Krayans rely on Malaysians to survive

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