I got back from attending the final day (today) of the KL screening of the Freeedom Film Fest 2009 (http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/) at the Central Market Annexe (http://www.annexegallery.com/). One of the films screened was "Delayed Justice" by Hillary Chiew. This film is about the challenges faced by the indigenous communities in land grab cases in the name of "economic development".
The films starts with Uding Lidem wistfully telling of the fateful day, 23 October 2007, when her husband, Kelesau Naan, went missing.
Kelesau was the head of the kampung Long Kerong Penan tribe situated near Sungai Segita in the interiors of Sarawak. The nearest city is 250 km away.
For several years, Kelesau had headed a resistance against the actions of loggers from the company Samling to carry out logging activities at what Kelesau regarded as their native customary land. His ancestors had inhabited the area for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The loggers were wilfully raping the land of its prized timber.
Kelesau sued the loggers and organized blockades against the loggers. No doubt he was a pain in their side.
On that day in October 2007, he went out on his usual hunting activities...and never returned. His tribesmen found his remains some weeks later, and they say there is evidence that he had been assaulted. Nick Kelesau (Kelesau's son) asked for an inquest into his father's death, and so far, the Malaysian police has refused.
And the loggers march on...
Here are some links to the story of Kelesau Naan:
Have you seen these news in Malaysian newspapers?
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