KUCHING: The Sarawak Forest Department terminated the International Tropical Timber Organisation-led funding of the US$1.4 million Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA) "to prevent further NGO interference in the project".
Its director, Datuk Hamden Mohammad, said the move was also to disassociate the UBFA project from the Bruno Manser Fund.
"Our decision was made following extensive discussions with the ITTO to put a stop to non-governmental organisations manipulating UBFA projects to push their selfish agenda without thinking of the needs of the majority of the local communities in Upper Baram," he said.
He said the NGOs used the UBFA project to stay relevant under the guise of advocating for the indigenous people of Upper Baram.
These, he said, were BMF and forest conservation groups Save Rivers and the Borneo Project.
The project donors were the Japanese government, the City of Basel in Switzerland and BMF.
UBFA, encompassing an area of more than 2,800 sq km or 283,500ha of rainforest and community land in the Upper Baram region of Sarawak, was initially launched as the Baram Peace Park late last year by local communities as an indigenous community-led conservation effort.
The area is home to the indigenous Penan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Saban communities.
Pointing an accusing finger at BMF, whom he said provided a "measly US$150,000" the project, Hamden said as a donor, "they think they have the right to dictate to the Sarawak government what to do".
"We have never experienced challenges and interference from donors for any project until now," he said.
The department has collaborated with ITTO on at least 16 projects since the 1990s that totalled more than US$16 million.
"The decision to terminate the project was not because of the reason claimed by the NGOs that the Forest Department cannot take the pressure of being asked to be transparent.
"We terminated the project to prevent further NGO interference in the UBFA project."
Despite the termination of the project, Hamden said collaboration with ITTO would continue.
He said two new projects that focus on community development and sustainable livelihoods will be implemented next year.
He also assured the indigenous community in UBFA that the Forest Department remains committed to ensuring the welfare of local communities and will pursue alternative funding sources for future projects, free from NGO interference.