A report released by a fact-finding mission investigating the rapes of indigenous Penan women in Sarawak, Malaysia has touched off various reactions from different Malaysian government agencies, ranging from denials of the rapes, pledges of investigation, and a visit by the Malaysian Prime Minister to the indigenous territory.
A report released by a fact-finding mission investigating the rapes of indigenous Penan women in Sarawak, Malaysia has touched off various reactions from different Malaysian government agencies, ranging from denials of the rapes, pledges of investigation, and a visit by the Malaysian Prime Minister to the indigenous territory.
The report, entitled Wider Context of Sexual Exploitation of Penan Women and Girls in Middle and Ulu Baram, Sarawak, Malaysia, was released on 6 July revealing findings of a fact finding mission conducted by various organizations in November 2009. The report of the Penan Support Group (PSG) documented a number of rape cases and forced marriages of Penan women suffered in the hands of logging company workers in the timber-rich province of Sarawak.
The report described the rapes as “systematic and endemic” which is linked to the exploitation of the territory of the Penan people by logging concesssions and their neglect by the Malaysian government. A recent PSG statement said, “Development policies which have allowed the encroachment of indigenous peoples lands and destroyed their livelihoods and culture, have led to dependency, impoverishment and the disempowerment of many Penans.”
The statement warned, “Until the state takes serious efforts to reassess its development policies and ensure the rights, welfare and protection of its people, this type of violence will continue.”
Denial and action
Immediately after the report’s release, Deputy Minister Heng Seai Kei of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry immediately went to Sarawak to visit Penan communities. She denied that there were new rape cases of Penan women as alleged in the report.
Heng cited her dialogues with local officials, village heads and police records as basis for denying the report’s findings. However, members of the Penan Support Group disputed Heng’s denials, saying that the deputy minister went to different place from the areas the mission went to.
In a related development, Malaysian media reported that the office of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced a visit by the PM to Penan communities in Sarawak on 22 July. Najib was expected to spend the whole day visiting four Penan settlements.
Also, Sarawak Police have contacted a member of Penan Support Group urging the latter to file a report on the rape cases. The police have accused PSG of making allegations on criminal cases without providing details on the matter.
PSG has replied to the request by saying they had to protect the identities of the victims who have been unwilling to report the cases to the police. In a statement announcing the release of the report, PSG said that Penan women “did not want to go to the authorities owing to the police’s lackadaisical responses in the past and further obstacles including the lack of identity cards, language barriers and the prohibitive cost of travel.”
The Star newspaper also reported that Sarawak Land Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing threatened rape victims with arrest if they refuse to co-operate with authorities.
Finally the report also drew the attention of the Malaysian Commission on Human Rights (SUHAKAM), which has invited PSG members to a meeting to discuss the report.
