You are right of course. The Malaysian Bakun dam
has really aroused the ire of indigenous peoples
in East Malaysia.
However, the young students I teach today do know
much more about environmental issues compared
to myself and my peers when we were at a
comparable age. In the case of these middle
class and comfortably middle class kids, I would
attribute it more to greater discussion of
environmental issues in the mass media. They are
unlikely to be the ones who are directly hurt by
dam-building, deforestation and so on.
The environmental movement in Malaysia seems
to be more of a middle class movement than anything else.
(But with the Great Haze of 1997, it may gain greater
support among the working class and the peasants).
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 16:10:51 +0500 (GMT+0500)
From: "d.parthasarathy" <dp@hss.iitb.ernet.in>
To: "DR. PHUA KAI LIT" <phuakl@sit.edu.my>
Subject: Re: Media as Hegemonic Tool
Current environment related movements in the third world are not just
because the population are becoming more "aware" and "conscious"
regarding the environment. Most movements arise because populations are
directly affected by the forms of economic development that are in place,
especially against large scale projects set up by the state or the
transnational corporations. Movements arise not because local populations
have been "educated"regarding environmental issues, but because they have
a direct and immediate stake in the environment, their livelihoods are
dependent on sustainable environments.
D.Parthasarathy
Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology
Mumbai, India