Baram Dam protests escalate, assemblyman asks for cooling off period

BY STEPHEN THEN

Workers with their packed bags waiting to leave in boats after they were prevented from entering the dam site by protesting natives.

MIRI: A Barisan Nasional politician wants a temporary halt to ground testing and survey works at the proposed Baram hydro-electric dam site in interior northern Sarawak due to escalating protests and blockades staged by the natives.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, who is Barisan Youth chief for Baram, told The Star Online the situation is "very hot" on the ground with the protesting natives showing unrelenting aggression. He is worried the situation will boil over into a physical confrontation.

Ngau wants a cooling period while he and other local Barisan politicians find a way out of this latest dispute that has threatened to turn into a serious political and social issue.

"Stop all ground works for the time being until further notice. Don't confront the protesters. Leave it to us politicians to find a solution," Ngau advised workers and contractors who are carrying out rock drilling between Long Naah and Long Kesseh some 200kms inland from Miri City.

Ngau said he has advised workers of Sarawak Energy Bhd and officials from the state Land and Survey Department to stay away from the site for now.

"These workers have left the area. They were advised not to confront the protesting natives.

"I have asked the community leaders in Long Naah and Long Kesseh and surrounding villages to cool down the protesters.

"The best thing now for all parties is for a cooling period to set in. The workers should not attempt to force their way past the protesters.

"The protesters are very aggressive and I am worried if there is physical confrontation.

"I and Baram MP Anyi Ngau are trying to arrange for an urgent meeting with all the relevant people, including the community leaders, to find a way out of this.

"I hope to get in touch with all of the native leaders within the next few days and get them to come down to Miri City where we can discuss things in a rational and calm manner.

"I would like to go into ulu Baram and meet the protesters if possible, but indications are that they will not listen and will not negotiate.

"For now, I think it is best to stay away until they have cooled down," he said of the latest situation in ulu Baram.

Environmental groups, Save Sarawak Rivers and Baram People's Action Committee, told The Star that the protesting natives who have set up blockades in Long Kesseh and the main road leading to the dam site, are reinforcing their barricades and blocking every roads to the dam site.

Save Sarawak Rivers' chairman Peter Kallang said another blockade at Long Lama was also being set up.

"No construction materials and equipment or vehicles are allowed to enter. At the dam site, the protesters are expelling every worker they find.

"Some of the workers and surveyors who were chased away tried to come back to the area, but were stopped at the blockades," he said.

Baram People's Action Committee chairman Philip Jau said the natives, numbering more than a hundred at each of the blockade sites, were made up of villagers, both women and men.

"We are staying day and night and manning the blockades 24 hour non-stop. We will camp out at the blockade sites for as long as needed," he said, adding that there is no other option for the natives but to make sure that they stop every ground work before the dam construction starts.

The proposed Baram Dam is one of 11 new dams that are being planned by the state government throughout Sarawak.

The Baram Dam will uproot at least 20,000 natives from the Kenyahs, Kayans and Penans ethnic groups.

Kallang, Jau and several human rights lawyers and environmental activists had written an appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, asking the world body to stop the dam from being built.

Special committee set up for massive Baram Dam relocation exercise

Wednesday August 24, 2011

By STEPHEN THEN
stephenthen@thestar.com.my

MIRI: A special committee has been formed for the relocation of villagers affected by the RM3bil Baram Dam, which is expected to be the biggest such exercise to be undertaken in the state.

Called the Baram HEP Community Consultative Committee, it is headed by Baram MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan with Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau as deputy chairman and a political secretary to the chief minister, Robert Laing, as vice-chairman.

The committee will have representatives from Sarawak Energy Bhd, State Planning Unit, Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda), community associations and headmen of the affected settlements.

“It will be the biggest relocation exercise in Sarawak, eclipsing even the Bakun Dam that involved 10,000 people,” Jacob told reporters after chairing the committee’s first meeting here yesterday.

He revealed that more than 20,000 people from 25 longhouses and riverine settlements would be resettled for the building of the dam in Long Kesseh, more than 200km from here.

