SAVE Rivers

Published: Sunday October 6, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM Updated: Sunday October 6, 2013 MYT 2:34:40 PM BY STEPHEN THEN MIRI: It is a race against time to rescue dozens of endangered animals in the Murum Valley threatened by rising waters from the impoundment of the Murum hydroelectric dam that began about two weeks ago. The water behind the main dam wall is rising fast. Trees and bushes that sheltered these endangered animals are fast being submerged. The Star yesterday received a call from an environmental activist who claimed that people were seen trying to capture these rare animals using traps. Calls to the Wildlife Department went unanswered, probably because it was a weekend. The Star also called up Penghulu Saging Bit, a local chieftain in Belaga, to find out what was actually happening. Saging explained that the people who were trying to trap and capture the animals were wildlife rangers from Sarawak Forestry and locals hired to help them in the task. “Personnel from Sarawak Forest...

Dukau Papau 10:15AM Oct 7, 2013 The government has dispatched more police personnel including 43 members of the Public Order Riot Unit (PORU) to the Murum dam site in Belaga in an effort to arrest 40 Penans who are said to be involved in putting up blockades to protect against the impoundment of the dam. Click here to read more

Seorang polis telah melepaskan tembakan amaran ke udara apabila beratus-ratus orang yang membantah minta untuk ditahan bersama dengan Ngang Buling, sebagai penunjuk solidariti. Foto dan kapsyen (disunting) dari Sarawak Report. One policeman shot in the air as hundreds of protestors asked to be arrested in solidarity when Ngang Buling was arrested yesterday. Photo and caption source (edited) dari Sarawak Report. Kenyataan Media 4 Oktober 2013 Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia ( JOAS ) menggesa untuk melepaskan dengan segera Ngang Buling, seorang Penan dari Murum yang ditahan pada 3 Okt, 2013 pada 10 pagi. JOAS, yang terdiri daripada 89 ahli organisasi berasaskan komuniti di Malaysia, mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya tindakan oleh pihak polis yang menangkap dan menembak ke udara untuk menyuraikan Orang Asal yang terdesak untuk mendirikan sekatan demi untuk melindungi tanah, wilayah dan sumber mereka. Ngang Buling telah ditahan di tapak pembinaan empangan Murum kerana mahu menghentika...

Posted on October 4, 2013, Friday KUCHING: Those protesting the Murum hydro-electric dam, including those from the Penan community, should realise they are not exempted from the laws of this land. Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing said this when commenting on the police action to stop protesters at the Murum dam blockade site yesterday. Click here to read more

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9:56AM Oct 6, 2013 The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) must probe plans to submerge Penan villages in Sarawak for a dam project and the manner in which the locals' protest was broken up with a fired shot, says PKR environmental bureau chief Lee Chean Chung. Click here to read more

Dukau Papau 12:38PM Oct 3, 2013 Police from Belaga fired shots into the air to stop more than 300 protesters who also wanted to be arrested after a protester, Ngang Buling, was arrested at their Murum dam blockade site at 10.10am today. Click here to read more

Malaysiakini 4:47PM Oct 1, 2013 Workers at the Murum hydroelectric dam had their lives threatened by protesters who were instigated by “foreign troublemakers and anti-government NGOs”, Sarawak Energy Bhd claims. Click here to read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1 October 2013 MIRI - A few representatives from the Penan community affected by the Murum HEP Dam came down to Miri to lodged a police report against Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) and the Sarawak State Government for impounding the dam without giving them notice while most of the Penans are yet to move to the resettlement sites and negotiations are still on between the communities and the State Government. The Penans in their statement to the press today said they were caught by surprise when SEB started to impound the dam last Sunday, 22 September 2013 and since then their daily lives have been affected and they are worried about their safety. A spokesman from the community, Lugan Usang who hails from Long Tangau, in a statement to the press today said that the safety of his people are at risk because above the Murum HEP Dam there are still many Penan and Kenyah communities that have yet to move and are still living at their respective villages of Long Luar, Long ...

