Sarawak authorities demolish Iban Houses again

By Mark Bujang

BRIMAS

2007-04-03 | PRESS STATEMENT: BINTULU - On the 27 March 2007, the Bintulu Land and Surveys Department enforcement officers together with a large group of police and the police's General Operations Force (GOF) descended on the farm huts of Rumah Senguk and Rumah Mikai, Sungai Binyu, Pandan, Bintulu to demolish them to make way for an acacia plantation estate managed by Grand Perfect Sdn. Bhd. (GP).

According to the community members from the area, BRIMAS was informed that the Land and Survey enforcement officers together with the police and the GOF officers came in 17 four wheel drive vehicles owned by GP at about 1pm and proceeded to demolish the huts located along the road leading from Bintulu to Bandar Samarakan. A total of 14 farm huts were demolished.

According to one of the headman of the area, Tuai Rumah Senguk, his community has repeatedly sent appeal letters to GP and the authorities telling them not to encroach into their native customary land, but their actions however fell on deaf ears. He also went on to mention that some of the company's workers went and poisoned the community's oil palm trees so that the company could plant acacia.

What is saddening is the way the Land and Survey Department enforcement officers conducted the demolition. One of the longhouse members while trying to minimise the damage done to his farm hut, tried to dismantle it on his own to salvage whatever building materials he has left. When he was done however, the enforcement officers just did not care but started to cut up his dismantle timbers and planks.

This is the third such incident to happen in the Bintulu Division with Rumah Nyawin longhouse the first to fall victim to the overzealous actions of the enforcement officers and later the farm huts of Rumah Tabor and Rumah William Nading.

At the moment BRIMAS is monitoring the situation and would issue an updated press release soon.

Press release prepared by:

Mark Bujang

Programme Coordinator, BRIMAS