“Massive development is coming to Baram, but there is a lot of fear among the people concerning the project because of misinformation by the opposition parties and some non-governmental organisations.

“That is why the state has decided to establish this special committee to deal with folk who have to be resettled,” Jacob said.

He said the committee would start negotiating with the affected folk on land compensation soon.

According to him, construction of the access road into the dam site had started.

He added that the authorities were addressing other developments that included preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment studies by Sarawak Energy Bhd, identification of resettlement sites and, the drawing up of a blueprint on the resettlement scheme.

Asked on the fears of the affected folk, he admitted that there were widespread worries from those who would have to be uprooted.

“I acknowledge their worries, but development is a necessary thing in order to bring progress to the people. Baram cannot be left behind, so this Baram Dam project is a necessity and it must go on.

“Certainly, the construction of the dam will definitely affect the people and their livelihood, but that is why this special committee is formed, to make sure their interest and welfare are protected,” Jacob stressed.

Dungau: Don’t take negative stance on Baram dam project

8 May 2011

MIRI: Residents in Baram should not take a negative stance over the state government’s plan to build a hydroelectric dam in the rural district as the project would stimulate more development.

Baram MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan said the project would stir economic activities and improve infrastructure standards in the area in the long run.

Although there might be a loss of some landed property, he assured that the government wanted a “win-win” situation with Baram’s people.

Speaking at the opening of the Sarawak National Kenyah Associa­tion (PKKS) biennial general meeting here yesterday, Dungau said the state’s plan to build the dam was to expedite Baram’s development.

The Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister said the decision to build Baram’s hydroelectric dam, projected to generate about 1,000 megawatt of electricity, was re-affirmed by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in last month’s state election.

Dungau, who is also PKKS patron, urged the association to help shape the mindset of the Kenyah community, one of the minority groups in the country, to be far-sighted and plan for their future generations.

He said the community, with a population of just about 70,000 nationwide, could contribute effectively towards nation building. — Bernama

Source: The Star Online

URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/8/sarawak/8641511&sec=sarawak

[BPAC Media Release] Baram people are vehemently against the proposed mega Baram HEP Dam

14 November 2010

The Baram Protection Action Committee (BPAC) would like to refute the statement made by Councillor Dennis Ngau which was published in the Borneo Post dated 5 November, 2010.

The Councillor was reported to have said that majority of the Baram people are in favour of the Baram HEP dam and that only the opposition and a few NGOs are against the project.

The BPAC regards the statement as misleading and unjustified and strongly urge the said Councillor to retract his statement forthwith and make public apology to the people of Baram through the same newspaper as well as through other papers which are in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese. The BPAC strongly deplores such statement and utterances reportedly made by Councillor Dennis Ngau on the following grounds:-

1. That the statement misleads the government leaders, relevant authorities and the general public by saying that Baram people support the mega Baram HEP dam project when in fact a vast majority of the people are strongly against it and demanded for it to be scrapped.

2. Councillor Dennis Ngau had not made any visits to each of the longhouses identified to be affected directly and indirectly by the project and had not consulted the villagers about their views towards the project.

3. As far as the Baram people who reside along the main Baram are concerned, there was no referendum being conducted by the Councillor on the people’s response towards the project.

4. Councillor Dennis comes from a village situates along the Apoh River, away from the main Baram River. He foresees that the Baram HEP dam will not adversely affect him directly while in fact he will be affected in other ways.

5. Dennis’s statement reflects total disregard and disrespect for the basic and inherent rights of the people along the main Baram to decide for ourselves on matters affecting our people’s interests, livelihood, survival and future.

6. His statement is an open insult to our people’s intelligence and our capacity to think, act and or articulate our views, concerns, and demands.

7. His statement reflects that he condones the “bulldoze tactic” approach to bring so-called development which purportedly benefit the Baram people but actually brings disaster. This is sheer insanity.



SAVE THE BARAM AND ITS PEOPLE. STOP THE DAM. PEOPLE FIRST, PROFITS LATER. BARAMITES AND SARAWAKIANS, STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

(Philip Jau)

Chairman

BPAC.

