The peacemaking history between Orang Ulu and the Dayak Iban in the Rejang

Photo of the Peace-Making held in Kapit 1924

There were two peace-making ceremonies held between 1907-1924 period at Kapit. The first was held in November 1907. It involved only the Upper Rejang communities and Iban along the Rejang. Among those present were the chiefs of Punan, Kayan, Kajaman, and Lahanan. Here is report by the Resident of Kapit H.S.B Johnson on December 4. 1907 (SG 1907 Dec 4, 1907:266-7):

I have the honour to inform Your Highness that a successful peace-making and pig killing was brought off last Wednesday the 30th ultimo between the different Kayan tribes and the Ulu Ai Dyaks. The following Dyaks among others were present at the ceremony and agreed to make peace. Penghulu Meroom, Penghulu Narok, Penghulu Matahari, Kanian, Jimbun, Ayom, Bair, Jalin, Ajut, Pilai, Blikau, Melintang, Inggu, Koh, Kilau, Bawi, Bala. The different upriver tribes were represented by the following: Laki Boh (Kayan), Abun Batu (Kayan), Abun (Skapan), Tama Ludu (Kajaman), Oyong Seng (Lahanan), Tuba (Punan Bah). The Kayan pig was killed by Mereng Kulih and the Dyak pig by Jalin brother of P. Meroom and the livers of both pigs were reported to be quite satisfactory.

The 1907 peace-making, however, did not put an end to Dayak Iban raids into Upper Rejang. Instead they double down. Thus, between 1907 to 1916 period raids spiked up. The Iban of Balleh, Katibas, Machan, Naman and Julau were seemingly coordinating their raids targeting the Punan, who had begun to reoccupy the Pila, Merit and Metah areas following the peace deal. They were oblivious of the Dayak's insidious plan to get rid of them from the areas. 

In 1916, the Dayak assembled the biggest war party since 1896, numbered about 400 strong. Their party consisted mostly of Gaat Dayak. Mr Gifford was on his way returning to Kapit from Belaga when he learned of the treacherous Dayak planned raid. He quickly alerted the Punan of the impending raid. Consequently, relayed a message down to Mr Lang at Sibu for immediate reinforcement of about 50 well armed Malay and rangers. Gifford then led a 200-strong Government forces, made up of Malays and Kayans back upriver. The Government forces encountered the 400-strong Dayak Iban war party at Pila River, which became known as "battle of Pila".

The Dayak made a feint to attack the Government force but were shot down to the number of about 200. The war party lost all their fifteen boats. Those who tried to avoid being captured end up drowning. The Government forces, led by Mr Gifford’s force suffered no casualties. The only one injured was a Kapit Fort-man. Gifford profusely commended Abang Aboi, a Native Chief at Kapit, the Rangers, and Malays armed group for showing conspicuous bravery. However, he had nothing but scorn against the 80 Kayans among his troops. They were “useless” he said (SG May 1, 1916:78).

After the 1916 bloodied battle of Pila, no more raids by the Iban. Many Punan expressed desire to return to the Pila and Merit area, but were barred by the Government. They were no longer allowed to reclaim and reoccupy their ancestral lands in the Pila and Merit region. The void was quickly seized by the Dayak Iban. In 1919, a group of Iban briefly settled at Sama River, above Pelagus. The group was quickly reprimanded by the Government and was told to return downriver and resettled near Kapit.

Nonetheless, the Dayak kept pressuring the Brooke regime for the area above Pelagus rapids. Eventually, the regime relented. But to avoid another racial flare up, they arranged for another peace-making ceremony in 1924. This time, it was a much grander event, involving not only the Kajang (Punan, Sekapan and Kajaman), Kayan, and Kenyah of Sarawak, but also Kenyah and Kayan from Kalimantan.

A few months later, the Government began allowing, mostly law-abiding, Roman Catholic Katibas Iban to move into the Pila area (Pringle 1970). A Christian mission was duly set up in the Pila. Thereafter, an influx of none Christian, Dayak Iban from downriver started moving into the upper Pelagus area.  By 1935, Dayak longhouses had spread, as far as Bikei Rapids, mere four kilometres from Punan Ba village.

The Brooke regime social engineering benefited the Dayak Iban immensely. It was also a policy pursued by the British after they took over Sarawak from Brooke but much more radical. There was a British's plan to lead the Iban occupied the entire Rejang basin and relocate the entire Kajang, Kayan, and Kenyah population to Baram. They had succeeded in convincing the Kayan and Kenyah of the plan, but not the Kajang, the autochthonous group.

A Kajang chief, Penghulu Puso Abun's persistent objections to the plan. As an effort to convince Puso and other reluctant chiefs, the Kapit District office organized a tour of Baram for them. Puso remained defiant. Eventually the plan was cancelled. Had it not been for Puso, the entire Rejang would have been Iban's for taking.