The Kelantan Orang Asli community has vowed more blockades against loggers in Gua Musang.

This comes after the Kelantan Forestry Department, backed by police, dismantled their blockades in Pos Pasik, Pos Petei and Pos Bihai and arrested 54 members of their community on Tuesday.

With seven more of their kin being taken in for questioning by police, the Orang Asli held a meeting last night that went past midnight.

One of the decisions at the meeting was to intensify the blockades against loggers that the authorities have dismantled.

"Our comrades will not give up. If before there were only three blockades, we'll now make six or seven to pressure the state government into negotiating with us and to hear us out," said Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Kelantan (Jkoak) secretary Mustafa Along.

Mustafa was among the 47 Orang Asli who were arrested after the Kelantan Forestry Department and some 100 police General Operations Force (GOF) members dismantled the blockades at Pos Petei and Pos Bihai.

They were released yesterday, but seven more were arrested the same day when authorities dismantled the third blockade at Pos Pasik.

"The arrests are a message from the state government to intimidate and deter us from creating more blockades.

"But the blockades will continue, as it is the only way to save the jungle.

"We will do it at whatever the cost," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

'No incitement'

He also dismissed the Kelantan government's claim that the local Orang Asli community had been incited to erect the blockades.

"Who would want to be incited and end up in a lockup? Our actions are based on our own conscious decisions," he said.

Mustafa stressed his people live off the land that is being cleared by loggers.

He urged the Kelantan government leaders to negotiate with the community instead of sending the police after them.

The Kelantan government had earlier demanded the blockades be removed, stressing that logging was a legitimate activity and an important source of revenue for the PAS-held state.

However, the heavy-handed approach in ending the blockade has sparked condemnation from human rights groups.