More and more land grabs are coming into lights-this is another one-from the Long Terawan region:
APPEAL FOR HELP TO STOP ROBBERY OF BERAWAN’S ANCESTRAL LAND ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE WORLD’S HERITAGE SITE (UNESCO),GUNUNG MULU NATIONAL PARK
We, the Berawan (one of the ethnics group in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia) of the village, Kampung Long Terawan in the Tutoh river, Baram, Miri Division, Sarawak, East Malaysia wish to make and urgent Mulu info appeal to our fellow beloved citizens of the world for help to stop the robbery of our ancestral lands, our heritage, our birth right, which is our sources of survival as native peoples.
Even before the Brooke Administration in Sarawak, our ancestral have settled, occupied and used our ancestral land at around the Melinau River adjacent to the Mulu National Park. As their descendents and in accordance with our customs, we have inherited our said ancestral land from our ancestors.
In 1993 without notice to us, the Sarawak Land and Survey Department had issued a provisional lease over our said ancestral land to a company, Borsarmulu Resort Sdn Bhd, and we just discovered that in 2004, again without our knowledge, the said Department as converted the said provisional lease issue over our said ancestral land.
We therefore make this very urgent appeal to all of you to help us to stop this day light robbery of our ancestral lands. Help us by sending and making peaceful protest and objection in any way, you can to the Malaysian and Sarawak authorities in particular and demand that our said ancestral lands be excluded from the said lease issued to Borsarmulu Resort Sdn. Bhd, and that our said ancestral land is immediately return to by the company and the government to us. Moreover Gunung Mulu World Heritage Area management was overlapping with our ancestral lands whereby they control and monopoly business at Mulu Basin, for example catering etc. But are reluctant to help and to promote the local own home stay outside Gunung Mulu World Heritage Area, whereby the local people demand of sharing the benefit from the tourism industry there too. We seek your help to highlight and expose our problems and plights in the international media as well.
The shareholder and directors of Borsamulu Resort Sdn Bhd. is individuals who are already super-rich multi-millionaires one of whom is Raziah@Rodiah binti Mahmud, the sister of Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud Malaysia’s longest serving Chief Minister (since 1981 ) who is also Sarawak’s Minister of planning and resource management in-charge of the Land and Survey Department that issued the said lease to Borsamulu Resort Sdn,Bhd. Over our said ancestral land.
Our Question: Why take and give our ancestral lands, the land of ours, the poor natives of Sarawak to the already super-rich multi-millionaires.
The Sarawak government had gazette National Parks such as the Gunung Mulu National Park, moreover what is the roll of World Heritage Site (UNESCO) stand for ( which was part of the Berawan’s ancestral lands before it was gazetted as a park ) to protect wildlife and animals. But, as our present case has shown, the Sarawak Government has simply ignored our rights ( as human beings) to our ancestral lands.
We Say: The Wild animals are better treated/protected than us Berawans tribe by the Sarawak current governments.
For more info, please see: http://sarawakheadhunter.blogspot.com/2008/04/berawans-struggle-in-mulu-paradise.html
democracy4now
lucia
TP
sicnewsmirisite
timchoo
Local community participation must be considered in all future government undertakings and planning. Infact local participation is good as it will provide some economic gains and will reduce incidence of poverty among the locals and is consistent with the government plan to get the locals to benefit from all tourism projects carried in the area. I strongly recommend that a Community-based Ecotourism PLAN be introduce to get the locals to actively involved and all the initial funding should be from the government. UNESCO being part of World Heritage Site can also play positive role by allocating some funds DIRECTLY to the participating Local CBE Entreprenuers. My opinion, It is within everyone interest that the local involvment be promoted and encouraged.