By Joseph Tawie
SEBUYAU: When David took on Goliath there was the risk that he would be squished to pulp. Similarly, when Ibans from six longhouses in Sebuyau/Sebanggan decided to take on the politically-powerful Quality Concrete Holdings, they knew from the onset that the fight will be hard.
Yesterday, they had their first feel when fire gutted a campsite of another company linked to Quality Concrete Holdings and know that they would be blamed even before an investigation.
A block of staff quarters, a store, six tractors, two logging trucks and an excavator were among items destroyed in the afternoon fire.
"They will blame the villagers...but we were not aware of the fire.
"The villagers who put up the blockades were about 4km from the campsite (where the fire took place) and did not know what was going on in the camp," said Nicholas Mujah, one of the six Iban longhouse community leaders.
He believes it's the work of arsonists and strategically aimed at framing the natives.
"I believe it is the work of other people who want to put the blame on the villagers," said Mujah, urging the police to carry out an immediate investigation.
Yesterday's fire destroyed properties belonging to Royal Billion Sdn Bhd, a logging contractor of Quality Concrete Holdings.
It is not immediately known how the fire started or who were responsible for it.
Quality Concrete Holdings, has been in the centre of a dispute after the Forest Department issued them a licence to carry out logging activities in the disputed 3,305 hectares of forests which the Ibans from six longhouses claim to be their native customary rights (NCR) land.
When direct negotiations with the company failed, the Ibans took the matter to the police, the district and resident offices, the lands and surveys and finally forest department. But to no avail.
Last Friday, the natives decided to take matters into their own hands and erected a blockade to stop the workers from the Royal Billion company encroaching into their land.
They also stopped a tongkang from loading timber that was extracted from the disputed area.
SEBUYAU: When David took on Goliath there was the risk that he would be squished to pulp. Similarly, when Ibans from six longhouses in Sebuyau/Sebanggan decided to take on the politically-powerful Quality Concrete Holdings, they knew from the onset that the fight will be hard.
Yesterday, they had their first feel when fire gutted a campsite of another company linked to Quality Concrete Holdings and know that they would be blamed even before an investigation.
A block of staff quarters, a store, six tractors, two logging trucks and an excavator were among items destroyed in the afternoon fire.
"They will blame the villagers...but we were not aware of the fire.
"The villagers who put up the blockades were about 4km from the campsite (where the fire took place) and did not know what was going on in the camp," said Nicholas Mujah, one of the six Iban longhouse community leaders.
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| Picture of Equipment behind blockade - none destroyed! |
He believes it's the work of arsonists and strategically aimed at framing the natives.
"I believe it is the work of other people who want to put the blame on the villagers," said Mujah, urging the police to carry out an immediate investigation.
Yesterday's fire destroyed properties belonging to Royal Billion Sdn Bhd, a logging contractor of Quality Concrete Holdings.
It is not immediately known how the fire started or who were responsible for it.
Quality Concrete Holdings, has been in the centre of a dispute after the Forest Department issued them a licence to carry out logging activities in the disputed 3,305 hectares of forests which the Ibans from six longhouses claim to be their native customary rights (NCR) land.
When direct negotiations with the company failed, the Ibans took the matter to the police, the district and resident offices, the lands and surveys and finally forest department. But to no avail.
Last Friday, the natives decided to take matters into their own hands and erected a blockade to stop the workers from the Royal Billion company encroaching into their land.
They also stopped a tongkang from loading timber that was extracted from the disputed area.
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