A banner is hung from a loaded timber barge in Sarawak.

SOS Sarawak!

The rainforests of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, are considered by biologists to be the oldest and most biologically diverse in the world. Currently they are being destroyed at the fastest rate in the world for the western world's greed. On June 25th this year as international activists arrived in Sarawak to "interfere in the internal politics" the Penan, Kelabit, Kayan, Bukitan and Iban people resumed blockades, for which many have been imprisoned in the past.

Of the four blockades known to have been in operation this summer, two are still going strong at Long Ajeng and Sungai Tatau. The other two at Long Napir and Belaga have been dismantled and the male participants arrested. The desperate struggle of the indigenous people is similar to those going on all around the world; as the industrial megamachine steams forward the people and the forests of Sarawak are being destroyed in the name of "progress" and "development".

Worldwide Protests

I was part of an international action at Kuala Baram, Sarawak on July 5th by Earth First!, Robin Wood (Germany) and Society for threatened peoples (Switzerland), which succeeded in occupying three loaded timber barges for 9 hours. I, with seven other activists from UK, Germany, Sweden, U.S.A and Australia were eventually sentenced to 2 months imprisonment. We were branded "imperialists" by the Malaysian Prime Minister, refused contact with a solicitor or embassy for 10 days and eventually deported to Singapore. Malaysia, which has a bad human rights record and wishes to become fully "developed" by 2020, has been sufficiently embarrassed to announce that it will not attend the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil.

Activists around the world have been carrying out actions in solidarity with the tribal blockades. Since the 3rd July there have been actions in UK, Germany, France, Holland, USA, Australia, New Zealand and an international action in Sarawak.

Arrested. Ouch!

Four actions took place in London between the 3rd and the 25th June, with Earth First! joining forces with the London Rainforest Action Group and the Singaporean and Malaysian British Association.

Five activists were arrested outside of the Japanese embassy on the 3rd June after activists scaled trees opposite the embassy to hang a 30ft banner which read 'BAN JAPAN FROM RAINFOREST'. Activists were arrested after several chained themselves to the embassy and others refused to move.

Activists were joined by Swiss activist Bruno Manser and David Bellamy at protests during the G7 economic summit.