PETALING JAYA: It appears that officers from the Kelantan Forestry Department are ready to enter the Balah forest reserve near Gua Musang to demolish an orang asli blockade.

According to lawyer Siti Kasim, who represents the orang asli community there, said she saw many vehicles from the department at the blockade area.

However, she said she has few details of what is going on.

“The only news is that one boy called me from (Simpang) Petei. He said they have started to demolish the blockade (there).

“I’m waiting for them to get back to me. Right now I’m just hanging around just in case any of them get arrested,” Siti said from Gua Musang.

On her Facebook, Siti said: “I think the Forestry people are going to hit the blockades today. Loads of trucks and lorries waiting and they were having a briefing just now.”

The orang asli in the Balah forest reserve have been in direct conflict with the state government and loggers following a number of blockades they set up in protest of the deforestation of the lands they claim as their own.

In November last year, the blockades were dismantled by the department and dozens of orang asli activists were arrested although they were later released.

The blockades were later rebuilt by the orang asli.