The forests are still falling

Despite enormous sympathy for the rain forests and their indigenous peoples, the industrialised world is still colluding in their destruction. We must review the way we view land as property.

You will not have heard of Kelesau Naan. He spent most of his life trying to stop the logging companies from destroying the Sarawak rainforest that his people have hunted for thousands of years. As a leading figure in one of the last hunter gatherer tribes in Asia, Mr Naan had organised roadblocks on logging roads, taken part in many campaigns, and argued for land rights for his people since 1998. The State of Sarawak continually denied their claim saying that because they hunt rather than work the land they have no claim on it. This has to be the ongoing influence of John Locke and the sort of judgement about property rights that dispossessed the American Indians.

Anyway the battle is over for Kelesau Naan. They found his body in the forest last month. Local people suspect agents of the logging companies. The battle is almost over for the forest too. The rainforest in Sarawak has been reduced by more than 90% in area over the last 45 years. Soon it will be gone.

This story was told by Richard Lloyd Parry in The Times (Jan 4th 2008). For me it is compelling further evidence that our ideas about land and property are failing the earth, its creatures and its people.

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