Few Malaysians may have heard of him but that in no way takes anything away from the towering stature of the legendary Penan leader, Along Sega, who passed away on 2 February 2011.
He was an outspoken leader of the Penan’s struggle against the timber firms that encroached into native customary rights lands from the 1980s.
Some time before his death, he revealed he was trying to teach the younger generation spearhead the Penan struggle for land rights: “When I die, they will continue our struggle because I asked them not to give up.”
We did not see any tribute in the local mainstream media. For that, we have to look further afield, like here in the Sydney Morning Herald.
For another tribute to Along Sega, have a look at the Aliran website.
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This is surely an iconic photo of Penan’s long struggle against outright land grabs in open daylight against International Law of Human Rights. The huge tree stump is symbolic of a tragedy for Penan’s natural way of life. Along Sega and his grandson perch on it speaks volumes of his bravery and struggle to keep Penan’s way of life from extinction for generations to come.
Support Penan. Support our rainforest. Support Mother Earth.
Let us remember Along Sega as much as we remember Bruno Manser.
Rights are not given, they are taken!
Thats why we must make sure the current Sarawak government under white hair must go.
The SMH story is a slightly cut-down version of the one in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8311931/Along-Sega.html