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Extracted from
Malaysiakini
Iban villagers held for setting blockade
Tony
Thien | Jan 29,
An Iban village chief and two others were arrested yesterday for
setting up a blockade to stop encroachment into their native customary rights (
The three - Tuai Rumah Taman Anak Embat, 55, Robert Anak Gickson Sawing, 23,
and Alu Anak Embat, 58 - were said to have set up the blockade to prevent a
plantation company from undertaking logging activities.
They are being remanded at the Mukah police station for further investigation.
Matek Anak Garan, the spokesperson for the Ibans in Kuala Balingian, told Malaysiakini that the trio were
initially remanded in Balingian police station before being transferred to
Mukah.
Following the arrest, he added, a team of 150 police personnel and land and
survey department personnel then dismantled the blockade.
The blockade was set up by residents of five Iban longhouses in the Kuala
Balingian area since last August to protest the encroachment activities of
Saradu Plantation Sdn Bhd, the plantation company.
In a related matter, Matek himself was arrested yesterday for setting up
another blockade in Nanga Mana, a neighbouring area in Ulu Balingian.
Report
at Bukit Aman
The blockade was also to protest what he called the “illegal logging activities
of a company identified as Jutapak Sdn Bhd”.
He was however released on police bail and is to appear in court by tomorrow.
The Nanga Mana blockade has long history of police interference, with three
village elders being hauled up by police and remanded for 11 days from
Matek, 29 and a former offshore rig worker, said he could not understand why
the police acted in arresting them even though the company was allegedly
involved in illegal logging activities.
He however stressed that the villagers were adamant in fighting to protect and
defend their rights to the lands.
He also said that the villagers planned to appoint a committee with the help of
their lawyers to make a report directly to the national police headquarters in
Bukit Aman,