BMF_TT__July2010_en.pdf - Bruno Manser Fonds

uno
manser
fonds
for the peoples of the rainforest
Missing, presumed dead –
but not forgotten
Bruno Manser (1954-2000)
Special edition of Tong Tana issued to commerate the 10 th anniversary of the disappearance of Bruno Manser

Memorial Service celebrated on 8 May 2010
in the Elisabethen church in Basel
Almost five hundred people took part in the memorial service
commemorating the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of
Bruno Manser in the rain forest of Sarawak. With Kaspar Müller
as the representative for Bruno Manser’s heirs acting as moderator,
the following leaders from Switzerland and abroad addressed
the gathering:
Guy Morin (President of the Government of the Canton of Basel
Stadt), Monika Niederberger-Manser (sister of Bruno Manser),
Baru Bian (Malaysian land rights lawyer and politician), Saskia
Ozinga (campaign coordinator of FERN, the European Union’s
forest protection network), Mutang Urud (friend of Bruno Manser
living in exil in Canada), Balang Nalan (Penan representative from
Sarawak), Eseng Pege (Penan representative from Sarawak),
Tello Abing (Penan ambassador in Europe), Ian Mackenzie
(Canadian linguist and anthropologist), Thomas Stocker (professor
at the University of Bern, Co-Chair Working Group I of the
UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC), Maya
Graf (National Councillor, Green Party, Canton of Basel Land).
The service was accompanied by the music of Laura Martinoli
and Erika Brunner (Leyoma) and by Rapper Greis’ first perfomance
of a song about Bruno Manser set to lyrics by Raphael
Urweider. Raphael Urweider also quoted a passage from a letter
that Martin Vosseler had written to Bruno Manser from abroad.
This special edition of Tong Tana is printing the speeches given
at the memorial service in their entirety.

«Politics need people
like Bruno Manser»
Address by Guy Morin, President of the Government of the
Canton of Basel Stadt
For centures, people of the primeval forest such as the Penan
pursued their traditional way of life in the intact rain forest of
Sarawak. Bruno Manser lived together with the Penan for many
years – in search of the untouched – as explorer, poet, and
simply as one of them. It was there that he came into immediate
contact with the destructive potential of modern civilisation. The
enormous devestation caused by mankind in a short period of
time is almost unfathomable. Today more than 90 percent of
Sarawak’s forest has been destroyed, and clean drinking water
has become a rarity. The Penan and many other indigenous
peoples have been divested of their environement and their
livelihood. The destruction of the tropical forest has accelerated
global warming. Bruno became contender for the rights of the
Penan, for a sustainable development that would protect the
basis of their existence and the basis of existence for us all.
Ten years ago Bruno Manser disappeared without leaving a trace.
It was a loss for all of us, a loss for you our dear Penan friends.
And yet, we do not want to give in to sadness but rather to continue
the fight in memory of Bruno Manser and his achievements.
«You already know enough. I do as well. What is lacking is the
courage to want to understand what we know and then to act
accordingly.»
This quotation by Sven Lindquist can be found on the first page
of Ruedi Suter’s book «Bruno Manser, die Stimme des Waldes»
[Bruno Manser, the Voice of the Forest]. All of you are familiar
with it.
This statement is so direct, so blunt and clear that it brings each
of us back to the level of reality. At the first moment, however, its
effect is paralysing. Look at me, I am a politican and, indeed, I
know a lot. Just like all of you. But, where do we start? Where
and when do we begin to understand? Is it only then, when
necessity and environmental destruction become tangible?
At that moment it will be too late. Where do we get the courage
to implement the measures that are necessary?
There is so much to be done.
I am often expected to provide answers, solutions – and immediately,
if at all possible. However, that is difficult. They don’t
always materialise as quickly as we would like. Political processes
are frequently tenacious and slow because the government
must strive for a consensus, because we must convince a
majority.
Bruno Manser did not decide for the political approach, probably
for exactly that reason, because it seemed too slow and ponderous.
He went, and he acted. He made a decision for this way of

