Numpang the NCR land defender charged for `criminal intimidation' in Serian court while encroachers linked to Sarawak CM go free

Screening of new Sarawak films-break the info barrier!

Halo friends,
As Sarawak's state elections are coming closer the vast interior of Sarawak remain inscrutable to many Sarawakians as well as non-Sarawakians. Yet the rural interior is where most of the 71 Sarawakian state assembly seats are. So long that there is no change from this region there won't be any change in the whole of Sarawak, and by extension, also the entire country. We therefore hold a screening of short films where you can hear the true voices of Sarawakians from these region- where the media dare not tread. You are welcome to attend this screening and discussion to see if there is anything you can do from Penang:
Titles: Blockades in Lawas(Eng),
`Mati ditengah perjalanan' Limbang(Malay),
Sebangan 7(Iban with English Sub-titles).
Date: Nov 19th(Friday)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: D' Space(62 Weld Quay 10300, Penang-3rd floor)
Entrance: FREE!
All welcome!

Enq.013-5900339(Ong BK)

Freedom Film Fest 2010 come to Penang this weekend!

FreedomFilmFest2010 is back for the 7th year. The annual human rights film festival will be held throughout the month of October & November, gracing cities across the nation including Petaling Jaya, Johor Bahru, Miri and Georgetown!

This year, KOMAS & SUARAM PENANG is proud to announce that the premier of FreedomFilmFest2010 in Penang is organised in cooperation with the PENANG STATE GOVERNMENT under the care of Exco Kesenian YB Wong Hong Wai.

Date:

13 & 14 November, 2010

Venue:

Penang Caring Society Complex, Jalan Utama, 10450 Georgetown (Google Map)

The two-day festival will feature 14 award winning Malaysian and international human rights documentaries.

This is a private closed door event. Please REGISTER ONLINE to get your FREE tickets:
http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/tickets

Enquiries: freedomfilmfest@komas.org

FILM SCREENING SCHEDULE
All thematic sessions will be followed by a 20min facilitated discussion with exciting and knowledgeable resource persons. So come prepared with your questions/if any, and to participate and share!!

Sat, 13 Nov, 2pm
Theme: OUR RIGHTS & POLICE POWERS
“The Story of Human Rights”
“Every Mother's Son”

Sat, 13 Nov, 3.30pm

Theme: RIGHTS OF THE POOR
“Raul The Terrible”

Sat, 13 Nov, 5pm

Theme: CONSIDERING NUCLEAR AS AN ENERGY SOURCE
“Uranium – Is it a Country?”

Sat, 13 Nov, 7.30pm
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF PENANG FFF2010 by YB Wong Hong Wai EXCO Kesenian Negeri Pulau Pinang.
PREMIERE OF FFF2010 COMPETITION FILMS
8.25pm “Pilih”
9.15pm “Hak DiNafikan”
10.05pm “Kisah Tauke Mancis&Minyak Tumpah”

Sun, 14 Nov, 12pm
Theme: EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
“Hutan Kehidupan Kami (Land is our life)”

Sun, 14 Nov, 2pm

Theme: APPLICATION OF ISLAMIC LAWS IN MALAYSIA
“Mencari Kartika (Searching for Kartika)"

Sun, 14 Nov, 3.30pm

Theme: MIGRANTS IN LIMBO
“Special Pass”

Sun, 14 Nov, 4.40pm
THEME: MALAYSIA – INDONESIA: SAME-SAME?
“Budaya Tak Terbatas (Borderless culture)”

Sun, 14 Nov, 5:30pm

Theme: FOCUS ON BURMA
“Hongsha's Bag”
“Burma's Hidden Killers”

Sun, 14 Nov, 8pm
Theme: WOMEN HEROES IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION
“Pray the devil back to hell”

*Full film synopsis available at http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org

FREDOMFILMFEST2010 is funded by the EUROPEAN UNION in cooperation with KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG.

Check out OUR WEBSITE for more screenings dates. Do email us freedomfilmfest@komas.org if you're interested to host your own screening party on our behalf at your OWN hometown!

http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org

- - - - -

FreedomFilmFest2010 kembali buat tahun ke-7. Festival filem hak asasi tahunan ini akan berlangsung sepanjang bulan Oktober & November di Petaling Jaya, Johor Bahru, Miri and Georgetown!

Tahun ini, KOMAS & SUARAM PENANG dengan bangganya mengumumkan bahawa tayangan utama FreedomFilmFest2010 di Pulau Pinang dianjurkan dengan kerjasama KERAJAAN NEGERI PULAU PINANG dibawah Exco Kesenian YB Wong Hong Wai.

