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Extracted from Malaysiakini
Plight of Sarawak
Penans getting worse
Jul
30, 05 11:54am
Penan chiefs and representatives from 27 settlements met
for two days in Long Belok in the Baram, northern Sarawak, recently to discuss
the worsening plight of the community.
The discussions centred on the various issues and problems
faced by the Penan community, some of whom are still leading a nomadic life and
adversely affected by logging activities, the Sarawak Penan Association said in
a statement this week.
They said these were issues and problems also outlined in
the Long Sayan Declaration in June 2002 “but have not been given due attention
nor has there been any action taken by the government.”
“Instead the Penans' problems have become worse,” it said,
adding that their living conditions have become more pathetic and the people
poorer.
The more serious problems facing the Penans are the result
of logging and large-scale plantation activities, inadequate health and medical
services, the lack of identity cards and little assistance for proper housing
materials.
The Penans said in the statement that “logging companies
are still carrying out their activities indiscriminately within and around our
ancestral forest areas without showing any respect to our customary rights and
our way of life which entirely depend on the forests and its resources to
obtain food for our daily survival.”
Although this matter has often been raised, our problems
continue to be taken lightly by the government, they said.
Rights
violated
“Recently, certain logging companies have resorted to all
kinds of tactics including the use of ‘gangsters’ to pressure us to surrender
our communal forest areas for logging.”
'We strongly deplore such “inhumane” actions as it violates
our basic human rights and privileges as indigenous people of this country.
Such tactics also contradict the underlying objectives of development policies
in this country.'
'We are also filled with frustration because the forest
areas allocated for the nomadic Penans in Sungai Bareh and Magoh areas are
being encroached and logged by the logging companies without any control and
protection by the authorities concerned.'
The Penan community said they were concerned the state
government has not conducted any detailed study on the socio-cultural impacts
of large-scale development projects on the Penans.
Detailed study should be conducted prior to the issuance
of provisional leases to private companies to proceed with large-scale
plantation developments in and around the traditional lands of Penans.
'Without such studies and proper consultation being
undertaken, more problems and misunderstanding will ensue between our
communities and the companies involved in future.'
The community is also worried about their health situation
.
“Very recently, our people have been infected with various
contagious diseases such as Malaria, measles and also other illnesses such as
gastric, skin diseases, diarrhea, persistent flu, headaches, weak body, eye
sores, boils, and so on.”
Health
problems
Among the possible factors that led to the emergence of
these health problems were the change from traditional food sources to present
type of food (which are often inadequate) including the destruction and
degradation of the surrounding natural environment, they said.
The Penans said existing health service centres are poorly
equipped and cannot meet the needs of the sick. If there is any emergency case,
it is extremely difficult for the patient to obtain immediate treatment.
For example the Penans in Sungai Tutoh, Baram District has
one village clinic located in Long Kevok only and is served by only one medical
assistant assisted by a community nurse, to serve around two thousand Penans in
the surrounding area.
'Whenever the medical assistant goes on leave, there is no
one else to treat the sick. Apart from the serious lack of manpower, medicines
stock and medical equipments are also inadequate and limited compared to the
needs and expectations of the sick,' the statement said.
As a result, the Penans in the Tutoh area have to travel
to clinic located much further. Flying doctor service is also provided on an
irregular basis.
Almost all Penan settlements are not provided with clean
piped water supply (gravity-feed water system) for their daily consumption.
Water is obtained from the nearby rivers and streams which
have long been polluted due to soil erosion, siltation, oil disposal and waste
as a result of logging activities in the surrounding areas.
“Many of our people that do not have citizenship identity
documents are also worried and afraid to travel to Marudi or Miri for medical
treatment for fear that we may be reprimanded by the authorities or may not be
given proper treatment.”
Poor
education
Most Penan villages/settlements are still not provided
with basic school facility whether for kindergarten or primary education.”'Our
young children have to be sent to schools far away from our
villages/settlements.”
“Our children aged six to seven years old who definitely
have problems looking after themselves are forced to stay in boarding schools.
“While staying in hostels, there are instances where their
security and welfare are not given due attention by the school authorities.
Penan children's education performance is always generally poor.”
The statement said there are still a huge number of Penans
without important documents such as birth certificates and identity cards.
“The main cause of this problem is transportation cost to
the nearest registration office which many of us cannot afford.”
Many Penan children who do not have the above documents
could not continue with their education to secondary level.
Recently, the air transport service operators to rural
areas such as Long Lelang, Long Seridan, Long Banga and Bario have imposed a
new ruling which restricts those who have no identity documents to board the
planes.
“This means that our people who have no identity documents
have no access to the Registration department because they cannot travel.”
The statement said inpsite of promises almost all the
Penan villages or settlements have not been given assistance by the government.
Unsafe
dwellings
Although some housing assistance were provided in the form
of housing materials to some of the Penan villages, the general conditions were
unsatisfactory and the quality of the materials provided was poor and this has
rendered the houses unsafe for dwelling.
Examples of such houses being built are at Long Kevok,
Layun, Tutoh, Long Belok, Apoh and Long Muboi, Selaan in Ulu Baram. Major
components of the house such as the posts, together with the roof (zinc) and
wall (plywood) are already rotting.
They reiterated their demand for recognition to be really
given to native customary right (NCR) over customary communal lands, including
special rights and privileges to have continuous access to the land and forest
resources to obtain food and daily needs.
They called on the government to withdraw all the
provisional leases and or licences issued for logging and large-scale
plantation projects that affect their customary communal lands.
At the same time, they asked the government to expedite
the approval of their applications for Communal Forest Reserve.
The Penans also wanted the government to come up with
“development plans and models that are genuinely sustainable and appropriate
with needs, aspirations, consent and capacity.”
They appealed appeal to the Federal and State governments
to take immediate action to address the issues and problems and take necessary
steps to rectify the situation to ensure that the Penan community stand to
meaningfully benefit from current and future development in the country.