This too will happen in Baram if the gov't still insist building the Dams

31 October 2010

by Wan Luhan

BELAGA: Residents of Long Mejawah become the first victims facing livelihood hardship following the impoundment of Bakun Hydro Electricity Dam on October 13.

The 51-door longhouse in Long Mejawah consists of 300 odd Kayan inhabitants who are now literally cut off from outside world due to the sharp decline of water level in the Balui River. Their communication with outside world has been interrupted, not to say obtaining essential supplies, sending children to schools, travelling to Belaga Bazaar to work or for official matters and other unexpected problems that may arise.

It is reported that people have to take an alternate route by using logging track road on motor vehicle through Bukit Jayung which will take them six hours to reach Belaga Bazaar. The fare for a single trip of estimated distance of 30 kilometres is RM70 per head or a total of RM140 for the return trip. But it only takes them three hours to travel to Bintulu.

What puzzling the inhabitants was the approval and funding by the government to construct a road from Long Mejawah to Belaga Town under the Eighth Malaysia Plan (8MP) at the cost of RM13 million which until today has not been materialised. What they feel dissatisfied is the government has been capable to rush and achieved the construction of the 70 kilometres from Bakun to Murum, and yet the construction of 30km road from Long Mejawah to Belaga Bazaar remains a mystery.

The people also feel unhappy with the poor arrangement made by the government without taking into consideration of the hardship that affect the people with the commencement of impoundment on Bakun Hydro Electric Dam while leaving the people to face the consequences.

The local residents are also dissatisfied with the government to give priority to commercial interests and the interests of the people are placed secondary. This, they claimed, contradict to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak’s philosophy ‘1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now’.

With the 10MP going to kick off the ground, where is the pledge made under 8MP? This is the answer the residents in Long Mejawah want to know.

Women folks in Long Mejawah most concerned are about the safety of their children. Their children are now compelled to walk back from their boarding school every weekend. The journey takes up from three to four hours and, occasionally they have to walk on dried part of the river which often, full of debris and pebbles.

According to an elderly folk, Lidi Sali, he travelled to Belaga District Office to collect his monthly welfare aids. He said with the communication being interrupted since the impoundment began on October 13, he had to make a detour to Belaga.

“But my welfare aids is only suffice to pay the fares of RM140,” he says, adding that previously he only paid RM30 for a return trip to Belaga Bazaar on an express boat.

Meanwhile, local people are disappointed with the Government citing “unusual dry weather, resulting in rapid decline in water level,” as the reason for the drastic drop in water level in Balui River.

They point out communication between Kapit to Belaga and Belaga to Long Mejawah has been disrupted due to low water level. There are nine longhouses and one primary school along the route between Long Mejawah and Belaga Bazaar.

This rural folks are now most worried about what is the future lying ahead since the impoundment will take about a year to complete and yet, the water level of Balui River has reached to such a critical level only two weeks after the impoundment has started.

Petrified Baram natives want ‘dam plan’ scrapped

29 October 2010

By Joseph Tawie

Some 20,000 indigenous natives of Kayan, Kenyah, Saben and Penan communities living in the Baram division are horrified to hear about the voluminous fast-flowing Rajang River drying up, a phenomenon blamed in part to the impoundment of the controversial Bakun dam which began on Oct 13.

The unexpected dry spell and the continuous impoundment has caused untold misery and hardship for those living along the Kapit, Belaga, Nanga Merit and Pelagus areas.

“Never before have the Baram residents ever heard of the Rajang River drying up or seen such a thing,” said Philip Jau, chairman of Baram Protection Action Committee in a statement to FMT.

“We don’t want this (dry up) to happen to the Baram River, if the construction of Baram dam is to proceed,” he said.

“The committee therefore demands that the government scrap its plan to build the Baram dam which has a capacity of 1,000 MW. Otherwise at least 20,000 indigenous Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Saben and Penan communities from hundreds of longhouses and villages situated along the Baram River valley will be affected and displaced,” he said.

