INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BLOCKADE

MIRI: The indigenous people of Kedaya Telang Usan has set up a barricade with the aim of seeking a dialogue with the timber company that is operating in the area.

The barricade started on May 19 involved three indigenous people longhouses namely Long Moh, Long Jeeh and Long Makaba.

For more than 26 days, the indigenous people taking part in the barricade totalling more than 50 people stood their ground even though the timber company refused to meet them to hear their demands.

Instead various forms of threats were used to intimidate the indigenous to open the barricade including sending the relevant agencies such as the police and the forestry department.

Meanwhile, the president of the Kenyah National Association councillor Simpson Njock Lenjau sympathized with the action of the indigenous people.

“This is a peaceful barricade with no criminal intention. Neither do the indigenous people acts in such a manner to stop the timber company from operating in the area. What they demand is for the timber company to sit down and listen to the request of the indigenous people who are the rightful local stakeholders. They want the timber company to consider distributing the wealth they get from extracting timber in a fair manner,” said Simpson.

He told this to the Borneo Post when asked about the barricade at Long Moh by a group of indigenous people.

“We hope the matter will be resolved as soon as possible to avoid untoward incidents from happening. We welcome timber companies coming to our area. We are hopeful that with their logging activities in our area, our people's living standard would improve over time like more job opportunities be given to the local indigenous people, especially our young people. What we don't want to see is that wealth is being siphoned off from our area and our area is not developed. In other words, the local indigenous people do not get to enjoy the benefit of development,” said Simpson.

He pointed out that the indigenous people of Kedaya Telang Usan who belong mostly to the Kenyah tribe has long been living in the area from their ancestors' time having the territorial right to the land.

“By virtue of our history, we are the local stake holders in the area and our request is that any timber company having the licence to operate in our area at least recognize our status as stake holders and deal with the indigenous people as such and not otherwise. Having such a licence doesn't mean they can do anything they want like felling down belian trees and any trees that have medicinal value. In other words, these timber companies must comply with the relevant laws governing logging activity including the European Union standards ,” said Simpson.

The motivation for setting up this barricade is to prevent further widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.

“We are not ashamed to point out that the rural indigenous people are the hardcore poor. If the rural people are continued to be treated in this manner, being deprived of sharing the wealth from the area, the gap will continue to widen. The social implications in future is frightening to contemplate, with most of indigenous young people jobless unable to support their families,” said Simpson.

“Our hope and our wish is that the top management of the timber company come and listen to the indigenous people in Kedaya Telang Usan” said Simpson. ENDS.