Winston Way | October 1, 2013 Aid from the government and Sarawak Energy Berhad are only ‘cosmetic and short-term’ solutions that don't equip Penans for their new life, claims lawyer Abun Sui Anyit KUCHING: The semi-nomadic Penan community now relocated from their village in Long Wat due to the construction of Murum Dam are in a daze and clueless about what the future holds. Resettled in their new longhouse at Tegulang, the community however is uncertain and to some extent afraid, said their spokesman and lawyer Abun Sui Anyit. Click here to read more

Penans affected by Murum Dam impoundment split in their stand on resettlement MURUM, Belaga: The construction of Murum dam has resulted in the 353 affected Penan families taking two different paths – one willing to be resettled and the other staying put until all their demands are met. Eighty-nine families comprising about 300 members from Long Wat has settled in Tegulang, adapting to modern living since early last month. Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/10/01/community-divided-by-dam/#ixzz2gSamDgWd

Penans staged blockades on their own will, and reports of Sarawak Energy contractors burning their old longhouses came directly from the victims, claims SAVE Rivers Network. Winston Way  | September 26, 2013 KUCHING: A Sarawak-based NGO which has been accused of instigating Penans to stage blockades against the Murum HEP has hit back at the Sarawak Energy Board (SEB). SAVE Rivers Network chairman Peter Kallang said: “It’s a lie. SEB is trying to paint the picture that we (the NGOs) are trying to instigate the people there. “In fact, we were never even there.” Click here to read more

We in the SAVE Rivers Network are in full support of this initiative on 26th September 2013, taken by our friends from Peninsular Malaysia which is in solidarity with the people of Murum. On behalf of those who are dissatisfied with the treatment given to them by Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) and Sarawak’s State government, a group of Murum folks comprising of Penans and Kenyah are protesting on the access road to the Murum dam. Their demand has so far not been met by SEB and the government. Although a majority of villagers have not been displaced, Sarawak Energy Berhad have started impounding the dam starting on Saturday 21st September 2013. We demand that where negations are required, the affected communities must be given the freedom to appoint their own spokesmen including any professional support. We urge that Sarawak Energy Berhad and the Sarawak State government to respect all aspect of human rights including the United Nation Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRI...

BY DESMOND DAVIDSON SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), the state power company that has come under fire from foreign and domestic non-governmental organisations over its hydroelectric dam projects, has denied various claims made by NGOs over its Murum hydroelectric dam in Belaga in recent days. Calling such claims as “lies” and an attempt to create panic among the people affected by the project, SEB said it is the work of certain NGOs and outsiders to smear the image of the company, the state of Sarawak and to sabotage the concerted efforts that went into bringing development to the people. Click here to read more

By John Ahni Schertow • Sep 24, 2013 A large group of Penan Peoples have reinstated a blockade against the controversial Murum dam in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The blockade originally began in September 2012, when the Penan and Kenyah heard that they would be forced off their lands without fair compensation to make way for the dam’s reservoir. Click here to read more

SAVE Rivers Network chairman claims workers from state electricity board burnt down a village and sunk boats of the villagers. Winston Way  | September 24, 2013 KUCHING: An NGO leader today claimed workers from the Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) committed arson on a Penan village in Belaga while several boats belonging to the natives were sunk, prior to the unexpected impoundment of the Murum Dam. SAVE Rivers Network chairman Peter Kallang made this allegation through his latest Facebook post yesterday. “Latest from Murum. Long Watt Penan village burnt down. Arson suspected workers from Sarawak Energy Bhd. Boats belonging to the Penans were also sunk (sic). This followed the unannounced impoundment of the dam,” posted Peter on his Facebook page. The suspected arson was front-paged in local dailies today. The reports said the longhouse at the former Long Wat settlement, about four hours from the Murum Dam site, was allegedly set on fire by unknown persons over the weekend. The assu...