Jau said the majority of the communities living in Baram “strongly and vehemently oppose the Baram dam” and also all the other planned and currently under construction dams throughout Sarawak. He said the state had more than enough supply of energy even without these additional dams.

Not consulted

Jau said that the Baram residents were never consulted about the construction of the Baram dam.

“Even though it is still in its planning stage, the people have a right to know and to decide whether to agree or disagree with the project,” he said, pointing out that if all the planned 12 dams and Bakun Dam are operational, Sarawak would have an insane amount of surplus electricity or 600% surplus.

“The energy generated from Bakun Dam alone is more than enough to power Sarawak,” he said.

The Baram dam is expected to submerge an area of 38,900 hectares (389 sq km) of land and forest. The area is mostly native customary land, and consists of temuda, cultivated lands, gardens, villages, churches, graveyards, community forests and sites of historical significance.

The people are going to lose their longhouses, villages, properties, lands and forests as well as the history as a result of submergence and displacement by the Baram dam.

The dam will also submerge the existing government schools, medical clinics, airstrip and other building facilities which the government have spent a lot of tax payers’ money on.

The longhouse/villages downstream affected by the Baram Dam are Long Laput, Sungai Dua, Sri Kenawan, Uma Bawang, Long Miri (Daleh Pelutan), Long Pilah and Long Kesseh.

In the upstream and within the dam reservoir area are Long Na’ah, Long Liam, Long San, Long Selatong (Kiri & Kanan), Long Apu, Long Julan Asal, Long Julan Pelutan, Long Anap, Long Palai, Long Je’eh, Long Moh, Long Sela’an and Long Semiyang as well as some villages in Akah River that are Long Beku, Ba’ Abang, Long Tap and Long Tebangan.

Source: Hornbill Unleashed

URL: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/1123/

Councillor Ngau must apologise to Baram folk

15 November 2010

By Joseph Tawie

KUCHING: Furious residents in Baram are demanding an apology and a retraction from a Parti Persaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) councillor for saying that Baram folk were 'in favour' of the controversial Baram Hydro-elctric dam. PBB is led by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Dennis Ngau of Telang Usan must apologise for his misleading statement, said Baram Protection Action Committee (BPAC) chairman Philip Jau.

“He must retract his statement and make a public apologise to the people of Baram as they are very angry with him, “said Jau.

Ngau had reportedly said that the people of Baram were supportive of the Baram dam project and that only the opposition and a few of non-governmental organisations were against the project.

His statement was published in The Borneo Post on Nov 5.

Said Jau: “BPAC regards the statement as misleading and unjustified and strongly urge the councillor to retract his statement and make a public apology to the people of Baram through the same newspaper as well as through other papers which are in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.

“The BPAC strongly deplores such a statement and utterances reportedly made by Ngau which can mislead the government leaders, relevant authorities and the general public by saying that Baram people support the mega Baram dam project.

"In fact the vast majority of the (Baram) people are strongly against it and have demanded for it to be scrapped.

“Councillor Ngau has not visited each of the longhouses identified to be affected directly and indirectly by the project and has not consulted the villagers about their views towards the project.

“As far as the Baram people who reside along the main Baram River are concerned, there was no referendum conducted by the councillor on the people’s response towards the project.”

Sheer insanity

Jau said Ngau may chose to believe that his village situated along the Apoh River, away from the main Baram River would not be affected by the dam but the "fact is his village will be affected in other ways."

"Ngau’s statement reflects total disregard and disrespect for the basic and inherent rights of the people along the main Baram River to decide for ourselves on matters affecting our people’s interests, livelihood, survival and future.

“His statement is an open insult to our people’s intelligence and our capacity to think, act and or articulate our views, concerns, and demands,” he said, accusing Ngau of condoning the government's ‘bulldozing tactic’ to bring so-called development to supposedly benefit Baram people.

“The construction of the dam does not bring development; it actually brings disaster. This is sheer insanity.” Jau warned.

He urged the government to put a stop to the dam in order to save Baram and its people.

