In Support of the Penan

While the Sydney peak hour traffic chugs by the banners on the overpass
leading to the Harbour Bridge, I wonder what it will take before people take
action against the human rights violations and rainforest destruction which
is happening right now around the world.  With the memories of the hope and
desperation in the eyes of the Penan at a logging blockade still sitting
heavy on my mind, I wonder, "Is it too late for the Penan?"

Federal parliament will vote in a few days on whether or not to ban the
importation of rainforest timbers into Australia.  I've been deliberating
like many others in Rainforest Action Groups (RAGs) on how much energy, if
any, to put into lobbying politicians for a ban.  I even got verbally
harassed the other day by a fellow Sydney RAGer for asking people to lobby
their pollies to support a ban.

My strongest feeling and therefore argument was "What would the Penan want?" 
Consumer boycotts, education, using alternative timbers and other actions are
great.  Yet I believe we must operate on as many levels as are possible, long
and short term: including lobbying politicians and targeting the Malaysian
government.  It's all part of public education; so long as you don't give
them your power.

I've also had a personal revelation on secrecy within the nonviolent
perspective.  If I had announced my intentions before I travelled into
Sarawak, the Malaysian government would not have let me off the plane, and
the video footage I shot and interviews taken at the blockade would never
have been released to the outside world.  Likewise if the foreign
environmentalists that are now in Sarawak jails were not a little secretive,
that action (which has definitely rocked Malaysia's boat) would not have
happened.  Maybe it's not a part of the long-term strategy for social change,
but it might help the Penan.

At the blockade site where 532 Penan are making their last stand for their
rainforest, I felt compelled after much deliberation to comment on the idea
that a few young rambo-type Penan had of throwing Molotov cocktails at police
cars.  As unassumingly as possible I suggested that I understood their
problem, but torching police cars may not necessarily be a short or long term
solution.  Yet I did ponder on whether I had a right to intrude into their
action.  As it was, after much discussion, they worked out another action of
making a symbolic arrest of the timber company chief and then the police.  A
role-play proved helpful.

Since returning from Sarawak and dealing with the people and media from
outside Malaysia, I have felt that part of the struggle for long term social
change doesn't have to come from inside the country in question.  People in
developed countries with greater freedoms of speech must help to be a voice
for those in countries that can't speak out as easily.

That is not to say that Malaysian people can't organize themselves to attain
those freedoms, it's just that they are in their early days of organising and
could do with some international ideas and assistance to pressure their
government to change.  When the Penan saw our cameras they were very happy
that they may have an opportunity to say their piece to the outside world. 
They are counting on us for assistance.  They said they would continue to
blockade, to try and save their rainforest and homes.

Yet the day I left the blockade they had run out of food.  They desperately
need money for rice.  $1 buys one kilo of rice.  A special Penan support
account has been set up by the Sydney RAG already and we have sent $1,000 to
a special account in Sarawak.  Money can be deposited at any Commonwealth
bank into SRAGs Penan account number: 762006-901829.  Large deposits can be
tax deductible through the Rainforest Information Centre in Lismore.
Dean Jefferys