Indigenous rainforest blockades in Sarawak

[1] In response to deforestation and land conversion of Sarawak's forest landscapes, Indigenous people of several groups along with international activists organised blockades to resist logging activities and dam construction.

[4] Due to anthropogenic land-use changes, particularly logging and dam building, the Borneo rainforests have been deforested and fragmented at a rapid rate.

The Penan people are an Indigenous group native to the Borneo lowland rain forests in Sarawak and have been facing direct consequences of the logging activities for decades.

[15] Many urban Kelabit have had a negative perception of the blockades, with the concern that they will anger the government who may revoke their status as a nature preserve and decide to use the area for logging rather than tourism.

The urban population also benefits from the logging activity approaching their settlements as this means proper roads will be constructed to their villages allowing for more cost-effective delivery and exportation of goods.

They have argued that western governments use critique of their resource extraction practices as a means of gaining control of the internal affairs of countries in the global south.

[11] A major part of the local diet is the sago palm which grows on steep slopes, where logging roads are often built.

[11] Increased sedimentation resulting from deforestation, construction operations and traffic has made finding clean drinking water difficult.

[11] The Penan people also bury their dead on the mountain slopes which are impacted by road construction, leading to the destruction of cultural graves and sacred places.