“The government should think of the people first and profits later,” he said, calling on Baramites and Sarawakians to stand up for their rights.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

URL: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/12864-councillor-ngau-must-apologise-to-baram-folk

Native folk protest against Baram Dam in Borneo

By: STEPHEN THEN

30 Sept 2010

MIRI: Native folk in ulu Baram in northern Sarawak want the proposed Baram Dam to be scrapped as Sarawak was already acquiring the Bakun Dam.

They are alarmed over the move by Sarawak authorities to start clearing land to construct a highway to facilitate the construction of the proposed 1,000 Mws Baram Dam, about 200kms inland from Miri.

They have formed a ''Baram Protection Action Committee'' to lobby for the proposed Baram Dam to be aborted and are appealing to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to assure Baram folk that the dam construction would not proceed.

They said that since the Sarawak government would be buying the 2,400 MWs Bakun Dam from the Federal Government, there was no reason for any more dams to be built in Sarawak.

They have launched a campaign to gather 20,000 signatures to be submitted with a memorandum of appeal to the two leaders, saying that the Baram Dam had not even gone through the Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment stage.

Baram Protection Action Committee chairman Philip Jau came to Miri on Thursday with several community leaders and said that 3,000 Baram folks had already signed the appeal.

Jau, who is from Long Laput, said the Baram folk have seen increased movement of outsiders into ulu Baram in recent months for land clearing works.

''They came into sites near our longhouses and started to clear plots of land belonging to us. When we asked them who they were and where they were from, they said they were from Kuching.

''They said they were hired by the state government to survey the land slotted to be cleared for the building of a highway into Long Keseh where the Baram Dam is to be constructed.

''How can they start this sort of ground work when we people in Baram have not even agreed to the construction of the Baram Dam?

''The EIA and the SIA for the Baram Dam have not even been compiled. We are very worried about what is happening in Baram now,'' he told a press conference.

Jau came to meet Sarawak Natives Customary Rights Land Network chairman Romuald Siew, Sarawak Coalition for Natural Environment chairman Raymond Abin, and lawyer and former Baram MP Harrison Ngau, to seek legal advice.

Siew said that there was no urgency for yet another dam in Sarawak.

''Bakun Dam and Murum Dam will produce 3,300 MWs of electricity. Together with the other existing dams in the state now, there would be a big surplus of power, '' he said.

Siew appealed to the Federal Government to persuade the Sarawak government not to proceed with any more dam constructions.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) Youth chief for the Telang Usan state constituency, Dennis Ngau, confirmed that the Sarawak Land and Survey Department had deployed workers into ulu Baram to start ground survey on the Baram Dam.

''The surveys on the road access to the proposed Baram Dam have started, but the actual dam project is still in the planning stage.

''The Baram Dam construction has not begun. It will come much later and the Baram folks will be consulted on whatever is happening.

''PBB wants the Baram Dam to benefit the local natives. We will be holding more dialogues with the people of Baram to alleviate their fears,'' he stressed.

Asked if this meant the construction for the Baram Dam was already approved, he said the state government had already agreed in principle that the Baram Dam would be built, but it had not fixed any date for the actual construction to begin.

Source: The Star

URL: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F9%2F30%2Fnation%2F20100930160423&sec=nation

Lihan insists Baram dam a gift for Orang Ulu

September 10, 2010, Friday

MIRI: Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok reiterated that the Baram hydroelectric dam project is a gift from God for the minority Orang Ulu.

“I am not ashamed to say that the mega project is a gift from God because as a result of the project the government will build a 60-km road from Long Lama to the dam site at Long Keseh, benefitting about 12,000 Kayans from nine longhouses along the river,” he said.

He said he had proposed to have a road to link all the longhouses along Baram River before the dam was even conceptualised, more as a wish for a better life for the people.

The road came into the picture when the government proposed the Baram dam, he added.

“What I am saying is that if there is no Baram dam, there won’t be any road being built. It does not make any economic sense just building a road like that. The proposed dam justifies the building of the RM500-million road,” explained Lihan.

