Rappler.com-Sept 13
For the 10th straight year, the Philippines is still the most dangerous country in Asia for land and environmental defenders, according to a report from non-government organization Global Witness. Released on Wednesday, September 13, the report counted at least 177 environmental defenders who lost their lives in 2022. There were 16 killings in Asia. The Philippines accounted for 11 of these murders. The Philippines ranked 5th as most dangerous country in the world, following Latin American countries Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Honduras. In the fourth page of the report, Global Witness listed all the names of those killed in the passing year. Global Witness defined land and environmental defenders as people who “take a stand and carry out peaceful action against the unjust, discriminatory, corrupt or damaging exploitation of natural resources or the environment.” Among those killed were state officials, demonstrators, park rangers, lawyers, and journalists. Female defenders were subjected to 11% of the lethal attacks. More than a third of defenders killed were indigenous peoples. The group said that this only paints a partial picture of the grim scenario that many defenders around the world face. “Our data on killings is likely to be an underestimate, given that many murders go unreported, particularly in rural areas and in particular countries,” read the report. While the report acknowledged that it would be hard to identify exact drivers of the killings, they found that many of the murdered defenders were linked to agribusiness, mining, and logging industries. In the Philippines, a third of the killings were connected to people speaking out against the mining sector. Read more at: https://www.rappler.com/nation/philippines-asia-deadliest-country-land-environmental-defenders-2023/