life in the forest and for its indigenous inhabitants. I can well
understand. The system in which I find myself sometimes tires
me because the pace at which things move forward is too sluggish
even for me. Because I realise, for example, that the most
powerful people in this world cannot agree at the World
Climate Summit. They cannot even come to an agreement on a
subject that is so crystal clear.
The guidelines for action are given, and one can simply
conclude that things can’t go on like this. Bruno was aware of
it, and thus took the protection of the forests into his own
hands.
The fight against corruption, poverty and for the rights of the
Penan had begun, and it continues today. Certain achievements
can already be proclaimed:
In 1993, the government of the Canton of Basel Stadt forbid
the use of tropical woods in public buildings. The regulation is
still valid and still being implemented.
Following proposals by Christoph Eymann in 1997 and Remo
Gysin in 2005, a motion was finally submitted by the Committee
for Economic Affairs and Taxes, WAK, in 2007. It called for
a change in ordinance that would allow the introduction of a
universal and mandatory declaration on wood products, but
was then deferred for further discussion. Such is the drawn
out and stony path of politics.
From the annual report of the Bruno Manser Fund, however,
one can also gather that it has been possible to file two land
rights claims in recent years. This could only be realised
through the unyielding efforts of the Bruno Manser Fund, and
included the mapping of the Penan’s habitation area. The list
of accomplishments is even longer, and I would like to express
my deep gratitude to all those who have helped for resisting
resignation and for believing in change.
Ten years have passed since Bruno was declared missing.
We are still confronted with the pressing question of what
happened.
Bruno is very well suited to be rememberd as a myth and
hero. However, a myth cannot act. Therefore let us keep
Bruno Manser in memory as a visionary and as an acting
person who would have asked for nothing more than for us
to take up his causes and continue to pursue them.
I’m happy to recall how I met Bruno Manser for the first time
in 1993 on the square in front of the Swiss Parliament
buildings. Since then I have tried to let his energy and
willpower flow into my work as often as I can. People like
Bruno Manser have always given me strength and courage.
Politics need people like Bruno.

«I would like to thank
Bruno for having opened
my eyes to the beauty
of nature»
Address by Monika Neiderberger-Manser,
sister of Bruno Manser
It is not self-evident that, after ten years without a sign of life, a
person is as close as my brother is today. Bruno was always an
unusual person, able to convince others through his charisma
and his love of life. With his long-standing commitment to protect
the rain forests and their inhabitants, he was repeatedly making
headlines. In his own genuine way, he served as an example and
found many sympathisers and friends.
With his profound respect for people and animals, he showed us
that we are only temporary guests on this planet. Even at an
early age, he was aware of the sensitive relationship between
nature and the environment, and he lived and acted accordingly.
pleasure in simple things was his from the time of birth, and is a
great blessing. This spark kindled me and will hopefully spread to
many other people throughout the world.
This morning, looking for birds on an excursion in Hardwald, I felt
very close to Bruno. The variety of birds was fantastic. We could
watch the middle-spotted woodpecker as it was feeding its
young. And the call of the golden oriole announced the presence
of a rare guest. These marvelous occurences make life both
exciting and enriching.
However, we would also like to thank those of you who are
remembering Bruno in such great numbers today and who have
accompanied and supported our family for so many years. The
many good talks and warm-hearted letters have carried us and
given us consolation in times that have not always been easy.
The generous financial contributions to the Bruno Manser Fund
were – and are – also very important for us so that Bruno’s life
work can be continued. Our heartfelt gratitude thus goes out to
all of you.
I would like to thank Bruno for having opened my eyes to the
beauty of nature and to the essential in life. The gift of taking

Early morning light in the rain forest of Long Napir on the upper reaches of the Limbang River in Sarawak

Greetings from your world
Auszug aus einem Brief von Martin Vosseler
an Bruno Manser
A hike on Dominica Island to «Boiling Lake», the remote lake that
brings the earth’s heat to a boiling point. In walking through this
mountainous rain forest today, you are ever so close at hand
Bruno. Gigantic trees appear again and again. Winding buttress
roots resembling dragon tails often form pyramids out of which
strong trunks strive upwards and vanish into their disappearing
crowns. Sunrays penetrate the green canopy of leaves. They
magically fashion a lively play of light and shadow on the damp
floor of the forest. Frisky Anolis lizards scurry over the path. A
reddish-brown crab, with yellow-orange pincers and black-brown
eyes has come to rest in the clear water of a spring. The stillness
is underscored by the gurgling of the stream, the oily-smooth
beauty of the mountain whistler’s call, the purring of the wild
dove, the screeching of the Sissirou parrot, the summing of
insects. But the boa constrictor is not about to reveal itself –
perhaps to prevent you from grabbing its tail?
This is your world. It embodies everything that you taught us and
the example that you set. With your keen observation, astonishment,
knowledge and drawings, you have opened our eyes for
the wonders of this earth.