Urging his critics to look at the bigger picture, he said the stretch of road from Long Lama made up Package B of the overall road project under Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. He said the package cost the government a massive RM500 million.

Package A is the stretch of road from Beluru to Sungai Tinjar encompassing Lapok road.

The upgrading of 35.73-km Lapok road at a cost of about RM101 million commenced three days ago and is expected to be completed in three years, Lihan revealed.

“Our people who are already poor have had to buy 4WD vehicles to travel through this road, having to bear high maintenance cost due to wear and tear their vehicles were subject to. But this will be behind us three years from now,” said Lihan.

Lihan said tender for Package B of the SCORE project would close on Sept 24 and both packages would start this year.

The assemblyman urged Baram folk not to politicise the Baram dam project.

“I urge for understanding and acceptance of this mega project. The expected life-span of a dam is around 500 years. The dam will generate cheap energy for the community. Let us play a part in nation-building by accepting this project.

“Of course there are certain groups instigating the people to reject this project. In life, one has to accept challenges. If the Orang Ulu reject this project, there won’t be an opportunity like this for a very, very long time, maybe not during our lifetime on earth,” said Lihan.

Source: Borneo Post

URL: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=65584

Sarawak natives fear threat of palm oil estates

Sunday, May 23, 2010
FRI, 21 MAY 2010 20:05 By Anil Netto - FMT

GEORGE TOWN: A increasing number of natives in Sarawak state in north Borneo are alarmed at encroaching forest and oil palm plantations, which are taking over their native customary land and destroying their traditional lifestyles and biodiversity.

In Long Terawan, a village in the north of the state, a community of a thousand Berawan and Tering indigenous people who live in longhouses is worried about plans by a reforestation and plantation group to take over 80,000 hectares of native land. And there are other villages and communities similarly affected. "The land is being given to the big companies to do the plantations in our area," says Dennis Along, a villager who comes from a traditional farming family. "In future, it will be very hard for the longhouse people to do farming. There is no free land for us to do farming any more, because the company is taking over the land."

The villagers here used to cultivate paddy, plant rubber trees and grow a variety of local fruit trees — as part of a shifting cultivation tradition that goes back hundreds of years. "We move to a new area every year because we want to make the ground more fertile," explains Along.

"When we move our rice fields, we plant fruit trees — rambutan, durian, langsat, jackfruit — to help replenish the soil." Their land is also home to wildlife such as wild boar, monkeys, deer and all kinds of local fish varieties.

Now, they are going to lose all that as plantation companies have taken over their land, laments Along.

Similar large forest plantation projects are slated for the Kakus and Belaga regions.

The loss of biodiversity when land is cleared for plantations is alarming. "When a huge area is cleared for plantations, all the plants will be cleared, because they are clearing up the land," explains Raymond Abin, coordinator of the Sarawak Conservation Action Network, which consists of environmental and indigenous rights groups in Sarawak.

"After that, they will do the excavating work in order for them to plant the oil palm. This will invariably lead to serious soil erosion that would flow into the streams and rivers and kill a lot of fish.

"In addition, foreign workers hired by the plantation firms are often concerned about their own survival and extract as much fish from the rivers as they can. "There will be little wildlife once the forest is gone and replaced by tree or oil palm plantation," says Abin.

The immediate impact on surrounding communities is water pollution and flash floods.

In Sarawak, forest plantations are mainly of fast maturing tree species such as acacia mangium and rubberwood (timber latex clones). Acacia mangium is a highly invasive species regarded as a threat to natural forests and the natural environment.

Forest plantations too

Whatever the condition of the existing forest, planting fast-growing acacia involves prior clear-felling and removal of stumps, resulting in a denuded landscape ready for replanting. It is also a sterile monocrop that allows little to grow beneath it. Acacia plantations thus cannot support the rainforests' original faunal diversity.

The ‘Global Biodiversity Outlook 3’ report released by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity — an international treaty adopted in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 — earlier this month noted that the 2010 biodiversity target agreed to by the world's governments in 2002 has not been met at the global level.

