Krayans rely on Malaysians to survive

Early every morning, dozens of people walk steadily along a mountain trail, each carrying a load of produce, animals or handicrafts on their back.

At midday they return home, carrying jerry cans of fuel, cooking oil, sugar, clothes, instant noodles, even a TV set or a refrigerator they have bartered for.

Walking for hours carrying up to 50 kilograms of goods is all in a day's work for the Krayan people of the Dayak Lundayeh tribe, who live in the northeast of the Kayan Mentarang National Park.

Every day an estimated 40 to 110 people pass through the border-crossing that connects Long Midan hamlet in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province with Ba'Kelalan village in Malaysia's Sabah state, according to Bernaulus Saragih, an expert on natural resources at Mulawarman University in Samarinda.

Saragih, who also took part in the scientific expedition to the national park, said that since the Krayans had no access to Indonesian markets, they relied on their more prosperous Malaysian relatives from the same tribe.

"Physically, the Krayans are under Indonesia jurisdiction but it is the Malaysians who provide them with their livelihood," said Saragih.

As producers of a unique type of rice -- whose grains are smaller and more flavorful than other types of rice here -- the Krayans sell at least five tons of their abundant rice yields to traders in Ba'Kelalan every month.

Instead of the Krayans, until 1998 the 400-strong population of Ba'Kelalan received credit as a main rice producer for Malaysia's Sabah and Serawak states.

The Ba'Kelalan traders buy the rice for 7 ringgit (1 ringgit is equivalent to US 27 cents) per can. Four cans is equivalent to 15 kilograms.

Ya Agung, chief of the Krayan Darat indigenous communities and the owner of Agung Raya Inn in Long Bawan, said the Krayans could not demand a higher price because of their dependence on the Ba'Kelalan traders.

"We know that the Ba'Kelalans sell the rice for 9 ringgit to people in Lawas. Distribution expenses increase the price to 12 ringgit per can in other cities in Sabah and Serawak, and as high as 15 ringgit in Brunei," he said, adding that the Ba'Kelalan traders would not let the Krayans go to the larger town of Lawas to sell their rice directly.

Most of the time, the Krayans barter their rice for gasoline or kerosene, which costs about 2.5 ringgit, or Rp 7,750, per liter. The Krayans also have to hire a carrier to transport their purchases and this increases the price of the fuel to Rp 9,000 per liter in Long Bawan, the closest town to Long Midan. Kerosene is Rp 500 cheaper than gasoline. The prices would be even higher at other, more remote villages.

Still, these prices are much higher than the Indonesian government-set prices of Rp 1,810 per liter for gasoline and Rp 600 for kerosene. But to get fuel from Samarinda by small plane means an extra charge of Rp 3,000 to Rp 5,000 per liter, and because there are not regular flights the process takes a long time.

In a survey during the scientific expedition, Saragih found that all Krayan men between the ages of 15 and 45 spent between two weeks and a month in Ba'Kelalan working as construction workers or farmers, earn 15 ringgit per day. They do this after the harvest when there is no work to do at home before the next planting season.

"But working as tree fellers for Malaysian businessmen can make them rich in a short time. For only two days of work they can earn up to 1,000 ringgit. They can buy a motorcycle and rent it as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) or spend the money on liquor, karaoke or gambling," he said.

The problem is, the occupation, while providing the Krayans with money, threatens the forest. Saragih fears that the Krayans' attempt to make an easy living will endanger the forest.

"The government should pay more attention to the people by providing them with easy access to Indonesian markets so they can buy goods at cheaper prices. Otherwise, I am afraid that in 10 years the Krayans will face bigger social and environmental problems as the young see the forest as a money spinner," he said. -- Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak