Nexus - 0107 - New Times Magazine-pages

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PENAN ON KAKADU AT TRIAL RISK PENANON KAKADU AT TRIAL RISK Tn Sarawak, East Malaysia, the native Penan Australia’s largest, most diverse and perhaps people are being forced to leave their tradi- most important National Park is under immediate tional way of life and live at blockades to threat from mineral exploration and mining. In protect their rainforest from the tropical sddition othe exiting Raogengreninen giles tbe mining industry is proposing new uranium mines timber industry. Last pom tribal blockades at Koongarra and Jabiluka (to be excluded from halted logging operations over millions of Stages I and I of the Park, although surrounded by hectares of rainforest in northern Sarawak. it). The trial of forty two Penan arrested at But the most serious attack has been on Stage the blockades commenced on October 31st | IL, comprising the headwaters of the South Alli- amid international rainforest action , includ- gator River system as well as the main catchment ing a call for the resignation of Mr James a eerie : a pee, any ey Wong, Sarawak's Minister for the Environ- only gazetted 65% of Stage II as National Park. ment, who owns logging concessions cover- The rest, including most of the catchment area, ing 300,000 hectares of traditional Penan was designated a “Conservation Zone” - a curious land. When asked about the effect of rain- name for an area set aside for mining. ' forest logging on the climate, Mr. Wong Legislation provides for a period of public debate which could be as short as 28 days and the govemment is obliged to take public submissions into account before a final decision can be made. replied; “It rains too much in Sarawak. It stops me playing golf.” Thousands of Penan, Kelabit and other There is no provision for public comment on the indigenous people have been displaced or Coronation Hill mine. made destitute by logging operations. In BHP is conducting an intensive exploration their forest homelands they lived an idyllic a Gacy. resulted in massive i i + ation erosion in area. They want to ee ee ee mine gold ore at Coronation Hill using # cyanide A new film, Blowpipes and Bulldozers, leaching process similar to that used at their mine has been made with the assistance of Swiss- at Ok Tedi in Papua New Guinea, where large bom Bruno Manser. Classified a ‘security amounts of toxic material were released into the tisk’ by Malaysian authorities, he lives with Fly River. the Penan in the rainforest. This documen- Kakadu contains one-third of all Australia’s a . bird species, 25% of all its freshwater fish species, ee fxs i fifty mammal species, seventy-five reptile species — world. . 7 and twenty-five types of frog as well as 1,275 Australian workers and rainforest action plant species, many of which are not found outside groups have already launched a campaign | Kakadu. Very little is known of the flora and fauna aimed against the unloading of tropical tim- of Stage III. An ‘inventory’ is now being under- bers such as Maranti (Pacific Maple). taken by the same company who are working on You can support these tribal people of | the EIS forthe BHP Coronation Hill mine (Raines Sarawak by expressing your concem to the & Moore). Stage III also contains what is consid- 5 - a an aad ered one of the twelve most important rock art Malaysian authorities. While maintaining regions inthe world and the most important sacred the blockades, the Penan are unable to tend sites of the traditional owners, the Jawoyn people. their gardens and quickly exhaust their lim- It is vital that the whole of the South Alligator ited food supplies. They urgently need out- River catchment area remain intact, as recom- side help to meet food, transport and legal mended by Justice Fox in the original Ranger costs. The Penan are a gentle and sensitive Environmental Enquiry in 1977. people who cannot understand why their ie laa (Geapiee arkliran) an fe eat world is being destroyed - or how they can | Conservation Foundation, Environment Minister prevent this in the face of overpowering force Senator Richardson said; at the cost of their lives. You can write to; “For too long, too many companies in Austra- lia have felt our National Heritage has been their YAB Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud private property and thus theirs to chop down or Chief Minister of Sarawak degrade... While the miners push their barrow for The Chief Minister's Office ' the right to easy access to even more of this ee continent, the stark reality of how much has al- His Excellency Tan Sri Zakaria Bin Mahmud Ali ready been lost is often ignored.” 4 . High coamedan’ of Malaysia About 2,200 species of plants, including a Malaysian High Commission quarter of all gum tree species, are under threat of 7 Perth Avenue, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 extinction in Australia. Seven out of ten Parks in the USA are too small to maintain their resident Mr Gareth Evans species. We must ensure this doesn’t continue to Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade also happen here. Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 - Rainforest Information Centre NEXUS Ne - Canberra Wilderness Society s Seven - Summer 1989 23 PENANON KAKADU AT TRIAL RISK Tn Sarawak, East Malaysia, the native Penan Australia’s largest, most diverse and perhaps people are being forced to leave their tradi- most important National Park is under immediate tional way of life and live at blockades to | threat from mineral exploration and mining. In protect their rainforest from the tropical pny he Ee timber industry. Last year tribal blockades af coreann abd ire a8 ts eftindedices halted logging operations over millions of Stages I and II of the Park, although surrounded by hectares of rainforest in northern Sarawak. it). The trial of forty two Penan arrested at But the most serious attack has been on Stage the blockades commenced on October 31st II, comprising the headwaters of the South Alli- amid international rainforest action , includ- gator River system as well as the main catchment F 5 : area. Contrary toa specific promise made in 1983 ing a call for the resignation of Mr James ian iclesithcmers seal the) governed Wong, Sarawak's Minister for the Environ- only gazetted 65% of Stage III as National Park. ment, who owns logging concessions cover- The rest, including most of the catchment area, ing 300,000 hectares of traditional Penan was designated a “Conservation Zone” - a curious land. When asked about the effect of rain- name for an area set aside for mining. ' forest logging on the climate, Mr. Wong Legislation provides for a period of public debate which could be as short as 28 days and the govemment is obliged to take public submissions into account before a final decision can be made. replied; “It rains too much in Sarawak. It stops me playing golf.” Thousands of Penan, Kelabit and other There is no provision for public comment on the indigenous people have been displaced or Coronation Hill mine. made destitute by logging operations. In BHP is conducting an intensive exploration their forest homelands they lived an idyllic ie pe ote Gacy. resulted in massive i i + ation erosion in area. They want to ee ee ee mine gold ore at Coronation Hill using # cyanide A new film, Blowpipes and Bulldozers, leaching process similar to that used at their mine has been made with the assistance of Swiss- at Ok Tedi in Papua New Guinea, where large bom Bruno Manser. Classified a ‘security amounts of toxic material were released into the tisk’ by Malaysian authorities, he lives with Fly River. the Penan in the rainforest. This documen- Kakadu contains one-third of all Australia’s a . bird ‘ies, 25% of all its freshwater fish species, 2 a -— eloquent cry for help to the fy mana pce, seventy-five pile ri ™ a. . and twenty-five S$ O! as as Australian workers and rainforest action plant pre a 2 ehickeendl util outa groups have already launched a campaign | Kakadu. Very little is known of the flora and fauna aimed against the unloading of tropical tim- of Stage III. An ‘inventory’ is now being under- bers such as Maranti (Pacific Maple). taken by the same company who are working on You can support these tribal people of | the EIS forthe BHP Coronation Hill mine (Raines Sarawak by expressing your concem to the & Moore). Stage III also contains what is consid- 5 - a an aad ered one of the twelve most important rock art Malaysian authorities. While maintaining regions inthe world and the most important sacred the blockades, the Penan are unable to tend sites of the traditional owners, the Jawoyn people. their gardens and quickly exhaust their lim- It is vital that the whole of the South Alligator ited food supplies. They urgently need out- River catchment area remain intact, as recom- side help to meet food, transport and legal mended by Justice Fox in the original Ranger costs. The Penan are a gentle and sensitive Environmental Enquiry in 1977. people who cannot understand why their ie laa (Geapiee arkliran) an fe eat world is being destroyed - or how they can Conservation Foundation, Environment Minister prevent this in the face of overpowering force Senator Richardson said; at the cost of their lives. You can write to; “For too long, too many companies in Austra- lia have felt our National Heritage has been their YAB Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud private property and thus theirs to chop down or Chief Minister of Sarawak degrade... While the miners push their barrow for The Chief Minister's Office ' the right to easy access to even more of this 93502 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia continent, the stark reality of how much has al- His Excellency Tan Sri Zakaria Bin Mahmud Ali ready been lost is often ignored.” . High coamedan’ of Malaysia About 2,200 species of plants, including a Malaysian High Commission quarter of all gum tree species, are under threat of 7 Perth Avenue, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 extinction in Australia. Seven out of ten Parks in the USA are too small to maintain their resident Mr Gareth Evans species. We must ensure this doesn’t continue to Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade also happen here. Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 - Rainforest Information Centre NEXUS New - Canberra Wilderness Society es Seven - Summer 1989 23 YAB Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud Chief Minister of Sarawak The Chief Minister's Office 93502 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia His Excellency Tan Sri Zakaria Bin Mahmud Ali High Commissioner of Malaysia Malaysian High Commission 7 Perth Avenue, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 2 ee