For the first time, victims of development projects in Malaysia will come together in a national conference to share their experience of the last 20 years, to discuss alternatives of a sustainable path of development.

Titled People before Profits: Asserting the Rights of the Community in Development , the conference also aims to form an activist network for a Malaysian green movement.

According to one of the organisers, human rights group Suaram, many development projects have invariably disregarded the right of the people affected to be consulted and violated the regulations on environmental protection.

"In many cases, there were allegations of corruption, non-accountability and violations of human rights," said Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong (photo, centre) in a statement on Friday.

Over the years, many communities - especially the indigenous and the poor such as the Orang Asli, the Penans and the rural farmers - have had their rights transgressed by major development projects which put profits before anything else, he added.

Among the major development projects that have had communities displaced, put in danger or simply set back are the Bakun project in Sarawak; logging operations in Sabah; the Sungai Selangor dam; the Damansara highway; and the paper and pulp mill project in Sabah.

Other cases where communities were victimised included the disposal of radioactive waste in Bukit Merah, the factory pollution in Kuala Kuang and the housing development displacing estate workers in Kampung Sungai Nipah.

Turning point

Kua said that it is hoped the conference will mark the turning point in the resolve of the people to say "No" to irresponsible destruction of the environment and the victimisation of communities in development projects.

"This conference aims to establish a national network of support and solidarity for all communities under threat from irresponsible and dubious projects. It will also pose an alternative path of development for the country in which the interests of the people come first before profits," said Kua.

International renowned activists and human rights specialists who will speak at the conference include Medha Patka, a commissioner in the World Commission of dams; Rajindar Sachar, a UN special rapporteur on housing rights; and Anwar Fasal of UNDP.

The conference, which will be held on Nov 4-5, at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur, is a collaboration of Suaram, Save Our Sungai Selangor (SOS), Amnesty International Malaysia and Pusat Komunikasi Malaysia.

It is open to the public and registration is RM50 per day. The organisers can be reached via e-mail at kuaks@djz.edu.my.