BAU: The Niah National Park's cave complex in the Miri Division has been declared a Unesco Archaeological Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee at its convention in India today.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said tonight that he was informed by Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh, who is leading a Sarawak delegation at the meeting, of the committee's decision.
"I have good news because Unesco had a convention in India, and I am glad to announce that the Niah National Park's cave complex has been declared an Archaeological Heritage Site," he said at a Gawai Dayak gathering tonight.
He said that Mulu National Park has already been declared a World Heritage Site.
The Niah Caves complex of colossal, interconnected caverns is located at the centre of Niah National Park.
According to the description by Unesco, the cave complex contains the longest known records of human interaction with rainforests, spanning at least 50,000 years, from the Pleistocene to the Mid-Holocene periods.
The rich archaeological deposits, prehistoric rock paintings, and boat-shaped burials found at the northern edge of the massif illustrate biological and human life during this time and contribute greatly to the knowledge of human development, adaptation, and migration in Southeast Asia, as well as in a global context.
Local communities still observe an ancient tradition of molong, 'take only what you need', when harvesting guano and valuable edible bird's nests from the caves.