Tong Tana - Bruno Manser Fonds

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Mahmud and from Abang Johari, the head of the Special Cabinet Committee on Penan affairs. They have asked the Chief Minister to withdraw logging licences within their territories, and to protect their forest as source for their daily food. The reply – or non-reply – of Taib Mahmud and Abang Johari will give proof, how much they respect the “poorest” part of Sarawak’s citizens. Mobile Dental Clinic – no reply so far bm – The Bruno-Manser-Fonds is also still waiting for reply on the proposal for a Mobile Dental Clinic. US$ 10,000 startcapital are ready, and the BMF is positive to find the US$ 140,000 necessary to run the project over two years in favour of the Penan and Kelabit in the Ulu Limbang/Ulu Baram area. The Chief Minister may appoint a dentist of his choice who likes to engage in this social project in favour of health of the Orang Ulu peoples. The Penan welcome such a project. Penan-Leaders ask for new head of Committee on Penan Affairs bm – In an article in “The Star”, Abang Johari, Head of the Committee for Penan Affairs, was quoted saying: “There are no more Penans practising shifting cultivation. Most of them are now selfsufficient in food production...they all have access to medical facilities”. Yet, in contrary to that statement, many Penan face food shortage (mainly in protein) as a result of the reduction of the wildgamepopulation due to logging-activities. Most of the Penan also have left their nomadic way of life and do nowadays shifting cultivation on advice of the Government… Several Penan leaders have been asking, that the head of the Committee on Penan Affairs, Abang Johari, should be replaced by a person, who at least understands their language, culture and needs. Sources: The Star, 11/12/98, Penan-messages of march 99. Siemens interested in Bakun Dam rg – After the construction of Ekran’s USD 4 million) dam project failed for lack of finances in November 1997, the government now wants to build a smaller project costing an estimated USD 1,4 billion. Representatives from Siemens have carried out preliminary talks with the Malaysian government in the hope to get contracts for turbines and generators for the 500 megawatt dam. The world’s rarest small cat in Borneo rg – The brown Borneo cat (Catopuma badia) is regarded as the rarest cat in the world. Since 1874 only a dead animal and several furs had been collected. In 1992 poachers captured a female brown Borneo cat in the border area between Sarawak and Kalimantan, keeping it in captivity for several months. It finally perished from undernourishment and was dead by the time it was brought to the museum of Kuching. Genetic analyses showed that the brown Borneo cat is indeed a separate species. At the end of 1998 another cat was caught which had fled from forest fires. It was released again at an undisclosed location. Bornean bay cat (Catopuma badia). No living specimen has been photographed. This cat, held by Dr. Charles Leh, was caught by trappers in 1992 on the Sarawak-Indonesia border, bud died before scientists could examine it. Bornean bay cat (Catopuma badia) in a 19th century painting by Joseph Wolf. 4
Forestry in Sarawak Professor em. Eberhard F. Bruenig, Associate Member, Oxford Forestry Institute, Oxford University, who worked in the Sarawak Forestry Department from 1954–1963 and 1990–1996, talked to John Künzli Responding to a question by Bruno Manser whether the development of the forestry and forest industry could be described as catastrophic, Professor Bruenig asserted that, with respect to the development in the last three decades, this could be said with the following qualifications. Timber trade, and to a certain degree, the wood-processing industry flourished, while the forest growing stock capital was depleted quickly and drastically, at the expense of future prospects. Rash and wasteful growing stock depletion and exodus of capital caused ecological damages to site and forest stand caused by the generally careless and inadequate construction of roads and tracks, inappropriate harvesting technology, destructive logging practices and overlogging. All this could have been avoided, however, if the political will and strength had been there. Commercial interests of indigenous and foreign power-holding groups were, since the mid-1960s, primarily cash-flow orientated. The combination of lack of governmental control, ready markets, pressing buyers and the in theory free but in reality manipulated and distorted markets, was ideal for those who cleverly and in many ways were out to maximise private profits. The position of the power-holders was strong enough to fend off any outside interference. Even the Malaysian Federal Government found it difficult to make itself heard. This only changed with the emergence of the rainforest movements in the international political and NGO arena. During the whole period, only a few companies had, to some extent, managed to adhere to the principles of sustainability and complied with existing rules, regulations and management prescriptions. Recently for example, the German Technical Assistance Agency (GTZ – Project FOMISS) is helping the Samling Co. to implement lowimpact logging techniques and sustainable management approaches. (However, even then, the elusive issues of social justice and customary or statutory rights of land and resource ownership remained outside the concern of Samling Co. The co-operation with GTZ effected little change.) If forest values worth mentioning are to be saved, the existing principles, codes and guidelines for sustainable management, nature conservation and environment protection must be enforced without delay in all concession areas. This would cause 20–30% of the area of Sarawak’s permanent forest estate to be automatically excluded from logging and totally protected in its pristine state as a result of excessive slopiness, water catchment and stream/river bank protection or because of particular ecological sensitivity or uniqueness. In addition, another 5–10% of each concession area would be excluded from logging for various reasons such as poor accessibility or poor quality. Another 10% outside the producing forest estate should, according to government policy, be established as national park, wildlife sanctuary or biosphere reserve. The total area of preserved pristine forest would then be very substantial in absolute and relative terms which should satisfy any conservationist, environmentalist and anthropologist. However, the reality is rather different and the forest growing stock liquidation and forest area decline continue almost unabated. Nature and forest protection have made no notable headway. The large newly designated totally protected areas are intentions which are only slowly established on the ground and largely remain on paper. Satellite images indicate that exploitation of Sarawak’s forests progressed rapidly and engulfs many areas which should, under any circumstance and aspect, be totally protected. This causes not only damage to the sites, forests, environment and water bodies, but also irreversibly destroys unique heritage sites and ecosystems. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which is mandatory for any forestry operation above a specified size is applied reluctantly or entirely circumvented. Of particular ecological and economical alarm are the continued exploitation and destruction of the fragile Alan-Peatswamp forest ecosystems which are unique as ecosystem and global heritage, and the hazardous plan to replace all types of natural peatswamp forest by agricultural plantations. A credible and well implemented EIA and certification would probably stop the former and prevent the latter. However, a hopeful sign that a wind of change is blowing effectively, is the activity in recent years of the Malaysian Federal Government towards a national scheme of certification to support development towards sustainable forest management and conservation. 5
Page 1 and 2: Tong Tana September 1999 Journal of
Page 3: Sarawak (Malaysia) Message from Pen
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Page 9 and 10: Speaking of wood: Amazon Ban on tim
Page 11 and 12: Switzerland: Why a mandatory declar
Page 13 and 14: JUMBO, the “heavyweight” with t
Page 15 and 16: The import of tropical wood db - A

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