakar said.

On his comment on the negative publicity brought about by the arrest, he said the police needed to perform their job as deemed fit.

“I do not want to comment on these NGOs — there’s no point to it. Whatever explanation that we come up with, it will certainly be misinterpreted or even twisted by them.”

Meanwhile Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas) state coordinator Raymond Abin said those who were released from lock-up had returned to the blockade sites.

“Lawyer Abun Sui helped them to lodge a report against the Belaga police for wrongful arrest,” he said.

Over in Baram, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said headmen of Long Naah and Long Kesseh had denied claims saying that they were part of the party to the suit filed by six villagers against the state government and Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at Miri High Court.

“The headmen and their JKKKs (village security and development committees) strongly deny that they are part of the party who sued Taib and the state government over the Baram dam as alleged by certain quarters.

Last Wednesday, six villagers from the two settlements filed the suit through their lawyer Harrison Ngau, against Taib and the state government for allegedly contravening the Federal Constitution as the state had extinguished 4,000ha Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in Long Naah and Long Kesseh as a part of the proposed Baram Dam project.

Source: the Star