Sarawak Timber

EDM number 1843 in 1992-93, proposed by Ken Livingstone on 22/04/1993.

That this House notes that the log output from the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, has exceeded 18 million cubic metres per annum for the last two years, double the recommended rates stipulated by the International Tropical Timber Organisation and despite promises made by the Sarawak authorities to reduce the rate; further notes the view of both the ITTO and the World Bank that the Sarawak forest will be exhausted of timber within seven years if present rates continue; notes that much of the logging takes place on land that is claimed by indigenous communities as native customary land, but that such claims are disregarded and over 500 indigenous people have been arrested since 1987 for protesting their claims; condemns the present practice of giving logging concessions to families, friends and supporters of the Sarawak ruling political elite, so depriving the Sarawak people of billions of dollars revenue; calls on the Government to implement the European Parliament Resolution of 8/7/1988 calling on a temporary moratorium on the import of tropical timber from Sarawak until the two issues of land rights and the sustainability of forest practice are satisfactorily resolved; calls on the Government to continue to explore practical avenues to encourage the Sarawak state government to uphold ITTO recommendations on logging rates; and further calls on the Government to make representations to the UN to secure the establishment of an independent commission to enquire into the situation of the indigenous people in Sarawak.

This motion has been signed by a total of 49 MPs.