Sarawak NGO Keruan and Swiss-based NGO Bruno Manser Fonds call for the immediate release of two Indigenous Penan from Sarawak, Malaysia, following their arrest by police on June 28th, 2025.
On June 28th, two Penan from Long Tepen were arrested by forestry officals. The men were resting with a friend on the side of the road near Batu 12. While one of three Penan escaped with minor injuries and reported the incident to the police, the other two Penan were detained for at least four days under Section 103 of the Forestry Ordinance. The Long Tepen Village Residents Action Committee emphasised in a media statement over the weekend: “It is believed that the claims of obstructing public servants and issuing threats were fabricated. This incident appears to be a case of abuse of power by the Forest Department team.”
The Long Tepen community has filed numerous police reports in September 2024, March 2025 and June 2025 against logging activities by Malaysian company Shing Yang. This logging allegedly took place on their ancestral lands. Komeok Joe from the Penan organization Keruan concludes: “The Penan from Long Tepen have repeatedly filed police reports against the destruction of their forests by the company Shin Yang, only to see their rights ignored and their defenders criminalized. Instead of addressing the community’s legitimate concerns, authorities have chosen to target those who stand up for their land and culture.”
The Borneo Project joins Keruan and the Bruno Manser Fonds call. We urge the Malaysian government to facilitate the immediate release of these forest defenders and to take action to stop logging in Indigenous territories. The rights of Indigenous peoples to their land must be respected and protected.
In today’s letter to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) the NGOs request assistance in this matter.