Philippines: UN experts urge probe into killings of three
Indigenous peoples’ rights defenders
GENEVA (22 September 2015) – The United Nations Special
Rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, and on
the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, today called on the
Philippines Government to launch a full and independent investigation into the
killings of three human rights defenders in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, which is
currently affected by armed conflicts.
One of the human rights defenders killed was the director of
the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Development (ALCADEV), a
school providing education to indigenous youth who live in the mountains and
service communities in the Caraga region. He was found murdered in one of the
ALCADEV classrooms in the town of Sitio Han-ayan on 1 September.
This occurred immediately after members of the Philippine
Army and alleged members of paramilitary forces had occupied the school’s
function hall as well as its grounds, and after members of the paramilitary had
detained the director. As a result of the forced occupation by the Philippine
Army and paramilitary troops of the school’s premises, 2,000 residents have had
to evacuate to nearby Tandag City.
“Military occupation of civilian institutions and killing of
civilians, particularly in places such as schools which should remain safe
havens for children from this type of violence, are unacceptable, deplorable and contrary to international
human rights and international humanitarian standards,” the Special Rapporteurs
said.
Two other representatives of the Manobo community, including
a tribal chieftain and the chairperson of MAPASU, an indigenous (Lumad)
organization protesting against human rights violations, mining operations and
land conversions, were shot in front of their community members by alleged
paramilitary forces.
Following the murders, the military is hindering the access
of indigenous communities from spending long periods of time needed for tilling
in the mountains where their farms are located. The communities are also denied
access to the sacred burial sites also located in those mountains.
The incident followed another set of brutal murders which
took place on 18 August in Mendis, Pangantucan, Bukidnon, Northern Mindanao
where five members of an indigenous Manobo family, including a 72 year old
blind person and two children, were murdered, allegedly by members of the
Philippine Army.
“We take note of the announcement made today at the Human
Rights Council in Geneva by the delegation of the Philippines that an
investigation is underway,” they said. “We urge the Philippines authorities to
ensure that such investigation into these tragic events be carried out
independently to identify and bring perpetrators to justice, to ensure the safe
return of the indigenous peoples displaced by the recent violent events, and
guarantee redress to the victims’ families in compliance with their indigenous
traditions and the demilitarization and restoration of peace in regions
affected by armed conflicts including in Surigao del Sur and Bukidnon.”
The Special Rapporteurs expressed serious concern about the increasingly
pervasive insecurity and rising unlawful killings of human rights activists in
the conflict-prone regions of the Philippines. Mr. Forst urged the Government
to finally accept his repeated requests to visit the country in order to
assess, in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, the environment in which
human rights defenders operate in the Philippines.
The experts’ call has been endorsed by the UN Special
Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns.
ENDS
The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples,
Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Philippines), is a human rights activist working on
indigenous peoples’ rights. Her work for more than three decades has been
focused on movement building among indigenous peoples and also among women, and
she has worked as an educator-trainer on human rights, development and
indigenous peoples in various contexts. She is a member of the Kankana-ey,
Igorot indigenous peoples in the Cordillera Region in the Philippines.
Mr. Michel Forst (France) was appointed by the Human Rights
Council as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
in June 2014. Michel Forst has extensive experience on human rights issues and
particularly on the situation of human rights defenders. In particular, he was
the Director General of Amnesty International (France) and Secretary General of
the first World Summit on Human Rights Defenders in 1998.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Learn more, log on to:
Indigenous peoples:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/SRIndigenousPeoples/Pages/SRIPeoplesIndex.aspx
Summary executions:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx
UN Human Rights, country page – Philippines:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/PHIndex.aspx
For further information and media requests, please contact Ms.
Hee-Kyong Yoo (+41 22 917 97 23 at hyoo@ohchr.org) or write to
indigenous@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, OHCHR Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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