KUCHING: Forest Stewardship Council FSC officially accepted a complaint by civil society groups against a giant timber company.

The council accepted the complaint after determining that there was “sufficient evidence” regarding violation of FSC policies.

In an online statement Wednesday FSC said it will open a case into alleged illegal logging, violations of traditional and human rights, destruction of high conservation value forests and significant conversion of forests as grounds for dissociation. 

FSC’s acceptance of the complaint, which was submitted by the Gerenai Community Rights Action Committee (GCRAC), Bruno Manser Fonds, The Borneo Project, KERUAN and SAVE Rivers, marks a breakthrough for the communities’ struggle for justice.

Since 2020, indigenous communities have been using official complaints procedures to raise their concerns about the lack of consultation regarding the company’s logging activities and the certification process under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme MTCS, endorsed by PEFC International.

Both of these schemes claim to protect Indigenous rights, but the gap between the provisions and the reality on the ground is vast. 

“We are happy to hear that FSC has accepted the complaint,” said William Tingang, from Long Moh.