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| Villagers staging the demonstration near to the logging site. |
"The demonstration joined by representatives from 12 villages was to show our protest against the illegal logging on our NCR land," said Dihoi.
This is the fourth intrusions in the forest area. The first was in 1998, followed by in 2000 and the third in 2011.
"The three previous intrusions was amicably resolved and the Forest Department even revoked the logging license given to the company in August 2012 but somehow there is another company that came to continue with the illegal activities," said Dihoi.
He said the latest intrusion was discovered on January 21, about 1.30 pm.
The police report was made by a member of the Kampung Tringgus Development and Security Committee (JKKK) Kenser Piyu at the Bau District Police Station on January 25.
Dihoi believed several local individuals are the mastermind of the illegal activities .
According to Dihoi, they have also checked with the State Forest Department Licensing Division and was informed that no timber licenses issued to any logging company and individual.
Dihoi said the 12 villages has also submitted memorandum the Forest Department last year to request the department not to allow their NCR to be turned into logging activities area.
"However up to now we have not receive any reply from the department.
"We strongly object to any form of logging activities in the forest which is our NCR land because it will pollute the environment and the rivers.
"This particular area is where the villagers hunt for animals for consumption and fishing. It is also tourism potential area," said Dihoi.
Meanwhile a police officer who led the police team at the scene of the demonstration confirmed that no untoward incidents occurred.
He also confirmed that the affected residents held a demonstration to protest logging activities on their NCR land.
Bengoh State Assemblyman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil urged the Sarawak Forest Department and the police to take immediate and firm action against the company and individual responsible for the illegal logging activities.
Dr Jerip who is Assistant Minister for Public Health also confirmed that the logging activities in the forest area was illegal.
"I have checked with the Forest Department and I was told that there was no license issued for any company to carry out logging in the forest area."Therefore, it is necessary for the enforcement agency (Forest department and police) to act quickly to stop the logging activities in the area," said Jerip.
According to Dr Jerip, residents from 12 villages protested logging activities in the forest of their NCR land because they did not want it to affect the forest area as it was where their source of food and income came from.
"They do not want the forest to be affected because there are rivers where they get their supply of fish and even a place for them to hunt animals.
"The river in the forest area will also be developed for Tagang System (fish breeding)," said Dr Jerip .
A group of villagers from 12 villages in the Krokong and Tringgus area on Tuesday staged a peaceful
demonstration to protest the logging activities.
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