Tarikh:

13 & 14 November, 2010

Tempat:

Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang Pulau Pinang, Jalan Utama, 10450 Georgetown (Google Map)

Festival dua-hari ini akan mempersembahkan 14 filem dokumentari hak asasi manusia dari Malaysia dan antarabangsa.

Ini adalah acara tertutup. Sila DAFTAR SECARA ONLINE untuk mendapatkan TIKET JEMPUTAN percuma:
http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/tickets

Pertanyaan: freedomfilmfest@komas.org

JADUAL TAYANGAN FILEM
Setiap sesi bertema akan diikuti dengan perbincangan menarik dan bermaklumat dengan bimbingan fasilitator berpengalaman. Datanglah dengan soalan-soalan yang ada ingin tanya (jika ada), sertai dan berkongsi bersama!

Sabtu, 13 Nov, 2pm
Tema: KUASA POLIS DAN HAK KAMI
“The Story of Human Rights”
“Every Mother's Son”

Sabtu, 13 Nov, 3.30pm
Tema: HAK GOLONGAN MISKIN
“Raul The Terrible”

Sabtu, 13 Nov, 5pm

Tema: MEMPERTIMBANGKAN NUKLEAR SEBAGAI SUMBER KUASA
“Uranium – Is it a Country?”

Sabtu, 13 Nov, 7.30pm

PELANCARAN RASMI FFF2010 oleh YB Rodziah Ismail Exco Kebudayaan Negeri Selangor.
TAYANGAN PERDANA FILEM-FILEM PEMENANG FFF2010
8.25pm “Pilih”
9.15pm “Hak DiNafikan”
10.05pm “Kisah Tauke Mancis&Minyak Tumpah”
11pm Majlis Penyampaian Hadiah

Ahad, 14 Nov, 12pm
Tema: MEMPERKUASAKAN KOMUNITI ORANG ASAL
“Hutan Kehidupan Kami(Land is our life)”

Ahad, 14 Nov, 2pm

Tema: APLIKASI UNDANG-UNDANG ISLAM DI MALAYSIA
“Mencari Kartika”

Ahad, 14 Nov, 3.30pm

Tema: MASALAH PEKERJA ASING
“Special Pass”

Ahad, 14 Nov, 4.40pm

Tema: MALAYSIA – INDONESIA: SAMA SAHAJA?
“Budaya Tak Terbatas”

Ahad, 14 Nov, 5:30pm

Tema: FOKUS BURMA
“Hongsha's Bag”
“Burma's Hidden Killers”

Ahad, 14 Nov, 8pm

Tema: PEMIMPIN WANITA DALAM RESOLUSI KONFLIK
“Pray the devil back to hell”

*Sinopsis lengkap filem boleh didapati di http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org

FREDOMFILMFEST2010 dibiayai oleh EUROPEAN UNION dengan kerjasama KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG.

Layari LAMAN KAMI untuk mendapatkan maklumat mengenai tayangan di Miri, JB, Pulau Penang dll. Emel freedomfilmfest@komas.org sekiranya anda berminat untuk menjadi hos tayangan FFF bagi pihak KOMAS di kawasan anda!

http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org

New films from Sarawak's interior-screening Oct 13th, 8pm, D' Space!

Halo friends,
These are the films from the last Road Show to Limbang and Selangau. Enjoy. Your comments are welcome! DVDs of them are available for sales to raise fund for future Road Shows.

Screenings for these and a few other films will be held according to following details:
Date: Oct 13th(Wed)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: D' Space(62 Weld Quay, Penang-3rd floor)
All welcome! A film on the Sape Tour will also be screened and discussed.


1. Stuck in Limbang forests

2. Land & Survey susahkan pindahan tanah kepada anak cucu

3.RM500 FOR 1 VOTE-ok?

4.Selangau long houses flooded 6 times

5.Unanswered question from a Limbang teacher

6. Rap against Bakun Dam



cheers,
Ong BK

Mini-Sarawak Film Fest Sept 15th-all welcome!

As part of the Malaysia Day Sape Tour there will be a Mini-Sarawak Film Fest at D' Space(62 Weld Quay), from 3.00pm, on Sept 15th:

The titles are as below:


Miini-Sarawak Film Fest:



3.00pm :

Short films from Lawas(2010-30min)-a collection of 7 films from the Sarawak Road Show this year. Films touched on bad road, blockade by NCR land owners, disappearing wild boars, old army without IC, resettlement for Bakun Dam etc. By Ong BK



You can’t eat the Road (2010-11min) –a rare film about Bidayuh residents affected by Bengoh Dam near Kuching, who went to meet others affected by dams and oil palm plantations in Tatau and Sg Asap. Rare interviews of those communities who chose not to be re-settled in Sg Asap. By Andrew Garton as part of a series called `Sarawak Gone’.



