Orang Ulu object to Bakun islands grab for national park

The gazetting of the 18 islands in the now Bakun reservoir would deprive the displaced indigenous community further of their livelihood and traditional way of life, the community said. 

They said this would further encroach on their rights to hunt or fish on and around the islands, which formed when their native customary right land was submerged when the Bakun Dam was impounded. 

In a statement, the Orang Ulu residents of Kayan Kenyah, Penan and Lahanan orginally from upper Bakun added that part of the islands should belong to them as more land than expected was submerged. 

"We are still in shock with the government's action (and) have to take a stand and decision to object to the intention by the government to acquire the 18 islands at the Bakun reservoir as National Park.

"Even though we have been compensated before, the compensation was insufficient to cover all our loss of land because the land submerged by the Bakun reservoir is more than expected and still unpaid by the government until today," said spokesperson Abun Sui Anyit. 

"We urge the government to consider our main and only stand that we are objecting against the acquisition of the islands in order for us to have heritage and rights to pass to our future generation,” he added.

Compromise offered

According to Abun, a Bakun-born lawyer, if the government insists on gazetting the 18 islands into a national park, the community is willing to offer a compromise.

"If the government does not heed our objection...we urge and demand for the government not to neglect our rights and privileges that we and our future generation still and will continue to practice over the islands within our native customary rights territorial domain in Upper Bakun, Balui," he said.

This included, fishing, hunting, building homes, farming, foraging and eco-tourism.

He also pointed out that the three acres of land given per family affected by the Bakun project is not enough for housing and to provide for the second generation in the community.

"We and our ancestors had lived in Ulu Bakun, Balui areas (now Bakun reservoir) since before the Brooke era, the British colony until today," he said.

The community, via 15 headmen in the community, had issued a protest letter to the Forest Department and Belaga District Officer, and raised their grievance during a town hall meeting in Sungai Asap, Belaga on Aug 3.

In 1998, the community were forced out of their ancestral land to move to the resettlement area in Sungai Asap/Koyan in Sungai Koyan, Belaga.

Although their land has been submerged, many are adamant on returning and have built floating homes in the former Upper Bakun area. 

Communities from nine longhouses are affected in the planned acquisition of the 18 islands. 

The islands are between 21 hectares to 1,201 hectares in size.