Penan's Struggle for Native Customary Land Rights

humanrights(at)suhakam.org.my, rmp(at)rmp.gov.my, communications(at)samling.com.my


The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
Royal Malaysian Police
The Samling Group, Miri

Prime Minister of Malaysia
Y.A.B. Dato Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi


Dear Prime Minister Y.A.B. Dato Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi,

I am writing to support the Penan's struggle for their native customary land rights and their last remaining rainforest reserves. I am very pleased to see that your government has shown restraint in this instance and has not resorted to violence to break their logging blockade.

The Penan people have been subjected to brutal treatment at the hands of often illegal logging for decades. They are now making a final stand to protect their last contiguous rainforests. With 90% of Sarawak's ancient rainforests - much of which is traditional Penan land - having already been industrially logged, I ask that you please respect the Penan's native customary land rights and boundaries for their last remaining ancestral rainforest reserves. The still potentially volatile situation cries out for your leadership in finding a final solution to permanently do so.

Your great nation's reputation continues to be deeply sullied by the actions of Malaysian logging companies not only in Sarawak, but also in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia and elsewhere. The Malaysian logging industry's brutal, corrupt, immoral and ecocidal destruction of rainforests and their indigenous inhabitants MUST end. I intend to highlight these abuses internationally and work for a boycott of Malaysian tourism until such practices cease. Please work to end rainforest logging and associated human rights abuses by your nation's companies.

Sincerely yours,