There are probably more people living in the forests of Asia than in the other main forest areas in the world. This group is not greatly in conflict with other peoples, with whom they trade forest products. As yet, the country they inhabit is more or less inaccessible to logging and agriculture. These people are being driven out of the forest by widespread logging.
Government policy seems to encourage of trival groups to blend into wider society.
Forest people living in Sabah face similar problems. The estimated 2-3 million live in the Indonesian forests. These are divided into those in the South East Asian part of the country and those of more Melanisian type, who live in Western New Guinea. All are threatened by the government's transmigration programme, by mining in the area and other large-scale developments, and by logging of the forests. It is difficult to estimate how many of Papua New Guinea's 3 million people live in the forest, but the percentage of people with a distinctive and indigenous culture seems to be high.