Malaysian Logging Company Violates Ancestral Land

The Kelantan Loggers Association (KLA) denies any misconduct in the Balah Permanent Forest Reserve in Malaysia. KLA answers to accusations of participating in illegal forest clearing projects and bullying local residents, responding that they have followed all regulations and are in no violation of any law. The only reason for any commotion, KLA says, is the presence of the local Orang Asli people, who protest the logging of the forest.

The Orang Asli allegedly “built a blockade” in order to prevent KLA from bringing logs out of the forest. Barricades built by the Orang Asli residents have been regularly constructed, but usually KLA finds a way to negotiate and greater conflict is avoided. But this time, KLA had to employ the help of the police and the forestry department to destroy the illegal barricade.

The Orang Asli, however, stand behind their accusations. The forest lies inside of their ancestral homeland, and they believe the KLA has no right to maintain logging operations there.
Read the entire article here: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/357589

This article brings up an interesting conflict. The Orang Asli are citizens of Malaysia and are subject to its laws, and they claim the local forest are as their ancestral land, even though it does not technically belong to them legally. Though the Malaysian state has the power to do what it wants with the forest, I don't think they do have the right to strip the Oran Asli residents of the ancestral land, especially since the Orang Asli have most likely been around longer than the current Malaysian state.