"The loss of biodiversity is an issue of profound concern for its own sake. Biodiversity also underpins the functioning of ecosystems, which provide a wide range of services to human societies. Its continued loss, therefore, has major implications for current and future human well-being," the report said.

According to the website of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, the Plantation Industries Ministry aims to develop 375,000 hectares of forest plantation for timber at an annual planting rate of 25,000 hectares per year for the next 15 years.

This is part of an aggressive programme that includes providing soft loans to companies for the development of such plantations "to reduce pressure on native forest as a source for raw materials and to ensure its continuous availability for the domestic timber industry." Sarawak also plans to double its oil palm coverage to one million hectares by this year.

The loss of biodiversity in tree plantations in Sarawak is significant in the global equation, says political economist Andrew Aeria. "But don't expect Sarawak politicians to be bothered by all this. All they are interested in is the profit margin of their crony companies and their family-linked companies involved in tree plantation projects."

Meanwhile, the villagers in Long Terawan are still engaged in farming using their traditional practices & dash; but for how much longer?

"When the plantations come — and they are starting work now..." Along’s voice trails off. "Now they are doing work in the jungle, and after the jungle, the native customary land, and after that, the whole place, and definitely our farms will go."

The Baram natives concerns not only on above issue, but they are also fear a repeat of Bakun fiasco as the government had been proposed to build another hydro power in upper Baram.

The residents voiced concerns of their fate once the dam is built. They are wondering what will happen to their land once its waters inundate their villages… how are they going to be resettled and how much it will cost them. Baram peoples should look at Bakun case as a lesson learnt. Probably it is time for them to say good bye to the government that seems to be not sensitive to their peoples concerned.

Residents affected by Baram Dam want to study EIA and SEIA reports before it is approved

19 May 2010

MIRI – Representative of residents from longhouses affected directly by the proposed Baram Dam have applied for a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Social Environmental Impact Assessment Report or any other report(s) on studies currently being carried out before it is approved by the relevant agencies or authorities.

In a letter signed by representatives of the residents and concerned citizens and address to the Controller of the Sarawak Natural Resources and Environmental Board (NREB), they requested that they should be given an opportunity and sufficient time to verify, study, comment and/or make objections on the EIA, SEIA or any other report(s) before it is being approved and works on the proposed dam can begin.

The letter also states that, the group objects against the commencement of any work including construction of any access roads to the site of the proposed dam and also the extinguishment of their native customary rights (NCR) over their native customary land pending their scrutiny of the reports.

On the 22 -23 April, a group of concerned residents attended a two day seminar entitled “Mega Dam Projects: Happiness or a Disaster?” organised by the Baram Residents Action Committee (JTPB) at Telang Usan Hotel, Miri.

During the seminar, it was clear that all of the residents that attended do not agree to the proposed building of the Baram Dam.

Among the main concerns of the residents are what will happen to their land once the dam is build and water starts inundating their villages. Where are they going to be resettled? How much will the people be burdened by the cost of the dams?

The residents also do not want a repeat of the Bakun resettlement fiasco and they want this project to be scrapped altogether as there is clearly no justification for it to be built as the energy generated by the 2,400 MW Bakun Dam is more than sufficient for the energy needs of Sarawak for many years to come.

Released by:
Mark Bujang
Executive Director, BRIMAS

JTPB letter to NREB

Go to this link: http://brimas.www1.50megs.com/JTPB_ltr_to_NREB.html

Siapa yang menerima kesan dari Empangan Baram

Sekurang-kurangnya 20,000 penduduk orang asal akan terancam dan terpaksa dipindah akibat pembinaan empangan Baram. Mereka ini terdiri daripada suku Orang Asal Kayan, Kenyah dan Penan di mana rumah-rumahpanjang dan kampung-kampung terletak di sepanjang tebingan sungai Baram atau dikenali sebagai Telang Usan. Kedudukan kampung-kampung mereka berada di kawasan bahagian hilir, hulu dan juga sekitar tapak projek empangan.

