Several longhouse and village community work groups in Sarawak are now joining forces to defend and fight for their rights, especially native customary rights (NCR) land and human rights as more industries head into the interior and increasing number of traditional villages or longhouses have to give way for logging, reforestration and plantation activities.

One such group is known as the Pengator Rakyat Jeringan Sarawak (PR Jeringan). Its leader, Sem Kiong Angin (photo) from Belaga, described it as "a network of grassroots-level community organisations doing work at village level and trying to highlight land and rights issues."

Sem also heads his own group known as the Indigenous People Development Centre (IPDC).

The initial partners in PR Jeringan comprise the Kuching/Samarahan-based Panggau, Sibu-based Nyi, another Sibu-based Paputan, Belaga's Potengan Udip (PU), the Indigenous People Development Centre and the Miri-based Persatuan Dayak Bakong Tinjar (PDBT).