Orang Dayak dan Gerakan Komunis di Sarawak, 1963-1990.

The Dayaks, despite being the majority population in Sarawak, were unable to avoid involvement in the communist movement in the 1960s in East Malaysia. Faced with difficulties in obtaining aid and support in the First Division of Sarawak, Kuching, the communists moved to the Third Division of Sarawak (Rajang) which was inhabited by many Dayaks, with the objective of obtaining help for their activities. The current study, based on a qualitative method of collecting and analysing primary and secondary archival sources, found that the communists realised the Dayaks were important in mobilising their activities in Sarawak. The Dayak settlements, concentrated in the rural areas, were not easily detected by the authorities. And it was difficult for the government and security forces to be in contact with the Dayaks due to communication system problems. The study also found that the communists used various strategies to attract Dayaks' attention and participation in their movement. They befriended the Dayak people by learning their language and culture, by establishing family ties with them, by championing their interests and by promoting their integration with other races. Despite this, the communist movement was not well-received by the Dayaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]