«Bruno’s name became
synonymous with courage,
boldness and perseverance
in the fight
against oppression and
injustice»
Ansprache von Baru Bian, Landrechtsanwalt und Politiker
aus Kuching, Sarawak
Thank you for giving me the honour to address this special
gathering, a moment of commemorating a life and work of a
unique individual and his legacy, of which I am very proud not
only to be associated with but I guess part and parcel of, today.
I speak of non other than our brother and friend the late Bruno
Manser.
I met Bruno, (as he is fondly remembered as), face to face for the
first time in 1990, in Yokohama, Japan. He was together with my
brother Anderson Mutang and some Penan friends. I remember
they just finished their round the world trip sharing their plight of
the Penans to the world for the first time. I was in Yokohama to
* ITTO: International Tropical Timber Organization
oppose the tabling of the ITTO* reports on the socio-economic
impact of logging in Sarawak. A delegation of natives came from
Sarawak then to highlight the fact that the finding of the special
committee by ITTO did not address the most important and
pertinent issue related to logging then i.e. the indigenous rights
over their lands and forests. I strongly believe then that half of
the main problem related to logging activities, stemmed out from
NCR claims by the indigenous people over lands and the forests.
This was ignored not only by the ITTO delegation but also by
those in power and authority in my Country and State of
Sarawak. Bruno continued in his pursuit of justice for the
indigenous people of Sarawak in particular the Penans of
Sarawak until his works amongst the Penans bore fruits with
many Penans became aware of their rights, daring to stand for
their rights vis-à-vis their land, the forests and their very life,
which depends upon these. The name «Bruno» echoes trouble
and problem to the State Government of Sarawak and her
servants and agents, but it was a beautiful and sweet name in
the ears of those who knew him as the person who came to live
among them and had helped them find ways to tackle their
problems. Bruno’s name became synonymous with courage,
boldness and perseverance in the fight against oppression and
injustice of the marginalized in Sarawak. This is because Bruno
although a foreigner to the people, he chose to understand them,
their life, culture and problems and eventually gave his life for his
friends in Sarawak. What a friend what a sacrifice!
I came back from that ITTO meeting in Yokohama to Sarawak,

Federal Councillor Ruth Dreifuss with Bruno during his
hunger strike on the Bärenplatz in Bern, spring 1993

more convicted and determined to ensure that the issue of
native customary rights (NCR) is raised, highlighted and recognized
for the entire world to see. It bore fruit ten years later with
the landmark case of Nor anak Nyawai v Borneo Pulp Plantation
& Ors [2001] which for the first time where the High Court in
Malaysia recognized NCR over, farmed land (temuda), territorial
domain (pemakai menua) and preserved forests (pulau).
Notwithstanding this victory and few more legal victories in the
High Court over the recognition of the NCR of the indigenous
people of Sarawak, the battle still rages on because the people
in power and authority are ignoring these decisions although
these decisions had been endorsed and confirmed by the
highest court in the Country, the Federal Court. Today, there are
about 200 cases pending in the High Courts of Sarawak, where
my firm handles more than 100 of these cases. I wish to thank
BMF for your contributions towards this struggle for justice not
only for the Penans but for the other indegenous peoples of
Sarawak as well. Our partnership I believe is for a good cause
and for humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, after involving myself in this issue for
more than 20 years now, it dawn upon me that this problem is
somehow directly linked and intertwined with the policies of the
present State Government whose leaders are only bent towards
self-enrichment focused on business, profits, dollars and cents
and driven by greed of the human hearts. Today I am convinced
that the only mean of resolving this issue effectively and summarily
is to go for a political change in the State Government in

Sarawak. This is because our legal victories in Courts so far ring
hollow to our ears with the State Government ridiculing these
judgments as legally incorrect and thereby appealing resulting in
prolonging justice for the natives.
Coincidently, I am one of the Oppositions Political Leaders in
Sarawak today having been appointed the State Chairman of the
Peoples’ Justice Party or Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in October
2009. A written policy of the National Oppositions Front had
been signed in Kuala Lumpur on the 19th day of December 2009
amongst which we declared that NCR of the indigenous peoples
of Sarawak shall be respected, recognized and protected from
any abuse and manipulations.
Land issue is not only affecting the natives but all races in
Sarawak, perhaps seen from different angles. Not only natives
want land, all human being need lands to live on and survive.
Land policies must focus on peoples’ needs but at the same time
it must be balanced with the necessity of national developments
to achieve national good.
For NCR related claims, we propose a Land Commission to look
into such claims. The Commission must have power to investigate
survey and issue titles independently. Upon proof of NCR, it
is our policy and my undertaking that the said NCR Lands must
be issued titles if claimed by individual and a communal title
gazette for that community. Pulau land or forests area rich with
timber and jungle produce must be gazetted for the use of the
local community and their generations to come in lined with our
customs which we have practiced since time immemorial for the
purpose of managing our forests and to sustain our livelihood.
In realigning our focus towards solving this land rights issue, I
have a dream for the indigenous peoples of Sarawak and that is;
where our rivers and streams will once again be crystal clear
with the abundance of marine life, the ‘temudas’ or farmed land
protected from trespassers and issued titles thereby empowering
our people to be independent and self-sufficient, and the
‘pemakai menua’, ‘pulaus’ or the communal lands, reserved
hunting grounds be left untouched by any kinds of intrusions by
outsiders resulting in once again a protected healthy environment
for game and our customs to flourish. I dream to hear once
again the dear barking away at the edge of the farmland and the
kelabet’s calls (gibbon monkey) for its partners in the nearby
forests. I dream of our young people learning the customary
ways of surviving in the forests and thereby appreciating their
history, culture and customs. I dream of going back to the
basics, our roots our beginning our identity in the midst of
society’s pursuit for the so-called ‘development’ yet ignorant of
what nature can offer each one of us.
In short I dream for a new Sarawak, they called the «Land of the
Hornbills» where once again, we can find the hornbills the
‘kenyalang’ be able to proudly fly undeterred through the forests
and the skies of Sarawak.
In conclusion, I wish to record my thanks and appreciation to all
of you at BMF and friends associated with the works of BMF, who
are prepared and willing to journey with me and all of us from
Sarawak to make this dream come true.