by Joanna Yap, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 24, 2013, Tuesday KUCHING: The longhouse at the former Long Wat settlement, about 4 hours from the Murum HEP dam site, was reportedly set on fire by persons unknown over the weekend. The suspected act of arson was discovered by villagers who had returned to the settlement to collect their belongings and livestock to take with them to their new homes at Tegulang, according to Sarawak Conservation Alliance of Natural Environment (SCANE) chairman Raymond Abin who received the news from the villagers yesterday afternoon. Click here to read more

24 September 2013 at 09:57 Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends, We have just received the sad news from Sarawak, Malaysia, that the state's electricity monopolist, Sarawak Energy, has started the impoundment of the 944 MW Murum dam in Sarawak without prior notice given to the six Penan villages of Long Wat, Long Luar, Long Tangau, Long Menapa, Long Singu and Long Malim. According to community sources contacted by Sarawak's SAVE Rivers network, the outlet river diversion tunnel has been closed on Saturdaynight. More than 100 Penan are currently protesting at the dam site. We have also been informed that the Penan village of Long Watt has burnt down in a case of suspected arson by Sarawak Energy workers. The communities are also reporting the loss of a number of boats due to the flooding of the dam impoundment. An estimated 1500 Penan and 80 Kenyah natives will lose their homes due to the Murum dam impoundment which will flood 24'500 hectares of their lands and forests. The B...

23 September 2013 at 22:52 MIRI – The recently concluded Orang Cultural Symposium held in Miri Civic Centre from the 20th to 21st September 2013 has been declared as a farce by Save Sarawak Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers) since the symposium does not reflect the participation of the whole Orang Ulu community in Sarawak and those invited were selected members of the Orang Ulu community who are known to be staunch supporters of the government. The symposium for the different ethnic groups in Sarawak is organized every four years as a forum to discuss matters relating to the each group. Resolutions from these forums are normally presented to the Chief Minister of Sarawak after it is discussed at a state level symposium which is normally held in Kuching. Forty representatives from Baram comprising of headmen and villagers from the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities in a community meeting held in Miri on the 21st September criticized the symposium for not being sensitive to their objectio...

23 September 2013 at 16:56 The Bruno Manser Fund is nominating Malaysian dam developer, Sarawak Energy, for the “Public Eye” negative award. The award will “honour” the most shameful company of the year during the upcoming 2014 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. (DAVOS, SWITZERLAND / KUCHING, MALAYSIA) Every year, the most despicable corporation is selected during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In January 2014, Malaysian power supplier and dam developer, Sarawak Energy, will be among the contenders for the “Public Eye” negative award. The nomination of Sarawak Energy by the Swiss NGO Bruno Manser Fund has been officially accepted by the hosts of the award. At the "Public Eye", companies with a track record of human rights violations, environmental destruction, exploitation of their workers or involvement in corruption have to face the critical eye of the international public. The two worst companies of the year are elected by an independent jury and a publ...

by Peter Sibon reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 23, 2013, Monday KUCHING: The impoundment of the Murum Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Dam began when the outlet river diversion tunnel was closed at 8.25pm on Saturday. Confirming the start of the impoundment of the dam a source from Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) said the whole process would take about a year for the water to reach enough capacity for the HEP dam to produce power. The RM4 billion Murum HEP is the third dam built in the state after the ones at Batang Ai and Bakun. Click here to read more

BY STEPHEN THEN STEPHENTHEN@THESTAR.COM.MY MIRI: The cost of constructing new hydroelectric dams in Sarawak is going to shoot sky-high but the state will go ahead with these mega projects, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud. A hydro dam that cost RM4bil to construct today would soon require at least RM10bil to build, he said yesterday. Click here to read more

Bernama 1:58PM Sep 22, 2013 The Sarawak government’s initiative to develop the hydroelectric power (HEP) dams in Murum, Baram and Baleh as part of the state’s industrialisation programme will continue to get bad publicity in foreign media, said Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Click here to read more

KUCHING, Sarawak, Malaysia , September 19, 2013 (ENS) – The Penan indigenous people affected by the Murum dam in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo have renewed their blockade of the dam site. They say are protesting because the state government has failed to fulfill their demands for fair compensation, enough land for farming and a share in the profits flowing from the dam. Click here to read more

3:54PM Sep 20, 2013 Suaram has notified the United Nations that the indigenous people of Malaysia “are facing displacement and loss of livelihood” as a result of states constructing hydroelectric dams. Click here to read more

Published on Sep 9, 2013 The Western Penans at Murum area, Sarawak are putting up blockades against the Murum Dam for the 2nd time in Sept 2013 after their 1st attempt in Sept last year. This Penan youth refute allegation by SEB that they has been instigated by some NGO to set up blockades.