Kampung/Rumah Panjang yang tinggal di kawasan bahagian hilir empangan adalah seperti Long Laput, Sungai Dua, Sri Kenawan, Uma Bawang, Long Miri( Daleh Pelutan), Long Pilah, Long Nakan dan Long Kesseh. Manakala di hulu sungai dan yang berada dalam kawasan takungan empangan adalah Long Na’ah, Long Liam, Long Keluan, Long San, Long Selatong (kiri dan kanan), Long Apu, Long Julan Asal, Long Julan Pelutan, Long Anap, Long Palai, Long Je’eh, Long Moh, Long Sela’an dan Long Semiyang termasuk juga penduduk Sungai Akah iaitu Long Beku, Ba Abang, Long Tap dan Long Tebangan. Kampung-kampung yang dalam Sungai Silat adalah Long Selawan, Long Makabar dan beberapa kampung-kampung Penan lagi di Sungai Silat.

Empangan Baram akan menenggelamkan lebih kurang 38,900 hektar ( 389sq km) tanah dan hutan. Kawasan tersebut kebanyakkannya adalah Tanah Adat termasuk tanah temuda, kawasan bercucuk tanam, kebun, kampung, gereja, tanah perkuburan, hutan komuniti dan tapak-tapak peninggalan bersejarah. Mereka akan kehilangan rumah panjang mereka, kampung, harta benda, tanah dan hutan disebabkan kesan dari penenggelaman dan kemusnahan oleh empangan Baram.

Kawasan tadahan empangan Baram akan meliputi seluas 896,600 hektar (8,966sq.km). Di mana keseluruhan kawasan tersebut adalah kampung-kampung dan tanah adat yang diduduki oleh masyarakat Orang Asal seperti Kenyah, Kayan, Kelabit, Saben, Penan dan lain-lain.

Empangan Baram juga turut akan menenggelamkan sekolah-sekolah kerajaan, klinik-klinik kesihatan, lapangan terbang dan juga bangunan kemudahan awam lain. Termasuk juga kem-kem syarikat pembalakan yang bergiat aktif di kawasan tersebut. Jalan-jalan balak utama yang diguna oleh penduduk rumah panjang Kedaya Telang Usan juga akan ditengelami oleh takungan empangan Baram

Empangan Hidroelektirk Baram

Batang Baram merupakan Sungai kedua terpanjang di Sarawak.

Empangan Hidroelektrik Baram terletak di sepanjang sungai Baram iaitu 306 km dari muara sungai. Kedudukan tapak empangan Baram akan melintangi sungai Baram iaitu dari arah mudik kehulu di antara Sungai Patah dan Sungai Kahah di sebelah kiri dan Sungai Hit di sebelah kanan.

Ketinggian empangan Baram adalah 162m di atas tahap asas. Struktur empangan yang melintangi sungai Baram adalah crest sepanjang 685m dan aras rabung adalah 180m di atas paras laut. Lakaran pembinaan akan dibuat seperti pengelek padat konkrit gravity empangan (roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam). Berdasarkan keadaan topografi (tanah) kawasan projek, sebuah saddle dam dengan ketinggian empangan 70m akan dibina kira-kira 5km dari kawasan selatan pembinaan projek.

Ciri-ciri Projek Empangan Baram

Empangan Utama

Jenis = RCC

Puncak Empangan = 180m a.s.1.

Ketinggian empangan = 162m

Panjang Crest Empangan = 685m

Pelana Empangan (Saddle dam)

Jenis = Rockfill

Puncak Empangan = 180m a.s.1.

Ketinggian Empangan = 70m

Panjang Empangan = 1,290m

Takungan Empangan

Tahap air biasa = 178m a.s.1

Tahap minimum air = 177m a.s.1.

Jumlah isipadu simpanan = 13,2 x 10 rn

Keluasan takungan = 389sq km (38,900 hektar)

Logi kuasa (power plant)

Kapasiti terpasang = 1,000 MW

Jenis turbin = Francis-vertical axis

Bilangan unit = 4

Keluasan kawasan tadahan = 8,966 sq km (896,600 hektar)