With their struggle against deforestation in the Upper Baram Forest Area falling on deaf ears in Malaysia, indigenous communities from Sarawak have turned to King Charles III for help.
Representatives from the communities penned a letter to the British monarch, which was delivered to Buckingham Palace last month.
"Representatives from Sarawak civil society organisations Save Rivers and Keruan, a grassroots Penan organisation, led a procession to Buckingham Palace to deliver the letter asking King Charles to lend his support.
"As the third largest importer of Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme-certified timber, the United Kingdom has the power and responsibility to eliminate destructive timber from Malaysia from its supply chain," said the group in a statement today.
Although King Charles cannot influence legislative reform in Malaysia, the group said the communities are hoping for his symbolic support.
The group noted that the monarch has a strong legacy of environmental work and is well aware of the dangers of deforestation.
It recalled how King Charles expressed concern over climate change when the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021 was held in Glasgow.
The statement was issued by Save Rivers, The Borneo Project and Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF).
King Charles invited to visit Upper Baram
Apart from seeking the support of King Charles, the group said the representatives also invited the UK ruler to visit the Upper Baram Forest Area.
The letter to Buckingham Palace was signed by four communities of the Baram River Basin.
"We are writing from the Baram area, our home in the rainforest.
“The reason for us to send this letter to the other side of the world is very serious: our communities are suffering from the destruction of the rainforest. We learnt that some of this timber reaches your home, the UK.
"We would like to invite you to visit our area and experience the richness of our forest and the impacts of the forest loss yourself," read the letter.
The communities in Upper Baram have been fighting against logging and deforestation, which have encroached on recognised indigenous land.
In 2010, 18 Penan communities in Upper Baram initiated a proposal to establish an area of forest to overcome future challenges regarding land tenure and to improve livelihoods by developing alternative incomes in an environmentally friendly way.
This concept encompasses economic, social and environmental aspects, and demonstrates the locals' desire to conserve and sustainably manage the forest and resources for all to benefit.
The proposed park covers an area of some 283,500 hectares, comprising primary forest, logged-over forest, secondary forest, settlements and farming lands. - Mkini
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