Avenging Punan Biau chief Gnori murder
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| Human skulls on display at Punan Ba village in 1975. |
Gnori Ledang was the chief of Punan Biau succeeding Puyuk. He was a fourth generations chief of Punan Biau. He died during the Japanese occupation of Sarawak. Gnori, released from a forced labour camp in Sibu, on the way back to Punan Biau he mysteriously disappeared without - a trace.
Thus, Punan Biau elected a commoner also name Ledang or Ludeang, to become their chief. The Punan Biau longhouse was still at Biau River and was a 7-doors longhouse in 1882.
Ludeang was succeeded by Puyuk (Ake’ Laviang), who then, moved the Punan Biau out of Biau River, up the Rejang River to a place known as Nyalung Tadou or Lo’o Tebulu. The longhouse remained at Nyalung Tadou for three generations – Puyuk, Gnori and Uben Ledang.
Puyuk was succeeded by Gnori Ledang, likely in the first quarter of 20th century. The chief of Punan Ba during Gnori was Luton (Ake’ Abeang), while Punan Sama (Lovuk Tepeleang) was Lanyieng (Ake’ Ubuong).
Gnori was immediately pick up and interrogated at the Kapit Fort. Hours of later he emerged from the Fort. A frightened Gnori and a few Punan with him quickly paddled up returning upriver. However, near Balleh they were intercepted by a Japanese speed boat. They grabbed Gnori and but allow the rest to continue paddling upriver. The next morning they reached Punan Biau without Gnori. It alarmed not only the Punan Biau but the entire Punan population of the Upper Rejang. Later, they learned he was brought to a concentration camp in Sibu.
He was forced to toil daily, rain or shine, to as labour to reconstruct Sibu airfield. Thereafter, news came that he was already released from Sibu concentration camp and were on his way upriver. Gnori, according to several other Belaga people, his fellow inmates at the concentration camp was boarding an Iban longboat at Sibu en route to Kapit. That was the last of Gnori known alive. A search party was sent downriver to track him down. Rumours spread that he was likely murdered near song. Punan people were aggrieved. Gnori was not the only Punan put through hell by the Japanese army. There were many of them - several were held at Bintulu concentration camp.
About a year later, the Japanese forces fled Kapit, upriver after being defeated by allied forces. The war revived Punan headhunting instinct. Lanyieng, the chief of Punan Sama, partly to avenge Gnori death, rounded his war party among Punan Sama, Biau and Ba to ambush the retreating Japanese force. They took several heads. A few still could be seen at Punan Ba and Punan Sama up until the 1980s. The few taken by Punan Sama people were buried at the cemetery downriver from the longhouse.
Punan Biau
The early history of Punan Biau is pretty hazy. The village was founded by one Ledeang, a man of noble descent. He somehow was not quite of noble character. In record and Punan stories - Ledeang was portrayed as an introvert, loner, who had little interest in the affair of his people. In 1882, according to Brooke Low, Ledeang deserted his community – fled to Kakus with the wife of Oman Kahang or Sulo (Brooke Low, 1882: 63).Thus, Punan Biau elected a commoner also name Ledang or Ludeang, to become their chief. The Punan Biau longhouse was still at Biau River and was a 7-doors longhouse in 1882.
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| Among Mukud, showing the ilang that was used by Mudin, his grandfather to kill a Japanese soldier in 1954. |
Ludeang was succeeded by Puyuk (Ake’ Laviang), who then, moved the Punan Biau out of Biau River, up the Rejang River to a place known as Nyalung Tadou or Lo’o Tebulu. The longhouse remained at Nyalung Tadou for three generations – Puyuk, Gnori and Uben Ledang.
Puyuk was succeeded by Gnori Ledang, likely in the first quarter of 20th century. The chief of Punan Ba during Gnori was Luton (Ake’ Abeang), while Punan Sama (Lovuk Tepeleang) was Lanyieng (Ake’ Ubuong).
Meeting the Japanese
In 1943, the Japanese begin occupying Sarawak. Their occupation beginning to be felt by the Punan, particularly in the Upper Rejang, not until 1944. Japanese army brutality was legendary - even in the late 1990s, Punan elders often scorn at the mention of Japanese people. No thank to the story of Gnori, a Punan Biau chief tortured by the Japanese.Sometimes in 1944, Gnori was summoned to Kapit by the Japanese forces for a meeting. The meeting went well until Gnori spotted a familiar face, a clerk working for the Japanese. She revealed to Gnori a Japanese secret plan. They were about to round up all the men in the district as forced labour - to reconstruct Sibu airport. Gnori was an affable, talkative man who seemed to incapable of shutting his mouth up when needed to. Leisurely drinking coffee with several men later, he was simply talking too much, revealing a secret. Unbeknown to Gnori, there was a Japanese "mata-mata" or "secret informant" among them.
Gnori was immediately pick up and interrogated at the Kapit Fort. Hours of later he emerged from the Fort. A frightened Gnori and a few Punan with him quickly paddled up returning upriver. However, near Balleh they were intercepted by a Japanese speed boat. They grabbed Gnori and but allow the rest to continue paddling upriver. The next morning they reached Punan Biau without Gnori. It alarmed not only the Punan Biau but the entire Punan population of the Upper Rejang. Later, they learned he was brought to a concentration camp in Sibu.
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| The ilang (machete) used by Mudin to kill retreating Japanese soldiers in 1945. |
He was forced to toil daily, rain or shine, to as labour to reconstruct Sibu airfield. Thereafter, news came that he was already released from Sibu concentration camp and were on his way upriver. Gnori, according to several other Belaga people, his fellow inmates at the concentration camp was boarding an Iban longboat at Sibu en route to Kapit. That was the last of Gnori known alive. A search party was sent downriver to track him down. Rumours spread that he was likely murdered near song. Punan people were aggrieved. Gnori was not the only Punan put through hell by the Japanese army. There were many of them - several were held at Bintulu concentration camp.
About a year later, the Japanese forces fled Kapit, upriver after being defeated by allied forces. The war revived Punan headhunting instinct. Lanyieng, the chief of Punan Sama, partly to avenge Gnori death, rounded his war party among Punan Sama, Biau and Ba to ambush the retreating Japanese force. They took several heads. A few still could be seen at Punan Ba and Punan Sama up until the 1980s. The few taken by Punan Sama people were buried at the cemetery downriver from the longhouse.
