WUNRN
http://www.omct.org/human-rights-defenders/statements/philippines/2015/08/d23323/
WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS INTERNATIONAL COALITION STATEMENT
THE
PHILIPPINES – WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS TARGETED, ATTACKED, FOR PEACEFUL
RESISTANCE AGAINST
REPRESSION & OPERATIONS OF MINING COMPANIES
The Women Human Rights Defenders
International Coalition (WHRDIC) is dismayed at the increasing malicious
attacks and threats perpetrated by State agents against women human rights
defenders (WHRDs) resisting repression and operations of mining companies in
the Philippines, and stands in solidarity with them and their meaningful
contributions to our pursuit of living in just, equal, free and democratic
societies.
Attacks attempting to impede the
work of WHRDs in the Philippines occur inthe following ways: i) vilification
and surveillance of WHRDs; ii) arbitrary arrests and criminalization of their
work protected by international human rights treaties to which the government
of the Philippines is a party; and iii) extrajudicial killings.
Some emblematic cases, representing
large numbers of the ones documented by WHRDs in the Philippines, illustrate
the growing threats against WHRDs and their shrinking operative environment and
include:
· On
July 11, 2015, it was reported that trumped up charges have been brought
against WHRD Honey May Suazo, Secretary General of the Southern Mindanao
Regional Chapter of the KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s
Rights) in an attempt to silence her and derail her work. Ms. Suazo has been
instrumental in overseeing factfinding missions in highly militarized
communities and documenting violations committed by military troops in
the Southern Mindanao Region. In the same indictment, WHRD Cristina Palabay,
Secretary General ofthe KARAPATAN, was also implicated to silence her committed
opposition to ongoing militarization of Mindanao and escalating human rights
abusesin the region. Cristina Palabay is an internationally renowned women’s
rights and human rights activists in the Philippines.
·
Since April 28, 2015, at least nine WHRDs working within public sector trade
unions received repeated threats. These WHRDs were harassedby alleged members
of the military and police who warned them that their families would face
reprisals if they didn’t cooperate with the authorities.
· As
of 30 March 2015, 48 WHRDs faced politically-‐motivated,
unwarranted and arbitrary arrests based on trumped up charges. WHRDs
targetedfor their human rights activism are working on gender-‐based
violence, agrarian issues, impacts of mining and other trans‐national businesses,
militarization, freedom of expression and association, women’s political
participation, among many other pressing human rights concerns.
·
Since July 2010, 28 WHRDs have been murdered. Among them isMs. Cristina Jose,
community organizer of typhoon survivors in Mindanao, who was brutally killed
on March 4, 2013, after leading her community and typhoon survivors in protests
emphasising government’s negligence in handling natural disasters and calling
for action.These extrajudicial killings under the Aquino administration have
gone largely uninvestigated and no perpetrators have been brought
tojustice.
The WHRD IC firmly calls on the
government of the Philippinesto:
i) immediately and unconditionally
remove all unwarrantedand arbitrary restrictions on peaceful operations
ofWHRDs;
ii) implement safeguards to provide
a conducive environment forall human rights work;
iii) start effective investigations
into threats and attacks againstWHRDs.
The WHRDIC expresses its solidarity
with our sisters in the Philippinesand continues to be inspired by their human
rights advocacy.
The Women Human Rights Defender
International Coalition is a resourceandadvocacy network supporting women human
rights defenders worldwide. We have 32 members:
Amnesty International (AI)
Asia Pacific Forum on Women,
Law and Development (APWLD)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and
Development (FORUM ASIA)
The Association for Progressive
Communications Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP)
Association for Women’s Rights in
Development (AWID)
BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights
(BAOBAB)
Center for Reproductive Rights(CRR)
Center for Women’s Global
Leadership(CWGL)
Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL)
Frida the Young Feminist Fund
Front Line
Defenders
Human Rights First
Information Monitor (INFORM)
International Federation for Human
Rights (FIDH)
International Service for Human
Rights (ISHR)
International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW-‐AP)
Isis International
ISIS Women’s International Cross-Cultural
Exchange (ISIS‐WICCE)
Just Associates (JASS)
The Latin American
and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM)
MADRE
Nazra for Feminist Studies
Nobel Women’s Initiative (NWI)
Peace Brigades International
Rainbow Rights Project (R‐Rights), Inc.
Society for Appraisal & Women Empowerment in Rural Areas (SAWERA)
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF)
Women Living under Muslim Laws
(WLUML)
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ)
Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC)
World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)