Myanmar Times-Aug 9
Myanmar is one of the two countries in ASEAN to have environmentalists murdered last year, according to a report from Global Witness. It is irresponsible business – “hell bent on” meeting market demand and maximizing profit – and corrupt or negligent governments who are responsible for these tragedies, the NGO commented.
The publication “At what cost? Irresponsible business and the murder of land and environmental defenders in 2017” released by Global Witness last month argued that the world is “deadlier than ever” for those defenders. The latest data into violence against those defenders shows a rise in the number of people killed last year to 207 – the highest total the NGO has ever recorded. “It has never been a deadlier time to defend one’s community, way of life, or environment,” the organization said in relation to the findings. The research also reveals that agribusiness including coffee, palm oil and banana plantations is the industry most associated with these attacks.
While a vast majority of the defenders murdered last year were from Latin America, the Philippines alone saw 48 defenders killed, the highest number ever in an Asian country.
Two activists killed in Myanmar
Apart from the Philippines, Myanmar is the only other country in ASEAN which appears on Global Witness’ list, with two killed – Lung Jarm Phe and Htay Aung.
Lung Jarm Phe was a village tract secretary of the Nam Ma coal mining area in Hsipaw township, when he was shot dead by unknown assailants near his farm on February 26, 2017. Four bullets from two different guns hit his head, stomach, chest and left arm. Lung Jarm Phe had been serving as the tract secretary for 30 years until his death, and was well-respected. The mining had damaged farmlands, and caused water and air pollution. Since early 2016, local residents have been publicly demanding an end to all coal mining in their area, according to Global Witness.
Htay Aung was a land rights activist who challenged illegal land grabs in northern Shan State. He was beaten to death by a mob of some 20 people, in November 2017 in Iwine Parhe village of Naungcho township, northeast of the city of Mandalay.
Irresponsible business
“The failure of many governments and businesses to act responsibly, ethically and even legally was a major driving force behind a litany of crimes against activists last year,” the report noted. Companies have a responsibility to their customers, who should have confidence that the products they buy are not fuelling rights abuses or environmental devastation. At the same time, consumers should shoulder responsibility to demand that these firms fulfil their duties.
“Those activists who work on land and environmental issues face specific and heightened risks because they are seen as a threat to profit as well as power. In the vast majority of cases, they are killed because they have questioned or opposed a business enterprise – one usually linked to the extraction of natural resources, such as mining, large-scale agriculture or logging,” Billy Kyte, campaign leader at Global Witness, told The Myanmar Times.
“At the heart of the problem lies an irresponsible approach to business. On too many occasions, the quest for profit drives business decisions, fuels corruption and divides communities, sparks conflicts and damages the environment.”
He urged the businesses to recognise their responsibilities and to “use their power to be a force for good”, stressing that “although they are the source of many of the problems documented” in the report, governments and business also have the power to “make a profound difference”.
Govt’s Responsibility
It is primarily the responsibility of governments to guarantee that all human rights and environmental defenders can carry out their activism safely, Global Witness stated. The NGO called on governments and businesses to tackle the root causes of violence against defenders, especially the lack of free, prior and informed consent from communities for the use of their land and natural resources; support and protect defenders at risk so they can work in safety; and ensure accountability so that those perpetrators are brought to justice; and so that there are consequences for those who “fail to protect activists” and for companies who “don’t do proper due diligence of their supply chains”.
Lessons from the Philippines
At least 48 land and environmental defenders were murdered in the Philippines in 2017 – the “highest total ever recorded” in Asia, and a 71 percent increase in the country since 2016.
Billy Kyte, campaign leader at Global Witness, said that the backdrop to this rising death toll is a president who is “brazenly anti-human rights”, the militarization of communities, multiple armed groups and the failure of government bodies to provide protection for at-risk activists.
“The widespread criminalization and demonization of human rights defenders saw one UN expert labelled a terrorist and the president threaten to throw others to the crocodiles. There was suspected army involvement in 56pc of the murders, 67pc of killings occurred in the resource-rich island of Mindanao, and 41pc were related to agribusiness,” Mr Kyte explained.
Manila needs to deal with the root causes of this crisis by strengthening institutions for the protection of indigenous and land rights. “They should also support and protect defenders by passing and implementing a law for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, incorporating civil society input. [And] finally, to ensure accountability they should guarantee that all military personnel, and any armed groups working on behalf of the state or private interests that are accused of extra-judicial killings of civilians, are tried by civilian tribunals,” he went on.
The example for Myanmar is to “not stray down the same line as the current administration in the Philippines”. Otherwise, more innocent lives will be lost.