Preparations for parachuting with the lamb
«Gumperli» over UN headquarters in Geneva,
spring 1998

«Bruno still inspires people
to fight for change»
Saskia Ozinga, Kampagnenkoordinatorin, FERN
(Forests and the European Union Resource Network)
One year after Bruno disappeared into Sarawak’s forests the
Bruno Manser Fund asked me to write something for a book they
wanted to produce. I wrote a rather personal letter to Bruno.
This time when Lukas Strauman asked me if I wanted to speak at
this commemoration, I was reluctant. I thought there would be
people better placed to speak than me. But Lukas told me that I
was one of very few persons he could think of who had worked
with Bruno and who were still involved in Malaysian issues. This
shocked me and made me wonder, what has happened with all
those people from Europe and elsewhere, who were all rallying
for the people of Sarawak in the 1980s and 1990s?
I think this is an important question as we all know that the
situation in Sarawak is not much better than it was twenty years
ago. Most forests have been lost the last twenty years and
Native Customary Rights have still not been recognised. Campaigning
is more needed than ever.
So why is the Bruno Manser Fund almost the only organisation
who stuck to this work? The answer clearly is because of Bruno.
Bruno always was incredibly clear that it was his mission, his role
and his duty to fight for the rights of the Penan. So the mission
of the BMF is clear and they have stuck to it, most notably under
the leadership of Lukas Straumann.
So why then did so many NGOs drop the case? I think there are
three reasons:
1. The Malaysian government was making it difficult for people to
leave Malaysia and they themselves countered European NGOs
in every fora to explain to the audience that they needed
‘development’. It was not up to European NGOs to undermine
Malaysia’s claim for development. With no civil society organisations
able to counter this, European NGOs were quickly outmaneuvered.
2. Another reason was the lack of co-ordination and co-operation
between and infighting among Malaysian NGOs. Different
Malaysian NGOs had (and have) different positions but more
importantly seemed to find it difficult to work together in a
harmonious way, which would allow strong support from outside.
As European NGOs we often heard that because we work with
one NGO, another one would not trust you anymore. This is not
conducive to creating change.
3. The European campaign was focused on timber rather than on
people. The campaign focused on reducing timber imports from

Malaysia and Sarawak specifically. Although the European
campaigns were effective in reducing tropical timber imports in
general in the 1980s and beginning of 1990s, this had no
positive impact in Malaysia. Malaysia just exported more to
Japan and China. Rather than on timber we should have focused
more on ensuring Malaysia upheld its own laws, including laws
recognizing NCR of all native people and ratified UN Human
Rights Conventions and implemented them.
This does not explain everything, but in my view these reasons
played an important role in why the Penan struggle and the
European campaign to support them have failed.
Bruno would be very hurt to see what has happened in Malaysia
has not yet been working for the Penan. He would be as hurt to
see that in Europe the campaign has almost died. But the recent
legal victories, the promise of a changing political situation are
hopeful. And we must continue that battle.
I have strong memories of Bruno. I described some of them in
the book BMF published one year after his disappearance. They
show Bruno was authoritative in a friendly way, convincing,
dedicated but also stubborn. Many of his strategies did not go
down well in Malaysia or with some European NGOs, but his
motivation, his dedication and his friendliness very much
compensated for this.
I also described what a special person Bruno was and how I
wished he would have been able to share that as much with us,
as his total dedication to the Penan people. I described that his
personality and the things he shared with me, I will continue to
treasure. They will stay part of all what keeps me going, and that
in my view he would always stay a part of the movement, as long
as the movement keeps going.
I still believe that and I will give you one example: a few years
ago I was in Washington meeting an NGO activist. In his room
was a picture of Bruno, the picture of Bruno in a boat holding up
his thumb. I therefore thought he was a friend of Bruno, but it
turned out he had never met him but his life and work had
inspired him to do what he did now. So, yes, Bruno still is in spirit
a part of the movement and still inspires people to fight for
change.
We therefore owe it to Bruno but even more, much more, to the
Penan and all the other native peoples in Sarawak, to support
them, to show them they are not alone, to keep highlighting
everywhere the lack of respect for the law in Sarawak and to
show how Malaysia fails to comply with international Conventions.
Malaysian NGOs and peoples organisations must take the
lead in guiding European NGOs, in a united way, on how best to
support them in their fight for change. We can then work
actively, strategically and most importantly, together, towards the
required change.

