POWER TO THE PENAN

THE BRAVE AND HONOURABLE PENAN

Hundreds of Penan armed with spears and blowpipes have set up new blockades deep in the Borneo jungles, escalating their campaign against logging and palm oil plantations.

The Penan, indigenous people from Malaysia's state of Sarawak, manned a blockade and displayed banners and held spears and blowpipies to challenge vehicles from timber and plantation companies in Long Nen.

POWER TO THE PENAN!

This land is their land, the indigenous people, such as the Panan and other native tribes, should be commended and honoured for their determination and steadfastness in standing up for their inalienable fundamental human rights.

Mr Jok Jau Evong from Friends of the Earth in Sarawak, was reported as saying:

“This is the last chance for them to protect their territory. If they don't succeed, there will be no life for them, no chance for them to survive.”

Mr Alah Beling, headman of Long Belok settlement, which is a cluster of wooden huts which are home to 298 people and are reachable only by a long suspension bridge, near where one of the barricades has been built, reportedly said:

"The forest was once our supermarket, but now it's hard to find food, the wild boar have gone".

To read a full news report, dated 23.08.2009, on this issue please click HERE

and HERE for a belated, (24.08.2009) but more detailed, report from the Star Malaysia.

Deus et natua non faciunt frusta

God and nature do not work together in vain

Dum inter homines sumus, colamus humanitatem

As long as we are among humans, let us be humane