DESMOND DAVIDSON
Natives protesting against the Baram dam and manning the blockade at Long Kesseh rest outside their quarters during a break in their watch.
Natives protesting against the proposed Baram hydroelectric dam have begun to fortify their positions at the blockades they set up to thwart its construction as the deadline for them to leave the area lapsed on Sunday.
Despite rumours that “the police and forest officers are coming” to dismantle the blockades, the number of people manning it has reportedly increased tenfold from the usual 10 to more than 100.
“We are not in favour of violence but we will do all it takes to defend our land,” Peter Kallang, chairman of Save Sarawak Rivers Network, or known as Save Rivers, told The Malaysian Insider. (more…)