BERLIN: Sabine Kuegler cannot forget the tropical rainforests of Indonesia where she spent a large part of her childhood among a tribe untouched by modern civilization.

Writing from a child's perspective, Kuegler lovingly portrayed her experiences in "Jungle Child," a book that became a runaway bestseller in Germany last year. Now she has written a sequel.

After spending 15 years in Europe she returned to the Fayu tribe that she grew up with in West Papua and described life there from the point of view of a grown woman. In her new account, "The Call of the Jungle," the 33-year-old German once again conjures up a wonderful world in which she meets her old friends and experiences the breathtaking landscapes of the jungle.

But this time she contrasts that idyll with the outside world and comes to the conclusion that the Fayu's way of life is in danger from the progress of civilization that cannot be stopped.

Powerful business interests are exploiting the jungle's mineral resources, she says, and corrupt government officials in the capital Jakarta ruthlessly stifle any resistance.

"Where 'Jungle Child' was the story of a delightful, exotic childhood, this new book is the story of the Fayu's struggle for survival and also of Sabine Kuegler's struggle to find her place in the world," said Ute Koerner, Kuegler's literary agent.

It is a far cry from the romantic story of a 5-year-old girl who was taken to Indonesia by her missionary and linguist parents to live in a spot that could only be reached by air or by river boat.

"Jungle Child" topped the German best-seller lists for much of last year, selling more than one-half million copies before being translated into 23 languages.

The sequel follows on from her experiences that began in 1980 when Kuegler's family became the first whites to make contact with the belligerent Fayu tribe, who lived a stone age-like existence, eating grubs and hunting with a bow and arrow.

Blonde-haired Sabine was immediately captivated by the jungle. She made friends with the Fayu children, shared their meals of roasted insects and swam with them in a crocodile-infested river.

She was 17 when she returned to Europe by herself to study for her school-leaving exams. Unable to cope with the massive cultural upheaval, she rushed into two marriages and had four children before settling down up to a point. "I'm always looking for protection here," she said during a tour of Germany to promote her new book. "In West Papua there was always this tremendous feeling of security."

When she went back to her old childhood haunts earlier this year she was overcome by a feeling of joy. "I felt safe for the first time in a long time. I feel I'm in good hands there because the Papua culture is a group culture."

After her first book appeared, human rights groups in Germany accused her of idealizing jungle existence and liberally using cliches to describe her memories of the tribe she lived with.

"The Call of the Jungle" is more mature and reflective in portraying the changes that have taken place in the life of her old friends and the problems which now confront them.

"It is a life that might appear idyllic when observed from the outside, but when you are in the middle of it the picture is quite different," the author said.

Kuegler pulls no punches when she describes undernourishment, the high child mortality rate and the poor medical care afforded to the Fayu in their once secluded world.

During her return she also spoke with witnesses who described human rights violations carried out by people bent on exploiting the jungle's vast mineral wealth.

Her portrayal of the troubles facing the Fayu, which were largely ignored in her first book, have surprised critics this time round.

"We get the impression she's done a 180 degree turnaround," said Ulrich Delius, an Asian affairs experts at the Society for Threatened Peoples in the German city of Goettingen.

Kuegler said she wanteds to capitalize on the popularity of her first work to draw attention to the problems in what she still considered to be her homeland.

"It's my duty now to fight for these people. I've become a part of their lives again, even if I'm not physically present there. My culture and my heart are Papuan, but my life is in Germany.

"If nothing happens soon, then the Fayu don't have a chance."

(China Daily 11/07/2006 page14)