"We think they will cheat us. They said they will pay us, but actually we are kicked out from our land without compensation. And at the new place, we have to be in debt (for) our house. No food... and from where would we get our money?" said Jamis John, a woman from Kampung Bojong Pain.

Kampung Bojong Pain, Kampung Rejoi and Kampung Sait, 42km from Kuching, Sarawak, are to be submerged by the proposed giant Bengoh Dam, across the upper reaches of the Sarawak River.

People from Kampung Semban, another village two hours' hike upriver, have also been told to move too, even though Semban will not be inundated by the dam. Semban's eviction has been linked to a feasibility study, already conducted, for a tourist resort overlooking the dam.

The Sarawak government is trying to evict 1,300 people from 199 families in these four villages. These communities will lose their ancestral native customary rights (NCR) lands. The authorities have promised to move them to a "development-oriented area" 10km away, called Medan Tun Razak.