Tong Tana December 1999 - Bruno Manser Fonds

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Sarawak - Malaysia 6 Interview with Mutang Urud, a Sarawakian Activist living in Canadian exile <strong>Bruno</strong>: Dear Brother Mutang, tell us something about yourself! Mutang: I’m a 40-year-old Kelabit from Long Napir in Sarawak’s interior. I went to a technical college in West-Malaysia and started a business in Sarawak after graduation. B: How did you get involved in the struggle of your peoples to protect their forest M: I guess everybody with a feeling for his community would want to be involved. Since I was in business I had the freedom to visit my community and witness their struggles. Since the Government handles the situation unfairly, I had to use my experience in the city to help write petition letters and advised them how to deal with arrests and court cases. Later I founded the Sarawak Indigenous Peoples Alliance (SIPA) with the goal to unite all indigenous peoples of Sarawak who oppose logging. In the first two years we managed to visit over 45 communities in the upper Baram and Limbang area. By uniting these communities they have a stronger and more powerful voice. B: Have you been aware of the risks when you started all this M: Yes, life is full of it! One never knows what happens tomorrow, you just go where your heart tells you to. If you help people against injustices, there is no boundary. The risk I take is lesser in comparison to these people losing their traditional land forever to the corrupt and rich. B: Suddenly your life changed, you were arrested ... M: At midnight on February 5th, 1992 (just after the Chinese-New-Year-Holidays) several policemen in 2 cars came to pick me up. They questioned me until 4 am. Then we went back to my office where they went through all my documents until 6 am. They said that I was to be kept in custody until they knew what was happening. At that time there was a big blockade in the Baram-area that has gone on for several months and the Penan did not give in. The Police and army were ready to arrest people, but they wanted to avoid a massacre. That’s why they were asking my advice on how to disperse the people. They told me that they will shoot at the people if they have to! I knew that several Muslims were killed by the police the year before. They were fundamentalists and believed to be invincible. They rushed the police-barrier with machetes, about 15 died including several policemen. The police suspected that the reason for the Penan being so stubborn was because certain preachers were misleading the people like the Muslim. They wanted me to go to upper Baram with the Inspector General of Police, but they kept me in jail in Miri instead and questioned me around the clock for 5 days! After a week the Police got angry, because I did not collaborate. They handcuffed me one early morning and drove me 800kms to Kuching. We were 10 miles from the city where several officers were waiting in the dark and quickly blindfolded me. I was laid down on the van seat with one officer holding my feet and another holding my blindfold. For about two hours they drove me around until they said we were entering a building. I don’t know where, because I was still blindfolded. This was the most frightening moment, because I was led to a place which I did not know. When they opened my blindfold I was in a dirty cell with nothing else than my underwear! I was interrogated round the clock until I didn’t know if I was eating my lunch or dinner. I thought I was getting crazy. A month later they sent me back to Miri by plane. They blindfolded me out of the jail. In Miri I was directly put in jail for 2 days. I had no contacts with my family or lawyer. The next morning my lawyer suddenly showed up and said I had to go to court. The charge was having organized a society without registration, but as I was the only member of the organization, it was not a society. B: You were released on bail, why did you flee after that M: I did not flee. My sister paid the bail. The police threatened me not to get involved in the struggle again, but a week later, there was the court case against the Along-group and I had to help them! I was at Alongs court case when my lawyer called and asked me to flee as he had serious information that I was to be arrested again. Immediately I went into hiding and early the next morning I left the country. B: You kept involved in the struggle, you have been working on papers published in the United-Nations-Human-Rights-Commission, you have been speaking in Geneva and New York. M: For myself, these actions kept me connected to the struggles at home for I felt very homesick. It also made me feel like a brother to all other indigenous peoples who are in similar struggles. For Malaysia and my people it was also good, because the more people know about the struggle, the more pressure is built upon those responsible. B: You met US-Vice President Al Gore, the UN Secretary General, Prince Bernard and others: Who has been the most supportive M: Vice Pres. Al Gore was most positive because when we met him in 1990, he immediately wrote a resolution on behalf of our struggle. Just last year, at the APEC
Mutang Urud meeting in Malaysia, he has also spoke against the unjust arrest of Anwar Ibrahim. B: You live in Canada in exile since you left Malaysia M: Yes, although my initial idea was to study for two years and then go back. The Malaysian government made it more difficult for me to return. Now, I am married to a beautiful Canadian, the decision is not mine alone. Of course I’d like to return home. It doesn’t mean one’s sense of justice has changed. One’s sense of justice does not easily change since Human Rights is a moral issue. B: Did you ever have contact with the Malaysian Government M: Yes, many times after the Environment and Development Conference in Rio 1992. There, one Malaysian parliamentarian even offered me a job within the Government. The Malaysian Ambassador to the UN wanted me to work in the department for sustainable development. He offered it to me seconds before I had my speech at the United Nations Assembly! Of course I refused. Also I have been seeking amnesty from the Prime Minister’s office through Musa Hitam, but there was no guarantee. B: Is there any politician in Sarawak you put hope in for the struggle M: All the Dayak-politicians have a good heart and good intentions, but most of them get caught up in the money-politics. I don’t know such a politician, but if all the indigenous politicians work together, there is hope for our people! B: What vision do you have for the indigenous peoples in Sarawak and what vision would you have for the country M: Indigenous peoples are very independent. For centuries they determined their own affairs and their future. Today, government, which doesn’t understand their history, language and culture, takes the power from the peoples and makes them dependent. Traditional territories should be given back to them and the right for self-determination has to be recognized and implemented. In this regard, living in Canada is like a prophetic life for me. The government in Canada is now negotiating with the indigenous communities on equal basis and I’d like to see this happening in Sarawak. One aboriginal community has its own nation now: NUNAVUT. But I don’t know how far down the road such a thing can happen for my own country ... B: The Dayak peoples would get back some control over their resources M: Definitely. Look what happened in Canada when power was taken from the Natives: They got drunk and were neglected in their reserves. This is very sad. I hope, this will never happen in Sarawak! In Nunavut, the aboriginal people may not have full control over the resources, but they have self-determination and self-pride. B: Do you regret anything M: No. Somehow I asked for this, I even dreamt of it when I was very young.My only regret would be if I am not happy with what I am doing. But I really enjoy helping my people. B: You are one of the few people in Sarawak, who did not fall into the trap of corruption, but you paid a high price: Could you imagine living in Sarawak and work – maybe as a politician – in favor of your country M: The government determines the way the country goes, for better or for worse. After thinking about this situation for many years, I may want to work within the al framwork government! 7 B: What is your wish for the Chief Minister S: I wish I was the Chief Minister! The success of a government is measured by the freedom of its visible minorities. For Taib Mahmud, he should listen to the people and give them more independence. No government can kill the wishes of a people for independence and freedom. Look at Yugoslavia, South Africa and East Timor. One day the people will get what they want.
Page 1 and 2: January 2000 Newsletter on rainfore
Page 3 and 4: Sarawak - Malaysia Taib Mahmud - Ch
Page 5: Proposed Biosphere Area in Eastern
Page 9 and 10: Arson in Sarawak I jk - The forest
Page 11 and 12: Switzerland Derborence Sion A virgi
Page 13 and 14: With disdain! Arson in the rainfore
Page 15 and 16: BMF Internal Where have the poison

Tong Tana December 1999 - Bruno Manser Fonds

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