By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 20: The way to end the long-running timber conflict in Upper Baram is not through more logging, but by recognising Indigenous rights, ensuring genuine consent and shifting towards sustainable development, says environmental activist Peter Kallang.
In his press release titled “The Future of Upper Baram: Rights, Sustainability, and Responsible Development”, Kallang said the ongoing dispute over logging activities in Upper Baram had exposed deeper questions about land rights, governance and the future direction of Sarawak’s development model.
The Sarawak Rivers chairman also said the conflict involving Penan and Kenyah communities, logging interests and authorities should not be viewed merely as a dispute over timber, but as a test of whether Sarawak’s development approach could balance economic growth with Indigenous rights and environmental protection.
“The future of Upper Baram is no longer an abstract debate about development versus conservation. It is a real and ongoing conflict involving Indigenous communities, logging interests and government authorities responsible for managing Sarawak’s forests,” he said.
Since 2024, communities in Upper Baram have opposed logging activities by a timber company within a contested timber concession covering parts of the Upper Baram Forest Area.
Kallang said communities had erected blockades, pursued legal action, lodged police reports and repeatedly objected to logging activities which they claimed were approved without their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
He said continued logging despite these objections had deepened tensions, created divisions and triggered allegations of intimidation and encroachment onto Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.
To end what he described as a continuing “timber war”, Kallang proposed four fundamental changes: recognising NCR land, respecting FPIC, moving beyond timber dependency, and strengthening transparency and accountability in resource governance.
He said the first step must be the recognition and protection of NCR rights, as many disputes stemmed from overlapping claims between government-issued licences and Indigenous communities’ ancestral territories.
“When licences are issued without adequately addressing NCR claims, conflicts become almost inevitable,” he said.
Kallang stressed that genuine FPIC must also be practised, with communities given complete information about proposed projects and the freedom to accept, reject or seek changes before any development proceeds.
“FPIC must be more than a procedural requirement,” he said.
“Respecting FPIC is not an obstacle to development. It is essential for preventing disputes, building trust and ensuring that development has genuine community support.”
He also urged Sarawak to translate its “Beyond Timber” vision into action by reducing dependence on large-scale logging and recognising forests as assets for carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and sustainable livelihoods.
Kallang said Upper Baram had the potential to pursue alternative economic pathways such as community forestry, ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, micro renewable energy and knowledge-based industries.
“Development should be measured not by how much timber leaves the forest, but by improvements in education, healthcare, livelihoods, environmental quality and community wellbeing,” he said.
On governance, he called for greater transparency in the approval and monitoring of resource projects, including public access to environmental assessments, independent monitoring and strict enforcement of sustainability standards.
He said authorities must be willing to review, suspend or revoke licences where companies fail to meet environmental and social obligations.
Kallang warned that allowing contested logging projects to continue while communities resort to blockades, court action and protests could further damage public confidence and undermine Sarawak’s sustainability commitments.
“Upper Baram presents an opportunity to demonstrate that economic development, Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship can work together,” he said.
“Achieving that future will require meaningful recognition of NCR land, genuine community consent, sustainable economic alternatives and accountable governance that serves both present and future generations.” — DayakDaily
