Culture in peril as satellite TV comes to Borneo's Penan

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

LONG SAN, Malaysia (AFP) — As the roar of heavy chainsaws echoes in the distance, 54-year-old Ajang Kiew, once a nomadic Penan tribesman, wages a losing battle to save his culture in Borneo's rainforests.

The environmental damage wrought by the timber companies that are cutting swathes through Penan territory is not the only challenge faced by his people who now mostly live in villages.

As the loggers build roads through the once-impenetrable jungle to enable them to extract the timber, they also open up access to the modern world -- including television, junk food and new ideas.

At the timber camps and in Penan settlements, satellite televisions are now commonplace, powered by electricity supplied through diesel generators or mini hydro-electric pumps....

Premium Content Partnership | MyWire provides an in-depth online archive library of reference works. MyWire

 

BNET TalkbackShare your ideas and expertise on this topic

Please add your comment:

  1. You are currently: a Guest |
  2.  

Basic HTML tags that work in comments are: bold (<b></b>), italic (<i></i>), underline (<u></u>), and hyperlink (<a href></a)