Villagers protest arrest of village mates
KUCHING: A group of villagers from Ulu Kelawit, located between Tatau and Balingian, staged a peaceful protest in front of Mukah police station on Monday, demanding for the release of their fellow villagers.
It is learnt that the protesters were unhappy that 11 fellow villagers – 10 men and a woman – were arrested as a result of their action in stopping a company, which runs a stone quarry operation and an oil palm plantation, from polluting the river and acquiring their land without any compensation.
The company and its subsidiaries had sought police assistance, claiming that several villagers had disrupted their operations by setting up a blockade at an access road leading to the operation site.
The 11 villagers were eventually arrested for allegedly committing this illegal activity.
It is said that they have been in police lock-up since Oct 25.
According to non-governmental organisation ( NGO) Save Rivers, the villagers’ water source has been destroyed by the company, while the blockade has been dismantled by the police.
The NGO, in a press statement, said: “The Ibans from six villages in Ulu Kelawit, Tatau gathered in front of Mukah police station for two days to stage a peaceful protest against the arrest of 11 community members, who have been detained since Oct 25.
“The arrests happened in response to a peaceful blockade set up by the community in opposition to a rock quarry operator and an oil palm company, which have polluted and destroyed their (villagers’) water source and taken their land without proper compensation.”
The Mukah police had also burned down their blockade, cultural artefacts and confiscated their mobile phones, Save Rivers claimed.
The company’s subsidiaries have been operating in the Ulu Kelawit-Tatau area since 2012. The company originally compensated the villagers for their land, but discontinued payments after a while.