UN rep urges state government support for Dayaks

Andrew Ambrose (right) with former regent of Pontianak Cornelius Kimha (left) and head of the legal division of Bengkayang Regency Pamane Dayak Kanaytn Damianus.

KOTA KINABALU: The permanent representative of the Dayak people at the United Nations (UN) has urged the governments of Sabah and Sarawak to support the revitalisation of the community as indigenous people on Borneo island.

Andrew Ambrose, who hails from Tambunan in Sabah’s interior, suggested that the state governments emulate the government of Kalimantan in the matter.

“Our struggle is consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Undrip), World Council of Indigenous Peoples and other UN conventions that recognise the rights of indigenous people.

“It is the obligation of the Sabah and Sarawak governments to support us. The Kalimantan government has obliged and already shown the way,” he told FMT.

Ambrose, who goes by the nickname Atama, said he was saddened by claims that his group, the Borneo Dayak Forum (BDF), did not command the respect and support of Dayaks in Borneo.

In fact, he said, BDF was the only group that had made progress in uniting the people, and now had a permanent representative to the UN.

Ambrose was appointed to the chair by the Temenggung International Conference which met in November last year. His task is to champion the inherent rights of the Dayak tribe as an indigenous people.

These rights are protected under the 2007 Undrip.

Ambrose also urged the Sabah and Sarawak governments for a special grant of about RM200,000 to send a joint Dayak delegation to the Napak Tilas Tumbang Anoi Conference scheduled in June at Gunung Mas in central Kalimantan.

The conference, which will be hosted by the Central Kalimantan Regency, will include dialogues on the Tumbang Anoi Peace Treaty which in 1894 stopped the headhunting wars and slavery among the Dayaks.

“We also want to share news regarding the way forward so that our rights for self-determination can be recognised by the governments.

“These include our social and political rights as indigenous people,” he said. - FMT