«All of us Penan in
Sarawak are resolved
to continue our struggle
for as long as we have
life within us»
In memory of Bruno Manser and Kelesau Na‘an*
Headman Along Sega
on behalf of all Penan und Kelabit from Upper Limbang Sarawak
Headman Unga Paren
on behalf of all Penan from Lower Tutoh Sarawak
Headman Pada Jutang
on behalf of all Penan from Middle Baram Sarawak
Headman Tirong Lawing
on behalf of all Penan from Upper Baram Sarawak
* Headman Kelesau Na’an from Long Kerong disappeard mysteriously at the end of 2007 and was later found dead.
The Penan suspect that he was murdered because of his resistance to the loggers.

1.
Padé éh kenajung pah tipo Lakei Penan (BM)
ngan Tamen mé TK Kelesau Na‘an
Kawah pu‘un pemung ngan amé
Lem jah bien éh tieng awah,
barei kawah pu‘un ngan mé‘ Pelinguh.
Amé pu‘un kegusi ngan pengida
tong kekat uban apai ojo koh.
Amé pu‘un peséng néu kemurung
Siget kolé koh tepih. Amé kelo sahé
koh inah petem ngan amé hun iteu. Ngan
mihau tana‘ pengurip mé pah pelinguh.
Bang lep mé pu‘un tai mutau.,
Tong retek tana‘ éh tenawai mé‘.
ngelan sahé‘ koh pu‘un megem
tana‘ iteu pah pelinguh.
Kenin mé‘ pu‘un nevulai seuh
tong kedilem penika koh. Amé kelo
koh nesen éh pu‘un pina keto amé éh
nawai koh, Kawah éh kelunan paren éh
amé bé-bé p‘un murung tong koh pah
pelinguh-linguh. Betui koh jian pah tipo tana‘.
Übersetzung aus dem Penan ins Englische
von Ian Mackenzie, Vancouver
1.
Our brother the flying lemur*, whom we all praise,
and our father the headman Kelesau Na‘an.
You were able to stay among us only for the briefest time
But still we feel as if both of you have been with us forever.
We tremble with joy at the memory of all those times you held out
your hands for us to hold
We are dazzled with happiness every time that we feel you nearby
We want your souls to stand beside us during these times,
and protect our lives and our lands for all eternity.
But our knees grow weak in this land that we love so much
We hope that your souls can hold this land forever in your strong
grip
Our hearts are deeply moved at the knowledge of how much you
care about us.
We want you to realize that so many of us still love you and miss
you.
You two are worthy of our greatest esteem, and all of us will have
fond thoughts of you for all time to come. We will continue your
struggle forever.
* Flying Lemur (Lakei Kubung) is a Penan name for Bruno Manser.

2.
Iwat ha‘ koh nenéng mé‘lem kepu payen,
Ngan éh mena‘ ibot urip ngan tipo tana‘
Amé éh si‘ik ngan mutau,
Amé kelo penegahang ngan pengejam.
Jian amé lakau lém pengejian layan
lem tna‘ pengurip retek éh tenawai
kesio koh, Ngan maneu kelingen mé‘
peséng omok menéng Ha‘ jui kok éh
pu‘un lem nyupin mé.
Maneu mé‘ jam seruh doko amé omok
nesen kekat éh tebara koh ngan kekat
kelunan mé‘. Jian kekat kelunan pekalai
tong Penabara éh nepei ko‘ tong
kekat-kekat ujung kayeu ngan Bateu
tong Tokong Bateu Lawi. Amé pitah
pengereken, bé‘ éh doko mé‘ gahang
nyeruta ngan padé mé‘. Bang doko ke‘ mé‘
peseruta ngan ayau mé‘ jin kegahang usah
mé tengé. Maneu mé‘ ngelayau sedia‘ juk
peseruta, tulat anak ngan ayam mé‘
vam, doko murip ngida, Ngan megem
tana‘ Pengida iteu tulat mé
Eh senakat mé lem ngaran koh.
Jin Kekat Penan éh pekua kenin Lem Sarawak.
2.
We hear the echo of your voices in the blowing wind.
And these voices of yours give life and breath to all the land.
We who are small and tired need your strength and wisdom.
Let us walk in the beauty of our homeland, in the forest where
our fondest thoughts reside, in the days when you stood firmly by our
side.
Take us by the hand and guide us in the direction of all those
things that you respect and cherish.
Make our hearing keen enough to hear you when you call us in
our dreams.
Give us the wisdom to remember all you have taught our people.
Let all of us study the words of guidance and advice that you
have placed on every leaf of every tree, that you have placed in
the stones of Mount Batu Lawi. We are seeking strength, not to
oppose our friends, but to fight our enemies; we must do so with
the strength of our own bodies.
Give us the strength to struggle always, so that our children and
grandchildren will live in happyness and joy.
Hold this beautiful land of ours in your strong hands.
In our struggle your two names are in our hearts.
All of us Penan in Sarawak are resolved to continue our struggle
for as long as we have life within us.

Openair shower at Heuberg 25, the former headquarters
of the Bruno Manser Fund in the centre of Basel’s old city.

