What if a conservation project becomes a logging project?
For decades, Indigenous communities in the Upper Baram region of Malaysian Borneo have been fighting deforestation. Through sustained efforts, they have successfully protected large areas of forest. These efforts gave rise to the vision of the Baram Peace Park, which was later formalized by the Sarawak government as the Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA). The UBFA was meant to initiate a long-overdue shift from state-sanctioned commercial timber extraction to conservation and Indigenous governance.
The report exposes a highly controversial logging operation, conducted without transparency, public tender or the Free, Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected communities. It also highlights the continued efforts of Baram’s Indigenous communities, through blockades, legal action, and advocacy efforts, for the permanent protection of their ancestral lands.
The report’s demands include, among other things, the immediate revocation of the logging concession, accountability from decision-makers such as the government of Sarawak, the government of Japan, and the ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization), and the fulfilment of promises made under the Baram Peace Park initiative.
Download the full report in English, Bahasa Melayu or Japanese via Bruno Manser Fonds: https://www.savebaramforest.org/en/report/