Penan chief found dead, foul play suspected

January 3rd, 2008

The Borneo Project extends our greatest sympathies and condolences to our friends in Long Kerong and Penan allies across Sarawak for the loss of a great community leader and inspirational elder, Kelesau Naan.

Source: www.malaysiakini.com, 2 January 2008

Penan chief found dead, foul play suspected
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Jan 2, 08 7:24pm

Penan villagers of Long Kerong in Sarawak will file a police report at the Miri police station tomorrow after the recent discovery of the body of their headman Kelesau Naan - who had been missing for over two months.

The villagers suspect foul play.

Kelesau (right) had not returned home since Oct 23, after having told his wife, Uding Lidem, that he was going to check on an animal trap he had set near their hut - which is situated near the Sungai Segita river about two hours walk from their Long Kerong long-house.

Since his disappearance, the villagers had feared that their chief - who was one among the leading figures in the Upper Baram Penan communities of Sarawak to oppose the logging of their rainforests - had been murdered.

On Dec 17, their worst fears were confirmed after finding Kelesau’s skull and the bones of his thighs, ribs and hands near Sungai Segita.

According to his relative Matin Bujang, there was evidence Kelesau had been assaulted.

“His hand was broken and looked as if it had been hit by a sharp object,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted while en route to Miri - which is about 100 km from Long Kerong - to lodge the police report.

“Uding had recognised the bones as being that of her husband because, among other things, of the watch that was still on a wrist-bone,” he said further.

Not completely surprised

While shocked at the gruesome finding, Matin said the villagers were not completely surprised as tensions had escalated in recent months over the issue of logging in the Upper Baram region.

Last September, Matin pointed out, disturbances broke out near Ba' Lai which led many to fear further troubles.

This is in addition to earlier reports that Penans from the nearby village of Long Benali had in April and August 2007 been subjected to intimidation by local security forces seeking to break up their logging blockade.

In an interview conducted in 2004, Kelesau was reported to have said the village’s defiance had proven its worth and asked for the Sarawak state government to finally recognise the Penan’s land claim.

“With Kelesau gone, it is as if the villagers have lost all their power to continue struggling,” said Matin.

“I hope the government and the police can look into this case and resolve this problem very soon,” he added.

According to an earlier statement by indigenous people’s advocacy group Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF), two Penan villagers involved in the 1990s disputes with logging companies had similarly disappeared.

BMF also noted that Kelesau was one of four plaintiffs and a key witness in a major Penan land rights claim that has been awaiting trial since 1998.