«Bruno Manser exemplified
respect, understanding
– and the action that
can evolve from it»
Address by Professor Thomas Stocker, Physics Institute,
University of Bern,
Co-Chair Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change
It was a memorable experience. I was working as a young
scientist at Columbia University in New York in 1992, and was
focusing on global warming and the role of the ocean in rapid
climatic shifts. It was the time when Al Gore was publishing his
first book «Earth in the Balance», of the legendary Rio Conference
that elaborated the Framework Convention on Climate
Change, and everyone present was weaing a battery-less light
green Swatch on his wrist.
When I heard that Bruno Manser, a Swiss living in Sarawak, and
his Penan friends were organising an event in Manhattan’s
Cathedral of St. John the Divine for these endangered people of
the Malaysian rain forest, it was clear for me that I had to go. I
had heard and read a lot about Bruno Manser, the man who had
learned the language of the Penan, who had totally submerged
himself in their culture, and who had transformed himself into
some sort of improbable messenger by sitting on a tree trunk –
thoughtful, deliberate and constantly filling his notebook with
impressions. Images that are certainly close to all of us.
I can well remember the music and the sound of Penan flutes, a
short address by Bruno Manser, his enigmatic gaze was a
mixture of scepticism, reserve and determination. It all had an
enormous radiance for me in this large cathderal. In just a few
words, he gave us a simple message: here are people who have
lived in the forests of Sarawk for centuries, as a natural part of
the rain forest’s ecosystem, in a balance that has been adapted
over generations. And here are the interests of corporations
which, for the sake of short-sighted profit-thinking – is that
indeed «thinking»? – are destroying this community through
deforestation, land acquisition and «development».
Bruno Manser has shown us that three basic things are required
for individuals to contribute to the solution of a problem: respect,
understanding, and action. He set an example of these principles
in a simple and obvious way.
1. Respect:
Respect is the beginning of the will to understand. Without
respect, we do not examine, we do not scrutinise, but rather

ush over and remain on the surface. Bruno Manser’s efforts
were marked by a deep respect for the people in the rain forest,
for the complexity of the ecosystem and for their mutual dependence.
Whoever has respect maintains an initial distance to the
problem and takes time for analysis and obervation.
2. Understanding
Understanding can take different forms. As a natural scientist,
I myself practice a very specific and formally-structured way of
acquiring understanding. It is rational and impersonal, in other
words it is not fixed on the observer. The claim of scientific
knowledge is the independence of the person who has obtained
it. Bruno Manser has shown us that there is also an equally
important level of personal understanding: the directly experienced,
the locally suffered and the locally enjoyed. Bruno
Manser acquired this immediate understanding in Sarawak and
shared it with us through his visits and his books.
3. Action
An active response results from the understanding of a problem
and from the possibility of being able to assess future consequences.
Today we can comprehend the effects of overloading
an ecosystem, the hastily logged centuries-old rain forests, the
burning of coal and petroleum to generate energy. The result is a
weakening of the ecosystem as a provider of services, loss of
bio-diversity and climate change.
When we have reached an understanding for these problems,
then resolute action seems to be the only reasonable response.
Bruno Manser acted in his own way, with his own means. He
roused people through spectacular demonstrations, through his
own suffering and through public relations. Yet in the end he did
not achieve his goal. Why?
I have placed respect at the beginning of the chain: respect in
the eyes of the Penan, respect in the presence of the rain forest,
and respect before the earth’s ecosystem in its entirety. First of
all, it is the linking of respect and understanding that moves us
to act. If there is no respect, there is no need to act. Through his
work in Sarawak and his life with the Penan, Bruno Manser
exemplified how respect and understanding can lead to action.
But he failed for the lack of respect of those whom he wanted to
convince.
Thus the story and fate of Bruno Manser also have a direct
importance for confronting the global challenge of climate
change. For decades, science has been compiling and assessing
data relevant to an understanding of the earth as a system, the
effects of changes in temperature and percipitation, the rise in
the sea level, and the deglacification in Greenland and the
Antarctic. We have been providing this complex information, as
gathered in the UN Climate Change Reports – the 5 th is to be
published in 2013, to political authorities since 1990. These
facts, combined with respect before the earth’s ecosystem that

affords us much needed services – free of charge and on a daily
basis – should convince us to act quickly and resolutely. But it is
only possible to act when understanding and respect are linked.
One of the facts is that ca 20% of the world’s present carbon
dioxide emissions ensue from the deforestation of the rain
forests. Reduction of emissions, such as that forseen in the
Copenhagen Accord of 18 December 2009, could be realised
most quickly with a worldwide ban on deforestation. Important
and unique lebensräume would be preserved, and gain in value
for the future. Brazil recognised this and introduced it into the
Copenhagen negotiations. Although CO2 emissions could be
significantly reduced by enforcing the ban, the scenario indicates
that at least 60% would still be lacking by 2050 and could only
be compensated by the determined efforts of the industrial
nations.
What is valid for the rain forest in Sarawak is also valid on a
global scale. It will only be possible to act when understanding
and respect are linked . This was the example that Bruno Manser
set for us.

