Story & Photos by Colin Nicholas – Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) 21/11/2013 The Penan community affected by the Murum Dam project in Sarawak is being forced to resettle even when the alternative longhouses and the facilities are still being constructed. The Penans do not want to move but they are being forced because, […]

Residents from 26 villages surrounding the sacred Sadong mountain range have succeeded in calling for the government to stop logging on their sacred NCR land. Last Sunday, roughly 1,000 residents from the 26 villages surrounding the mountain range staged a peaceful protest at Kampung Taee. They protested against the permit issuance, which was granted to a

NOTICE OF MOTION Kim Booth MP on tomorrow to move – That this House notes that: (1) 1500 indigenous Penan people are currently being resettled, in many cases forcibly, for the impoundment of the Murum Dam in Sarawak; (2) Some have resisted their forced relocation and are blocking the access road to the dam; (3)

A group of Penan from Murum have travelled to Kuala Lumpur to hold protests outside the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman and will head to Parliament tomorrow to urge the authorities to look into their plight. The Penan are scheduled to meet the Inspector-General (IGP) of Police Khalid Abu Bakar at Bukit Aman in

A forum on land, justice and human rights on the situation of the indigenous peoples in Sarawak was held in Kuching yesterday. The forum was attended by ambassador and head of the European Union delegation to Malaysia, Luc Vandebon. Also present were Bandar Kuching MP and also Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, Batu Lintang assemblyman

As the situation in Murum, Baram, Melikin, Sungai Asap and other areas of Sarawak heat up, Sarawak Report has become aware of yet another dissatisfied indigenous community fighting for their rights against the state government. More than 20 Bidayuh villages in the Bukar area in Serian, Sarawak, are rightly furious over what they claim to

To: YAB Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud 22nd Floor, Wisma Bapa Malaysia Petra Jaya, 93502 Kuching Sarawak, Malaysia To: Mr. Torstein Dale Sjotveit Chief Executive Officer, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) No. 1, The Isthmus, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia   Subject: Respect Indigenous Penan’s Native Customary Rights over the Murum Dam Project We, indigenous organizations

Statement by representatives of Long Na’ah and Long Kesseh: We are surprised to hear statements in the Borneo Post newspaper entitled “People actually support the Baram Dam ”  Community leaders in our area and village -level leaders were not carrying out their responsibilities and roles to discuss with all members of the village or to

Villagers from the Bakun Resettlement Scheme in Sungai Asap and Sungai Koyan in Belaga, Kapit have filed a suit against the Sarawak government for failing to pay interest on the compensation for the loss of their original longhouses. They have named the Kapit Land and Survey Department superintendent and the Sarawak government as the first and

PRESS STATEMENT – Penan continue protest in Murum but concerned over police presence. Murum, Belaga, Sarawak. 11.11.2013. Indigenous Penans are continuing with their peaceful blockade despite 10 of them being arrested and detained in Belaga police lockup. The 10 were released yesterday, including 2 underage boys. The 10 Penan heroes have now joined the other Penans

The following letter was sent on behalf of international, regional, and national organizations to express urgent concerns over the threats, intimidation and criminalization of Indigenous Penan families protesting at the Murum Hydroelectric Dam site in Sarawak. It can be downloaded here: Human Rights Violations of Penan Indigenous Protesters at Murum Dam Site Monday 11th November,

Malaysian Civil Society regards with great indignation the violation of Native Customary Rights of the Orang Asal (the Indigenous People) of Sarawak in the construction of hydroelectric power dams in Bakun, Murum and Baram, Sarawak. The Violation of Native Rights The Sarawak State Government under the administration of the Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has consistently

PRESS STATEMENT – SUARAM Condemns Crackdown in Murum : Protesters, Including Children, Arrested and Detained SUARAM condemns ongoing harassment of Penan communities in Murum and Baram. Yesterday (7 November 2013), saw another action from the Royal Malaysian Police which clearly shows the failed role of the police force. Eight Penan who have been blockading against

JOAS PRESS STATEMENT – ORANG ASAL WANTS APOLOGY  Over 400 participants of the national land conference worked on the indigenous peoples resolution in Dewan Tun Fuad, Penampang, Sabah. Organized by the Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), the 2-day conference held on 6-7 November 2013, saw participants from indigenous peoples, also known as Orang Asal, from

PRESS STATEMENT – 8 villagers arrested & assaulted by police for allegedly stealing oil palm from a company which is encroaching on NCR lands 3rd November 2013, MIRI – A police contingent from Batu Niah, Miri and Kuching consisting of the General Operations Force (GOF), traffic and ordinary officers went down to the Sungai Sebatu, Suai