Penan rape: 'S'wak gov't spreading disinformation'
The Penan Support Group (PSG) has rubbished a police report made by one of the Penan rape victims that her earlier complaint was made under duress and was influenced by certain parties.
In November last year, two Penan women arrived in Kuala Lumpur and visited the police headquarters in Bukit Aman, over the course of eight interviews, to lodge a police report about their alleged rape at the hands of timber workers.
They were also interviewed by the Penan task force led by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
Earlier this week, fresh allegations has surfaced that at least one of the Penan women was tricked into coming to Kuala Lumpur and making the police report under false pretenses.
According to a Borneo Post article, the woman aged 22, lodged a police report at the Long Lama police station claiming that she was tricked into coming to Kuala Lumpur under the pretext of seeking treatment for her child and was forced to make the earlier police report alleging her rape.
Center for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas (right) said: "This is an attempt by the Sarawak government with the possible collusion of the Sarawak police to confuse the public about the actual goings-on in the state."
"Are they saying that the NGOs are so good at brainwashing that they were able to turn the Penan women?
"Are they saying that the Penan women are so good at deception that they can fool the Bukit Aman team of investigators? Are the police so stupid that they were fooled?" asked Colin in reference to the earlier police report.
If anything, Colin alleged that it is the man responsible for the rape of the Penan woman who is causing distress and duress for the rape survivor and her entire long house.
He claimed that he was informed of this by representatives of local NGOs working with the Penans.
He added that the man who is claiming to be the Penan woman's ‘husband', is known only as 'Ah Heng' and is a Chinese mechanic for the logging company Interhill with one existing Chinese wife and another Penan spouse.
'Police report made willingly'
Jaringan Orang Asal Se-Malaysia's (JAOS) Jenita Engi said: "I was shocked to read in the media about it because I have met the two Penan women when they were in KL. They did not once mention about being forced."
She described the women as being willing in making their police report. The only discomfort they talked about was being in unfamiliar environments and meeting new people, she said.
All Woman's Action Society of Malaysia (AWAM) Yoke Lin said that shelters like the one operated by AWAM and Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), who hosted the two Penans are very strict in only assisting sexual assault survivors who want to be helped.
They followed that guideline in the Penan women's case.
In fact, while the Penan women were in Kuala Lumpur they were not allowed to meet anyone else except the relevant investigators and WAO counselors, she explained.
'Campaign to discredit NGOs'
Yoke Lin also criticised the Sarawak press for publishing the picture of the rape survivor which she says is in violation of the standard practice of protecting the identity of sexual assault survivors.
"No media should publish the picture of a rape survivor," she said, claiming that the publishing of the photo as well as the coverage of the story by the Sarawak press is part and parcel of a Sarawak Government campaign to discredit the NGOs and throw doubt over the suffering of the Penans.
PSG which is a loose coalition of 36 NGOs fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples and justice for the Penan.
Related report
Was Penan woman intimidated into denying rape?'