«People like Bruno
Manser have a lasting
influence on political
decisions»
Address by Maya Graf,
National Councillor, Green Party, Canton of Basel Land
With his dedication and commitment, Bruno Manser sensitised
many people not only for the efforts of the Penan in their fight to
prevent the destruction of their environment and basis of their
existence. Bruno Manser should also be thanked for the attention
and support being given to protecting the tropical forests by
Swiss politics.
It was thanks to Bruno Manser that Swiss politics were initially
confronted with the destruction of the tropical forest in the
1980s. I found one of the first attempts to be that of National
Councillor Pini who addressed the following question to the
Federal Council in 1989: «Does the Federal Council know about
Bruno Manser, the Swiss ethnologist who is fighting against the
destruction of the tropical forests in Sarawak and for the
protection of the indigenous people of Punan? Bruno Manser,
pursued and oppressed by the legal government (with a US$
25,000 price on his head), has appealed to the international
community for help in protecting the earth’s last large oxygen
reserves. How does the Federal Council intend to respond to the
recently published plea of our fellow citizen?”»
The answer from René Felber, then Federal Councilor, was
similar to responses to other motions. Although they were always
friendly and kindly disposed toward Bruno Manser as a person
and to his efforts, the Federal Council was not prepared for
Switzerland as a «small» country to undertake something concrete.
When Bruno Manser started a hunger strike on the Bärenplatz in
Bern, protesting against the import of tropical woods, the
subject came up again in Parliament. Many of you surely recall
how Ruth Dreifuss, the newly elected Federal Councillor,
immediately showed her solidarity. She sat down next to him,
and took up her knitting as he was doing his. One can surely say
that these images are quite unforgetable and are a sign for all of
us to continue.
With this rather spectacular and emotional manifestation, Bruno
Manser roused Parliament.
During one of the National Council’s interrogation periods,
Hanspeter Thür, former National Councillor from the Green Party
and present Federal Data Protection Commissioner, asked the
following of the Federal Council: «Bruno Manser and his likeminded
friends have been in a hunger strike since March 1 st ,
1993 and will continue until the import of tropical woods from

Sarawak, Malaysia has been stopped. Is the Federal Council
planning to undertake something in this respect, and would it be
willing to receive a delegation from the Bruno Manser Fund?»
The content of Federal Councillor Jean-Pascal Delamuraz’s
response was disappointing. He argued that there was something
more effective to do than to require mandatory declarations.
Switzerland would try to conduct talks with the producing
countries and would work toward a recognition of the problem.
But former National Councillor Hugo Wick and Councillor of
State Rosemarie Simmen did not give up. Their motions calling
for a mandatory declaration on tropical woods were actually
submitted to the Federal Council as test proposals but in the end
they dwindled and fell short.
In 1994 and again in 1997, Christoph Eymann, present member
of the Government of the Canton of Basel Stadt and former
National Councillor, followed with two motions requesting a
mandatory declaration for tropical woods. However, exactly ten
years had to pass until our Swiss Parliament, on 26.09.2007,
was finally ready to submit a motion for the declaration of wood
and wood products and to include the issue that I had repeatdly
tried to introduce in Bern: namely to take measures against the
trade with illegally logged timber.
But of much greater importance, it takes people like Bruno
Manser who dedicate themselves to a cause - stubbornly,
imaginatively, and with their entire being. In this way they
influence other people and their attitudes, they school our
awareness and they motivate and prevail upon environmental
organisations to continue their efforts for these concerns that
are so important for the future of our planet.
And not least of all, but perhaps somewhat slower: people
like Bruno Manser have a sustaining influence on our politics!
Which is meant in a double sense of the word. Thanks go to
Bruno Manser.
What do I want to say with this? That in politics, and especially
in Bern, the wheels turn slowly, too slowly? Perhaps that’s true
as well.

Bruno Manser Rap
Uraufführung Offene Kirche Elisabethen, Basel,
8. Mai 2010
(U) Was isch scho ei Manser, gäge Abhouzigspanzer?
e Chance hett er nie gha, gäge dä Wahnsinn,
93 han i ne gseh, mit nünzähni
Ar Front in Bärn sitze, fridlech wi Ghandi.
Är het nie gnärvt, still glismet am Bode
fründlech grüesst u verzeut, i bine go lose
Är sigi da für e Dschungel im Hungerstreik,
Dir müesst haut dra gloube we der Wunder weit!
U dr Rägewaud? Wartet immer no ufne Gägegwaut,
u o wes niemer me interessiert, säg is haut
er het sech nid erhout, im Gägeteil
mir wei immer no me Tropeholz für chli Läbensfröid.
Vilech isch ja sis Verschwinde dr letztsch Hiiwis gsi,
das d Wälder verschwinde, bis mir begriife:
ersch we dr letzscht Dschungel aus verscholle giut,
chöi mer sicher si, das dr Manser gstorbe isch.
Sit-in at the headquarters
of the Marubeni Corporation
in Tokyo, December 1992
(G) Hüt hani ne gseh, nid lang sit är ewägg
Är isch gloffe vom basler bahnhof uf sarawak
I hanim grüeft «hei bruno i ha di gseh mann»
Är het mer gwunke und isch witter zu de penan

