12-years jail for defending NCR lands

By Saccess

2001-09-24 | 75 years old Jalen ak Antom of Rumah Bali in Ulu Niah was convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the Miri High Court of culpable homicide not amounting to murder by discharging a shotgun that caused the death of Sarawak Oil Palm land-clearing contractor.

Four others freed in Ulu Niah multiple-murder case

75 years old Jalen ak Antom of Rumah Bali in Ulu Niah was convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the Miri High Court of culpable homicide not amounting to murder by discharging a shotgun that caused the death of Sarawak Oil Palm land-clearing contractor.

Jalen was reported to be sobbing when the sentence was passed, and he was then led away to serve his sentence.

The remaining four others were freed after the court found that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against them.

With that, the infamous Ulu Niah case comes to an end, with over two years of duration.

Altogether, 19 people were originally charged. Eight people were then released in February 2001 after being in prison for 18 months awaiting trial. Then in August 2001, six people were further released after the court found no prima facie case against them. The six of them had served over 23 months of prison time by then. The four who were released at the end of the trial had already served over 24 months of prison term while waiting for justice. Jalen has 10 years to go after the court effect the sentence from the date of arrest in early September 1999.

Jalen had just been diagnosed as being three-quarter blind and has hearing problem. Being 75 years old already, will he be able to live through his sentence?

Jalen is being punished for defending his community's lands. Jalen has been punished for asserting his community's rights to defend their ancestor lands. He is serving jail terms for the failure of the system of governments, laws and orders and land rights. For how else can anyone explain the community's 8 police reports before the incident took place? The police's inaction is not being punished. The parties responsible for the granting of lands to the Sarawak Oil Palm company which directly cause the incident are not being punished in any way whatsoever.

AT the end of this case, the central issue is still not resolved - the rights of Rumah Bali and Rumah Busang Ibans to their communal lands.

Will the company resume its land clearing activities soon and throw the whole issue right back to where it all began so many years ago with so many casualties already?

Meanwhile, it is still not known if and when an appeal will be filed against Jalen's conviction.