COMMENT We, the undersigned civil society organisations, strongly condemn the arrest and detention of 47 Orang Asli in the interior of Gua Musang, Kelantan on Nov 29, 2016 during an operation to dismantle their blockades by some 100 personnel from the police, the General Operation Forces (GOF) and the Kelantan Forestry Department officers.

We are shocked and disappointed by the two-day remand orders of the 47 Orang Asli granted by the Magistrate’s Court as they had not committed any crime, but merely exercising their right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression to protect their land and forest. We urge their immediate and unconditional release.

The Orang Asli community in Gua Musang erected the blockades since Sept 26, 2016 to protect their customary lands from logging activities. Although the Kelantan government had gazetted the areas for logging as a source of income for the state, the Orang Asli community has long disputed the decision for its failure to recognise the right of the Orang Asli community to their customary land in those areas.

It is totally disingenuous for Kelantan Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob to try to wash his hands over the arrests of the Orang Asli on the justification that his government has left the matter to the authorities. Clearly, without the notice and instruction from the Kelantan government, the police, the General Operation Forces (GOF) and the Kelantan Forestry Department officers would not have moved in to dismantle the blockades.

We urge the Kelantan government to resume talk with the Orang Asli community, recognise their rights to customary land, degazette the logging areas and leave the Balah Forest Reserves, Perias Forest Reserve and Stong Selatan Forest Reserve intact.

Allowing logging in forest reserves is a mockery to the concept of forest reserve. Clearing the forest and depriving the Orang Asli of their land, which they depend on for their livelihood and cultural practices, is tantamount to cultural genocide.

While logging may generate the necessary incomes for the state government, we are extremely concerned with the rate of deforestation in Kelantan due to excessive loggings, which eventually contributed to the massive floods in Kelantan in 2014-2015. In 2015, Kelantan recorded 887,666 cubic metres in log production in 2015, second only to the state of Pahang.

We urge the Kelantan government to adopt a more holistic and sustainable development plans for the state that will protect the environment and benefit the larger population in the state instead of the elite few and logging companies.

Endorsed by:

1. All Women’s Action Society (Awam)
2. Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAman)
3. Baramkini
4. Bersih Sibu
5. Centre for Independent Journalism Malaysia
6. Community Action Network (CAN)
7. Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) Youth
8. Damn The Dams
9. Engage
10. Focus On Sarawak
11. Friends of Kota Damansara
12. Greenfriends Sabah
13. Himpunan Hijau
14. Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
15. Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit)
16. Kill The Bill (KTB)
17. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)
18. Kueng Cheng
19. Komuniti Muslim Universal (KMU)
20. LLG Cultural Development Centre (LLG)
21. Mama Bersih
22. Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (Mipas)
23. Malaysian Indians Transformation Action Team (Mitra)
24. Malaysian Physicians for Social Responsibility (MPSR)
25. Malaysia Youth & Students Democratic Movement (Dema)
26. Malaysian Youth Care Association (Prihatin)
27. Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS)
28. Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
29. National Human Rights Society (Hakam)
30. Negri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall (NSCAH)
31. Northern Youth Group
32. Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute (OHMSI)
33. Partners in Community Organising (Pacos Trust)
34. Pahang Raub Ban Cyanide in Gold Mining Committee
35. People’s Green Coalition
36. People Welfare And Rights Organisation (Power)
37. Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran)
38. Persatuan Alumni PBTUSM Bahagian Utara
39. Persatuan Komuniti Prihatin Selangor, KL dan Perak
40. Persatuan Masyarakat Sel dan Wilayah Persekutuan (Permas)
41. Persatuan Rapat Malaysia (Rapat)
42. Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
43. Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram)
44. Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kebajikan Dan Persekitaran Positif Malaysia (Seed)
45. Pertubuhan Rakyat Mukakas Kipouva Sabah
46. Projek Dialog (PD)
47. Pusat Komas (Komas)
48. Research for Social Advancement (Refsa)
49. Saccess
50. Sahabat Rakyat
51. Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
52. Selangor and KL Hokkien Association Youth Section
53. Sembang-sembang Forum
54. Seniman Paksi Rakyat (Paksi)
55. Seremban Chinese Methodist Church
56. Sisters in Islam (SIS)
57. Student Progressive Front UPM (GMMUPM)
58. Suaram Malaysia (Suaram)
59. Sunflower Paper
60. Sunflower Electoral Education Movement (Seed)
61. Tamil Foundation (TF)
62. Tenaganita
63. Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
64. Tindak Malaysia (TM)
65. Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany)
66. Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
67. Writer Alliance for Media Independence (Wami)