While the people of Baram welcome the announcement by Chief Minister Adenan Hj. Satem, that the proposed “Baram dam project is halted indefinitely”, the majority of them still demand a total stop of the project before they are convinced that the government is honestly listening to their plea. A number of feedback-meetings had been organized […]

(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) The International Tropical Timber Organisation has banned the Swiss rainforest advocacy NGO, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), from attending its annual conference, which is being held in Kuala Lumpur from 16 to 20 November 2015. BMF delegate Johanna Michel (picture), who attended the conference on behalf of the Swiss organisation, has today been

(KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA) It came as a bad surprise for civil society today that the Malaysian government is attempting to ban the Bruno Manser Fund from yet another tropical timber conference after it succeeded in keeping us away from last year’s 50th International Tropical Timber Council session in Yokohama. During the opening proceedings of the

ADELAIDE (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) An oil painting by the Australian artist John Olsen has been donated to the Art Gallery of South Australia by a company linked to Taib Mahmud, a Malaysian politician accused of grand corruption and money-laundering. The painting “Meandering Murray and wattles” was donated in 2013 by Sitehost Pty Ltd (“Sitehost”) through an

London, 2nd November 2015: Robert Guimaraes Vasquez, a leader of the Shipibo-Konibo indigenous people in Peru’s Amazon has travelled to a global forum in London on business, deforestation and human rights to highlight the destruction of his people’s traditional lands by an international agribusiness group and member of the RSPO (Round Table for Sustainable Palm

Press Release: SAVE Rivers, JOAS, BRIMAS, The Borneo Project, and Bruno Manser Fund   (BARAM / SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) On October 23rd 2015 indigenous communities from around the world gathered on the banks of the Baram River in Sarawak, Malaysia in the context of the second year anniversary of the indigenous-led blockades against the proposed

Miri – Celebrating the second year anniversary of the blockade against Baram-1 dam and the moratorium of works on the project, the indigenous people are organizing an international event. The event, named, “World Indigenous Summit on Environment and Rivers” (WISER Baram 2015), is a five days program. Some of those who participate include indigenous peoples

After two years of blocking all work on the proposed Baram Dam in Malaysia, the indigenous peoples have scored a major victory: the state government has announced a moratorium on the controversial dam and an evaluation of small-scale energy alternatives. (KUCHING / SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) The Chief Minister of Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo,

MIRI –The people of Baram gave a cautious welcome to the announcement about the moratorium of the proposed Baram-1 Hydroelectric (HEP) Dam. While the affected villagers acknowledge that the measure taken by the government is welcomed, but at the same time they highlight that there are a number of outstanding issues related to the proposed dams

Statement 07/09/2015: The New Straits Times allege they contacted me for a response to their latest attack – there is no evidence they sent a single email or made a single call. If the New Straits Times have been reading my Whatsapp messages to Xavier Justo they will know quite a lot of things, but

In June this year Malaysian palm oil company BLD Plantation Berhad announced its plans to clear 14,000 ha (hectares) of carbon-rich peatland in its Sarawak landbank in the next two years as reported by The Star. The company’s plan however has been criticized by Malaysian environmental group Friends of the Orangutans (FOTO). According to the

SAVE Rivers is working with local and international partners in a campaign to stop the government of Sarawak from building 12 mega-dams. If they are built, these dams will force tens of thousands of communities off of their land, drive untold species to extinction, pollute the rivers — the lifelines of the jungle — and

Press Release 10 August 2015 Download MACC Reform Project Memorandum here MACC investigations obstructed by arrests, transfers and confiscation of equipment Kuala Lumpur, 10th August, 2015 – The GIAT Coalition today, in light of recent actions of arrests of key personnel and confiscation of equipment & documents, calls for an immediate stop of activities that may obstruct the institutions’ competency

  9 August 2015 UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has stated, “The interests of the indigenous peoples must be part of the new development agenda in order for it to succeed. […] Together, let us recognize and celebrate the valuable and distinctive identities of indigenous peoples around the world. Let us work even harder

  Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager Jenny Weber has expressed alarm for Tasmania’s threatened rainforests of the Tarkine, and criticised the company Ta Ann for appalling logging practices that are un-sustainable, “Ta Ann’s new plywood mill in north-west Tasmania is another very controversial foothold by the Sarawak timber company in Australia. Ta Ann has today

MIRI – The announcement by Sarawak’s Chief Minister, Dato Seri Adenan Hj. Satem for a moratorium of works by Sarawak Energy Bhd on the proposed Baram dam is commended especially by some of those who opposed the Hydroelectric (HEP) Dam in Baram. In connection with this, SAVE Rivers network is in the process of getting feedback

  In an exclusive interview with Radio Free Sarawak (RFS), Iban Tuai Rumah Jupiter anak Sergeran from Rumah Jupiter in Suai, Miri revealed that he is being sued by the Ta Ann-linked company Butrasemari Sdn Bhd for an astonishing RM6.7million. This is what the company are claiming is “loss of earnings”. Tuai Rumah Jupiter had

Miri – Jaringan Orang Asal Se Malaysia (JOAS), the Network of Indigenous Peoples of Malaysia, is dismayed that Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan is once again recorded in the Borneo Post as saying that the Baram Dam has the support of community leaders, while Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) CEO Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit is quoted as dismissing scientific studies that

MIRI – The habitual refusal by Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit’s in accepting professional opinions and recommendations regarding the hydroelectric mega dams, is alarming. As a person who should be making vitally important decision in this critical matter, his attitude can mean a looming disaster to Sarawak and the people. In a statement published by the Borneo

Agricultural production in vast regions of South East Asia will be lost in the coming decades as a result of flooding of extensive lowland landscapes due to unsustainable development and management of peat soils. About 82% of the Rajang Delta in Sarawak (East Malaysia) will be irreversibly flooded within 100 years and substantial areas are

CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM (CIJ) STATEMENT : CIJ calls on home minister to stop threatening media over 1MDB reports. The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is dismayed at Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s recent threats against the media. Zahid warned that action could be taken against The Edge under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA)

In a parliamentary briefing to twenty members of parliament (MPs) at the Opposition Party Office (DAP) last week on 17 June 2015, the Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) called for the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) as part of the recommendations following the findings of the Task Force on the SUHAKAM National Land Inquiry (NI) on

11 June 2015: Arul Kanda’s denial doesn’t explain why Deloitte Malaysia has not been able to commence audit on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) Earlier today, I have issued a statement alleging that “1MDB is already more than 2 months past the 31 March financial year end for this year and yet no work has been started at all

As the Prime Minister chickened out of his own 1MDB “Nothing to Hide” forum, the Minister of Finance II Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah told tall tales on live television Dato’ Seri Najib Razak must be panicking and scampering around like Chicken Little who believed that “the sky is falling” on him. Not only did