MALAYSIA Kuala Lumpur, activists against BRICS membership. A threat to indigenous populations

In a joint note, the Sabah Ancestral Lands Defender (Mopot) and the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of Sabah and Sarawak (Goass) call for respecting the “informed consent” of local communities. The group’s membership raises questions about sovereignty and self-determination in Sabah and Sarawak. Peter John Jaban told that it is essential that consultations take place on “decisions that impact our future”.

Kuching () – Groups of environmental activists and indigenous peoples of Borneo have spoken out against the government’s plan to join BRICS, the grouping of emerging world economies (China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa) led by Beijing. In a joint statement, the Defender of Ancestral Lands Sabah (Mopot) and the Sabah and Sarawak Indigenous People’s Alliance (Goass) call for respect for the Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) on the rights of indigenous peoples in the country. The main targets are the Executive and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose decision “raises critical questions regarding ‘indigenous sovereignty’ and ‘self-determination’ in the two states of Borneo where several indigenous communities live.”

Andrew Ambrose, representing Mopot, and Peter John Jaban, of Goass, raised several critical points and called on the head of government to “support the sovereignty of the indigenous populations of Sabah and Sarawak”. Prime Minister Ibrahim, they continued, must guarantee them “their right to self-government and control over their lands, territories and resources”, as well as respect “the right of communities to self-determination” and to choose their “political status”. These realities, the activist movements affirm, must be able to “seek their economic, social and cultural development without external interference”.

To achieve this goal, it is essential to adhere to the principles defined by the FPIC “in all decisions related to international partnerships such as BRICS, ensuring meaningful consultation with indigenous communities and leaders” before “any commitment” is made at government level. “Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – the note continues – must address historical injustices, including discriminatory practices, inadequate allocation of resources and political marginalization of the indigenous populations of Sabah and Sarawak”. These, they warn, must be the “priorities” in terms of alliances and decisions on international policy, and the Prime Minister himself “must apologize to the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak for 61 years of neglect and discrimination”.

Activist groups have also called on Ibrahim, as head of government, to “preserve and promote indigenous cultures, languages ​​and traditions and safeguard them from the pressures of globalisation and external economic interests.” The prime minister was also invited to commit to “sustainability and environmental conservation, particularly with regard to fragile ecosystems and biodiversity within indigenous territories, water and food systems.” In this regard, any international agreement and alliance must not “compromise” existing legal protections and human rights, which constitute the first step towards the protection of Malaysia’s indigenous populations “particularly in the territories of Borneo.” In dialogue with , activist Peter John Jaban explains: “The Mopot and the Goass emphasize that Malaysia’s possible entry into the BRICS must not affect the rights and aspirations for self-determination and liberation of the indigenous populations of Sabah and Sarawak.” “We call on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his federal government – he concludes – to prioritize indigenous sovereignty, self-determination and meaningful consultation in all decisions that affect our future.”