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Resource June 11, 2020

Meet the Journalist: James Whitlow Delano

Country:

Malaysia
Author:
End of times for Malaysia's Batek? Image by James Whitlow Delano. Malaysia, 2019.
English

Project

End of Times for Malaysia's Batek?

A mysterious illness has taken the lives of 15 out of 180 members of a clan of Malaysia’s last...

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Johan Tahun pauses to search the canopy as he follows a plastic water pipe up the Tonduk River to the water source for the Batek. Although all the surrounding forest has been logged, this narrow corridor was left untouched by loggers. The problem is that a manganese mine opened in 2016 at the top of this watershed. The Batek believe that when it rains heavily, which is common in this rainforest, toxic waste from the mine wash into this ravine and contaminate their water—and they believe that mine…
Johan Tahun pauses to search the canopy as he follows a plastic water pipe up the Tonduk River to the water source for the Batek. Although all the surrounding forest has been logged, this narrow corridor was left untouched by loggers. The problem is that a manganese mine opened in 2016 at the top of this watershed. The Batek believe that when it rains heavily, which is common in this rainforest, toxic waste from the mine wash into this ravine and contaminate their water—and they believe that mine contamination triggered the mysterious illness that claimed 16 lives in their tight community. Image by James Whitlow Delano. Malaysia, 2019.

For decades, the Batek of Kuala Koh had seen their territory and lifestyles encroached upon. Then, in May 2019, high fevers set in. A mysterious illness spread like wildfire claiming 16 lives, within two weeks, in a community of 186 members of this clan of Malaysia's last hunter-gatherers. In the end, 100 would be hospitalized, and only 20 would be left unaffected.

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