4.00pm:

What Rainforest? (2008-36min).-Resistance against an oil palm giant’s intrusion by a native-Segan, who is not `segan’(`shy’ in Malay) when it come to defending his NCR land. By Hilary Chew and chi too


5.00pm:

Delaying Justice (2009-30min) Defending the ancestral domain by the Sarawak natives do come with a heavy price-the price of life. Produced by Hilary Chew, veteran journalist turned film maker.



Some film makers will be available for Q&A after the screening of their films. DVDs of the films are also available for sales on the spot. See you all!


Ong BK

6 videos from Sarawak Road Show go live in You Tube

Halo friends,
These are the videos from my last visit to Sarawak's interior-some of which had made waves there! Enjoy!

Titles:
The titles uploaded to You Tube are:
1. Retired army fight for IC

2. Unsettled issues from Bakun Dam


3. Bad Road to Ba'Kelalan-Worst in Malaysia!

4. Wild Boars Hunted to extinction in Lawas

5. Police brutality in Lawas &


6. Blockade against Sabah Sarawak gas pipesline

Ong BK

Press freedom protest

Sarawak Road Show films here!

Halo folks!
Sorry for not able to do much screenings recently due to my enagagements in Sarawak. I've been going to Sarawak on a monthly basis to prepare for election observation there. The following films are produced from the trip by accompanying journalist from TV2-apart from others who write in blogs and otehr on-line journals. Enjoy.

I'll inform you of coming screenings when the time is right.

Ong BK

Is there anything BETTER than `Avatar'?

Halo folks,

Have you gone to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster `AVATAR'? Can you imagine anything better than `AVATAR'? Well the films we will screen this Saturday `Voices from the forest' and videos from the Sarawak Road Shows, actually allow real forest people to speak for themselves-something which the high tech special effect film would not do!

After a long year end break we are back to screen films which are not shown on cinemas, Tvs etc. Thedetails of the films to be screened are:

Titles:1. `Voices from the forests' (43min)
Intro: This is the story of people living in or near tropical forests in S E Asia, in particular the story of people in indigenous communities in Malaysia(Sarawak), Indonesia and the Philippines....a way of life which is well adapted to tropical forest conditions. The voices from the forests share their experiences, dreams and aspirations but also their worries...'(Longer intro appended below)
2. Videos from the Sarawak Road Shows-video clips from Sarawak Road Show which run into the 4th tours so far. Every month a group of Malaysians visit Sarawak for about a week to look at where Malaysians (actually West Malaysians) tend to habitually shy away from. Engineer, journalists, video/photographers, artists, media group member etc have been on the new tour to Sarawak. Come to see what they have found. One of the TV journalist on the tour work for TV2 and has since produced a 10-part series to be screened on TV2 from Jan 4th-15th(except weekend) on every lunch time after the news. Go have a look!
Date: Jan 9th 2009(Sat)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: 63 Weld Quay 10300 Penang
All welcome! FREE entry!
Enq. 013-5900339

Appendix:
Voices from the Forest. Balancing Forest Use and Conservation in Southeast Asia.

The namesake of this newsletter, the NTFP Exchange Programme captures the stories of indigenous peoples living in or near tropical forests in Southeast Asia, and their dependence on non-timber forest products for their survival as a people and as a culture. Through their voices as well as of some of their supporters, we share in their dreams and aspirations, as well as their fears as the rapidly changing world poses new challenges to their indigenous lifestyles.
We are offered a rare peek into:
w the nomadic Penan’s reliance on sago palm in the face of threats from a large logging company (Malaysia),
w traditional and sustainable harvesting, production and marketing of wild honey in Danau Sentarum (Indonesia),
w the Ikalahan tribe’s struggle to protect their traditional forest by transforming fruits of the forest into jams and jellies for the high-end niche market (the Philippines),
w the Higaonon tribe’s indigenous fabric, the hinabol, tied to traditional management of abaca (Manila Hemp) and the fast-disappearing art of hinabol weaving (the Philippines), and
w the crucial market links provided by the Upland Marketing Foundation and the CustomMade Crafts Center, and their tireless efforts at aiding local communities to develop marketable handicrafts and food products.
Produced by Riak Bumi, Telapak and the NTFP-EP (2005). Copies (DVD or VCD, 43 mins.) can be obtained through Ridzki Sigit, Telapak, Jl. Palem Putri III No. 1-3, Komp. Taman Yasmin Sektor V, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Tel: +62 0251 7159902. Email: rrsigit@telapak.org. URL: www.telapak.org

Ong BK