När hani gmeint dasi tröim, usem bett chum’
Won är dürelouft spriesse böim usem beton
När wärde strasse zu acker und zu wäuder
Und mit eire hand, ruumt är aui bagger usem wäg
Bruno blybt dür sini taten userwäut
ÄR FÄÄUT NID NUR FÜR ÜS, ÄR FAUT FÜR ÜSI WÄUT
Und wüu ne d’gwüssheit nie verlaht
Dass sech dr kampf lohnt, o we me sis läbe laht
Drum git er aues und no witter es läbelang
Är geit alei und mir stö aui näbedrann
Was chöi die ganze panzer und dä wahnsinn
Gäge d’überzügig vo eim Bruno Manser
Und är blybt dür sini taten userwäut
ÄR FAUT NID NUR FÜR ÜS, ÄR FÄÄUT FÜR ÜSI WÄUT
das är verreckt, hoffe si, mit schlächtem Gwüsse.
Viu hei ne ghasset, wäg sine guete Tate,
überläbe isch schwirig aus Persona non grata,
werum är verschwunde isch, chasch drümau rate
oder im Urwald go Penan-Nomade frage…
Text: Greis (G) / Raphael Urweider (U)
(U) Är isch meh aus e Maa gsi, e Manser,
Är isch meh aus eifach da gsi, e Wanderer
vo Basel nach Borneo, Malaysia,
hett sech viu vorgnoo gha, ke eifachi Sach.
Hett Gloube gha, ohni fanatisch ds sii
hett missioniert mit viu Phantasie,
steut me sech elei gäge ne ganzi Industrie
macht me sech haut sehr unbeliebt…
Är hätts chönne wüsse, doch es hätt nüt gnützt,
macht, was ne überzügt, trotz Heckeschütze
trotz kriminelle Spekulante,

Closing words and thanks
Kaspar Müller, Representative of Bruno Manser’s heirs
I would like to thank all who have been involved for their active
and committed help, their interesting contributions and their
expressions of sympathy for Bruno Manser and the Penan.
As part of the concept for this memorial service, it was clear for
the family, for the Bruno Manser Fund and for myself that we
must critically examine our role. Because it is too easy to simply
name those who are «at fault». In a globally connected world, we
– as people living in an industrialised and highly developed part
of this world – are also «co responsible».
Thus it is important not only to call the problem by name and
point a finger at others, but also to establish courses of action
that help us to acknowledge our co-responsibility.
Because it is, and remains, an illusion to believe that a decadeslong,
profit-oriented devestation can be stopped without cost.
And as members of pension funds and thus as investors, you can
insist that your assets are not being invested in firms with
destructive activities. What is the point of higher stock prices
when, in the end, we are confronted with the destruction of the
basis of our existence, as we have seen with BP in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Like the outflowing oil that devoured the environment step by
step, we are destroying the climate, the bio-diversity, and the
culture and life of many indigenous peoples by financing the
deforestation in the rain forests.
Regardless of how courses of action are adopted and implemented
by individuals, regardless of the extent to which they identify
with Bruno Manser and his concerns, one thing is clear:
We must make a decision for policies that are based on a sense
of responsibility.
For instance, we can achieve a lot in our attitudes as consumers.
We can refuse to use tropical wood and palm oil.
We can support political policies, and politicians, in Switzerland
that credibly fight against the destruction of tropical forests and
who advocate the rights of idigenous people. We can support a
policy in favor of the climate, even if it implies financial costs.

Guy Morin
President of the Government
of the Canton of Basel Stadt
Monika Niederberger-Manser
sister of Bruno Manser
Baru Bian
land rights lawyer and politician
Saskia Ozinga
FERN
Mutang Urud
representative of the Kelabit
Ian Mackenzie
linguist and ethnologist
Thomas Stocker
Professor, University of Bern,
IPCC
Maya Graf
National Councillor, Green Party,
Canton of Basel Land
Greis and Raphael Urweider
rapper
author
Kaspar Müller
representative of
Bruno Manser’s heirs

Impressum
Tong Tana means «in the forest» in the
language of the indigenous Penan living
in the rainforest of Sarawak (Malaysia)
Published by the Bruno Manser Fonds
Association for the Peoples of the Rainforest
Socinstr. 37, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
Telephone +41 61 261 94 74
E-mail: info@bmf.ch
Internet: www.bmf.ch
Editor: Lukas Straumann
Contributor to this issue: Erwin Zbinden
Photographs: BMF
Graphic design: moxi ltd., Biel
For donations: Postal account 40-5899-8
or Bank Coop, CH-4002 Basel,
account 421329.29.00.00-5
IBAN: CH8808440421329290000
SWIFT: COOPCHBB