Tired of more than a decade of unfulfilled promises, a member of Kayan community - one of many displaced by the Bakun dam project in Sarawak - is attempting to hold the state and federal governments accountable.

 

Hary Wing Miku, who has compiled the pledges, hopes to convert this into a legal document by the end of this month with the help of the Sarawak Indigenous Lawyers’ Association (Sila).

bakun dam and electricity electric The 12-point ‘Bakun Agreement’ lists the pledges made verbally and in writing to the displaced communities and covers matters of royalties, land rights, shareholdings, monetary compensation as well as an education trust fund.

Sila will conduct workshops to explain the agreement to the communities concerned, before handing it over to the stakeholders - including the government and private operators - to sign.

 

Signing the agreement will, however, cost the government millions of ringgit per year, either for as long as the dam is in operation or for the next 999 years.

According to the draft, the communities displaced by the Bakun Dam want to be compensated with:

  • Royalty payment for water from the dam of RM15 million a year to be paid to the Village Development and Safety Committee (JKKK) on or before Sept 16 every year for 999 years, and shared between 15 longhouses
  • Royalty payment for energy generated from the dam of RM2.4 million a year to be paid to the JKKK on or before Sept 16 every year for 999 years, and shared between 15 longhouses
  • Free electricity for residents while commercial and other parties must pay the market price
  • Free portable water for residents while commercial and other parties must pay the market price
  • Resettlement in an area complete with amenities including paved roads, a bank, hospital, secondary and primary schools, church and telecommunications needs, among others, with periodic upgrades
  • Compensation for abandoned communal land, farm land, house, cemetery and loss of income, to be paid before the dam is filled
  • Farm land of 10 acres per family, with land grants, to be handed over before the dam is filled
  • A Bakun Trust Fund for education, whereby government and private operators contribute RM1 million each, but which would not bar Belaga residents from obtaining scholarships elsewhere
  • Right to develop communal land and islands formed as result of the dam, as long as it does not hinder energy generation
  • Profit-sharing in development of the lake formed as result of the dam on a 50:50 basis between the community and developer
  • 15 percent shareholdings of the hydroelectric operating company, at 1 percent per longhouse
  • Revision of the agreement every 10 years

Related story: Reclaiming broken promises