SRI AMAN: - Another 11 more Iban NCR land owners from Abok in the Pantu District in Sarawak have been arrested on Friday 18 September for harvesting oil palm fruits from their own land.The arrest was made following a police complaint filed by the Pelita-Tetangga Akrab oil palm plantation.
This is the second arrest this month in the district. On 4 September six Ibans from Kasindu were picked up together with their three tons of oil palm fruits on a similar offence. They have been released after their statements were taken.
Cobbold John, an NCR land owner and oil palm planter said that a group consisting of 20 Iban males and five women in the group of 32 people last Friday was rounded up and spent a night in the custody of the Police. They were then allowed to go. Eleven others have their statements taken and are going to be charged.
"This is a clear case of harassment," said Nicholas Mujah, Secretary General of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association. "They are not going to be charged and yet they will have to spend one night in the custody of the police. It shows that the companies are able to exert influence over the police and government."
The communities' farm land was taken by Pelita-Tetangga Akrab in 2003 in a joint venture to plant oil palm, despite immediate protest and the filing of a court case by the communities affected. Though they have claimed to do this JV with the community, the vast majority of the communities had rejected the project and their right to free, prior and informed consent ignored.As a desperate measure, the villagers have taken to harvesting the oil palm fruits that were grown on their land. Though numerous reports and complaints to the police have been made by the villagers, these have fallen on deaf ears.
"The government wants the natives not to leave their NCR lands idle. But when the native communities want to develop their own land by planting cash crops such as oil palm, they are being penalised", said Mark Bujang, Executive Director of Borneo Resources Institute, Malaysia (BRIMAS).
In Sarawak, native land rights are recognized by the Sarawak State Constitution and their rights to these lands have been reaffirmed through several key judgments in the Malaysian Courts. – The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
8 comments:
tell all the world about this incident! let the world support our fight against these enemies !! SPREAD THE WORD !!! you see, this way, the world may give us advice regarding what strategy we should use against another harassment!
This is Human Rights Abuse. SUHAKAM should not sit back on this issue.
Looks,,as if the police are in cohort with , big guns(rogue behavers).
In situations like this ,
Who investigates , on the Police Negligence of Duties?
Hi there everyone.
First of all, I wish our muslims brothers and sisters a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Nobody is above the law and interpreting law at their own whim and fancy as the Polis is doing now.
I suggest law experts to look into this highhanded action of the Polis in simply putting native people in lockup as they wish.
It is high time to teach the police personel what is law really is and not to their own interpretation.
Common law experts, defend these people for the future benefit of all and teach those police personel who considered themselves can do anything under the sun as legally justified.
Who did the Dayaks folks in the longhouses vote the last state or parliamentry election? Maybe the BN in exchange for a mere 50 ringgit. Who give away the Dayak's land to the plantation company? Surely the BN. The BN govt noe recognises the LCDA's JV parther, the plantation company as the rightful owner of the NCR land of the Dayaks. The Dayaks are considered as sqatters on the NCR land, the land of their ancestors. Who is the root cause of the Dayak's present problem? Of course the BN. Can the 50 ringgit save the Dayak's future? DEFINITELY NOT!! When Dayaks, vote the BN out, our land problems will be gone for good. Take your money, but don't vote for the BN.
We, the modern Ibans have lost our fighting spirit. Our forefathers are turning in their graves because we are now weaklings! Where is the spirit of Rentap in us. Once upon a time we were known to be fearsome warriors in this land of the head hunters. Not anymore and why? Simply because we are divided, disunited and are used as pawns by politicians to their advantage. We succumb to the vices of easily being bought, and the offerings of material wealth.
Our so called iban politicians are more interested in making money at every opportunity than care for the community. They no longer care for their own NCR lands because they are making more money living in big luxury houses in Kuching. They have destroyed the very inheritance of their ancestors. "mali" and may they be cursed for generations to come. It is the dayak politicians who are making us "pendatang" in our own native land Sarawak. It is time we stand our ground, leaves no stone unturned and fight back in unison to regain our NCR lands from marauding BN sponsored entities.
The Dayaks have only got themselves to blame for voting BN in return for a few scraps. Look where it's got them. If they don't wise up to Taib and his gang then they will continue to be persecuted and driven from their land. Their so-called leaders have betrayed them, or don't they realise this once a few dollars have been flung at them? The real Dayak leaders (and I don't mean the politicians) should teach them to outsmart the powers that be.
Dear Joseph,
I am coming from this area, Kampong Empaling , and a member of PKR, but I chosed not to cover this story in my blog http://www.Bukittunggal.com/ because in a real fact the conflict is not between the NCR Land owner and JV company/Pelita but it is more to the conflict between the owners of the NCR land that participate in the JV. I dont blame you for your effort to write it here (in fact I have been the regular visitor of your blog and I am still linking your blog to mine) but probably you had obtained your information from the interest party(ies).Because of the actions of these few people [of cause after being influence by one of the ex-TR who had been charged in court for murders (2 Cases)who is also my close uncle] from Kpg Abok, Limau, Dadak and Aping. And I know the man behind this, my cousin Anthony Belon who has no right to claim any land here because he has been adpoted by Belon and also few of my friends and mentor from PKR. If you check with Google Map you will see the locations of Abok, Aping, Limau and Dadak quiet far from the location of the plantation..how can the own the lands (as per what they claimed).These people were supported by NGO (just because they manipulated NCR Land Issues) but what about the land owners, like my parent that voluntarily joined the JV?
I will expose in my blog the activities of these groups in a near future.
Thank you Joseph for publishing this post.
Thanks.
Capt Rtd Ayong/Remaung6Renjer
lubok antu baka nya meh ilak...majak d kemeli ka bn...janji tuk janji nyak..belik bansa kitai d peda bansa bukai....angkat meh dayak baru anak2 70s & 80s....anang ngundi bn agik..idup ka semengat Agi Idup Agik Ngelaban kitai ngena pen/pinsil...next year nentu ka penuju bansa kitai dayak..
Post a Comment