World Water Conference Bans Indigenous Representation

[link to ens-newswire.com]

KUCHING, Sarawak, Malaysia, May 20, 2013 (ENS) – This morning Sarawak indigenous leader Peter Kallang, chairman of the SAVE Rivers network, which opposes a dozen dams planned for the rivers of Borneo, was barred from the first meeting of the International Hydropower Assocation’s World Congress ever held in Asia.

The free-flowing rivers of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, are at stake in the struggle of the island’s indigenous people against the Sarawak state government and hydropower companies over plans to build the dams that will flood their lands.

Kallang was stopped from boarding a bus to the pre-congress workshop at the office of Sarawak Energy Bhd despite the conference organizers statement on their website, that “…all registered participants will have access to the Congress’ three major components: a core set of plenary sessions and a choice of focus sessions, the exhibition area and the pre-Congress Networking tour.”

Environmental groups, including the Swiss nongovernmental organization Bruno Manser Fund, have condemned this attempt by the International Hydropower Association and Sarawak Energy to silence critical voices.

The Bruno Manser Fund is demanding an immediate apology from IHA Director Taylor over the incident and a guarantee that Kallang and all indigenous and NGO representatives will be granted unlimited access to the International Hydropower Association Congress, which runs from May 21-24 at the Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching.

With representatives from over 80 countries and representation from government, industry, research institutes, civil society, financial institutions and other international organizations, the event is key for hydropower professionals.

“It is an absolute scandal that the IHA has chosen the Taib family’s Borneo Convention Centre for their congress,” said Lukas Straumann, director of the Bruno Manser Fund.

“The congress centre’s operators are the very same people who are the main beneficiaries of Sarawak’s corruption-driven dam plans,” said Straumann. “We demand that the IHA immediately change the conference venue. Otherwise, the IHA will lose all credibility in addressing corruption in the hydropower sector.” But the venue was not changed and the biannual IHA event opens there on Tuesday.