Borneo Tree Spirits Go to Court

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

“Your honor, I call our ethno-witnesses.” At a signal from Andrew Ajang Mering twelve men and women stood, hesitatingly.

The chief justice, a bemused ethnic-Indian Malaysian named Samuel Aithihyamala, stared over his half-glasses at the plaintiff’s lawyer, Andrew Ajang Mering, then at the large group of men and women who had just risen. “Just how many witnesses do you have, Mister Mering?”

“One for each of the large old-growth trees in the Penan homeland,” Andrew Mering answered. “We’re not sure of the precise number, but probably in the region of six thousand.”

“You’re planning to call approximately six thousand witnesses?”

“No, your honor.  That might challenge the patience of the court. I’ll keep the number down to a dozen.”