MIRI: A protest by Sarawak natives against forest clearing by a plantation firm is gathering momentum at the fringes of the Mulu National Park in interior northern Sarawak.

The natives from the Penan and Berawan ethnic communities have erected human-barriers across the road, leading to Bateu Bungan village.

Ukau Lupong, a Penan chief, is leading the protest comprising about 300 natives, The Star learned on Monday (Feb 18).

The Bateu Bungan village is located at the boundary of Mulu National Park, which is home to the largest caves in the world.

Mulu National Park is about 200km inland by land from Miri.

Mulu was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site about 20 years ago.

It is learned that the latest protests there have already garnered the attention of the Bruno Manser Foundation, an international environmental group based in Switzerland that was formed by the family of the missing activist Bruno Manser.

Manser went missing in the northern Sarawak jungles more than a decade ago, following his ventures into the deep jungles.

He had been involved in years of anti-logging protests in northern Sarawak.

The Bruno-Manser Foundation has sent observers to Bateu Bungan to monitor the latest blockade.

It is said that the blockade was ignited after workers of a certain plantation company started clearing forests just next to the Mulu National Park to build roads to facilitate the opening of the oil-palm plantation.

The Star today checked with local social-activist Peter Kallang, who is chairman of Sarawak-based environmental-group Save Sarawak Rivers.

Kallang confirmed that his group, too, have received information about the Mulu protests.

"Yes, the protest and blockade are getting more intense.

"The Penans and Berawans said they must stop the plantation workers from opening more land, since forest clearings have already started since last month.

"The ecosystem of Mulu National Park may be affected too if the plantation project proceeds.

"The location of the plantation project is just next to the Mulu National Park boundary," said Kallang.

Information received indicated that the plantation project might involve forest cutting and land clearing of up to 4,400 hectares.

Kallang said the Penans and Berawans are the ethnic communities affected by the project.