SAVE Rivers

DNC Press Release: WHY BLAME BARU BIAN ON PERIMETER SURVEY FUNDS? [8.11.2018] We note in jest the statement issued by a political secretary to the Chief Minister in accusing Baru Bian for not sourcing for funds to help in perimeter survey. We fully subscribe and support YB Baru Bian’s statement in saying that recognising NCR land is more important than surveying lands under section 6 for communal reserve. What this political secretary said is totally reek with arrogance and ignorance. It also lacks moral and legal basis. Land is a state matter under the State List of Schedule Nine of the Federal Constitution which makes it the legal and constitutional responsibility of the State Government to survey and issue titles to the Natives over their NCR lands. We would like to remind the State Government not to play too much politics with regards to the people’s welfare. If the State Government is fully committed to its autonomy pledge for Sarawak, this is the matter that it has to...

  Miri  - All the 11 villagers from Ulu Kelawit-Tatau under police remand were released after five days in the lockup. Although freed from incarceration, they are complaining about the manner and reason for being arrested.   The ten men and one woman were released by the High Court in Sibu under court bail of RM500.00 (Five Hundred Malaysian Ringgit) with two sureties for each of the eleven. Before their release, they were being charged on the 30th of October by the magistrate court in Mukah, under section 341 of the Malaysian Penal Code for Wrongful Restraining a person. However, they refuted the basis of their charge. They claimed that they never “restrained” anyone but merely upholding their rights to protect their own property which was being invaded.  Relating her experience of being arrested, Lulong Anak Bujah, the only woman in the group claimed that she recognised the police officer who was putting the handcuff on her.  Lulong continued,...

Mukah - Iban people from six villages in the Ulu Kelawit Tatau gathered in front of the Mukah police station for two days to peacefully protest the arrest of 11 community members who have been detained since October 25th. The arrests happened in response to a peaceful blockade set up by the communities in opposition to rock quarry and oil palm company that has polluted and destroyed their water source and taken their land without proper compensation. The Mukah police forcefully arrested 10 Iban men and 1 Iban women during a raid in which they brutally burned their blockade, hit the women, burned their cultural artefacts, confiscated and burned their handphones, stole their property, and looted and destroyed the rest of their camp. Three companies, all subsidiaries of Ta Ann, have been working in the area of the Ulu Kelawit-Tatau since 2012. The oil palm company, Cipta Sendirian Berhad, originally compensated the villagers for their land, but has discontinued payments. After the oi...