11 September 2013 Native communities affected by the Murum hydroelectric project have begun the shift to their new homes in the resettlement scheme in Tegulang, upstream Bakun Click here to read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                             September 11, 2013 Contact: Maira Irigaray Castro, Amazon Watch, +1 415 622 8606, maira@amazonwatch.org Brent Millikan, International Rivers, +55 61 8153 7009, brent@internationalrivers.org María José Veramendi, AIDA, +51 95 411 4393, mveramendi@aida-americas.org Dam license could be suspended due to violations of social & environmental conditions Altamira, Brazil—Recent lawsuits by Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutors (MPF) concerning the Belo Monte dam are demanding accountability from the dam-building Norte Energia consortium, Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES), and the state environmental agency IBAMA for noncompliance with mandated mitigation measures concerning the Juruna and Xikrin Kaya...

By Jakarta Globe on 6:20 pm August 28, 2013. Category Business , Featured , News Tags: Asian Development Bank ADB , hydropower plant ,  Perusahaan Listrik Negara PLN , Sarawak , West Kalimantan Indonesia’s state-owned power company will build a 145-kilometer-long electric line linking customers in West Kalimantan with hydroelectric plants in neighboring Sarawak, Malaysia, under a plan that has been heralded as a commitment to green energy in Indonesia but is rife with environmental concerns in Malaysia. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project is expected to provide 8,000 homes in West Kalimantan with cheaper electricity and cut carbon emissions by 400,000 tons a year by 2020. The state-run Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) currently uses oil to provide power to the province. Click here to read more

31 August 2013 SAVE Rivers is one of the recipients of The Nut Graph's 2013 Merdeka Awards: Click here to read more

YouTube clips show people complaining of illnesses attributed to the presence of a Press Metal Sarawak factory. Click here to read more

7 December 2012 More pictures can be seen on https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.544417245587298.146516.376175715744786&type=1

3 December 2012 Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bruno Manser Fund has learned from reliable sources that Australian national Andrew Pattle, one of the key staff seconded to Sarawak by Hydro Tasmania under a staff secondment program, has left the Taib government's controversial dams program last month. Pattle was the senior project manager of the highly controversial Murum dam, which is currently under construction, and until recently described himself as "Senior Project Manager for the proposed Baram and Baleh dams". In April 2012, he participated in a controversial "miring" ceremony held at the Baram dam site to "bless" the proposed dam. Pattle's personal linked in account says, as of 1st December 2012, that he is now Hydro Tasmania's "Principal Engineer - Civil and Dam Safety di Hydro Tasmania". The linked in entry also says that Pattle was until recently "Senior Technical Manager - Hydro Projects di Sarawa...

30 November 2012 Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends, After a successful series of events and meetings in Melbourne,  Peter Kallang , Chairman of the  SAVE Rivers network, and  James Nyurang Usang,  headman from the Baram, are currently preparing for the last leg of their Australia tour in Tasmania. In Melbourne, Peter and James were hosted at the Parliament House by  Greg Barber MP  and  Sue Pennicuik MP, two Victorian Greens Members of Parliament. They give interviews to local radio stations and met with a number of church and NGO representatives from  Uniting Church ,  Friends of the Earth ,  the Australian Conservation Foundation  and others who are all very sympathetic with the Sarawak indigenous peoples' struggle for their lands, rivers and forests. Green campaigners in Australia have meanwhile identified a powerful leverage to target Hydro Tasmania by asking Australian consumers to pressure  Momentum...