Philippines is now world’s deadliest country for land rights activists
- Nearly 300 farmers, indigenous people and land rights activists have been killed since Duterte took office in 2016
- In 19 countries surveyed by Global Witness, mining was linked to 43 deaths
More than three people were murdered each week last year while protecting their land from encroaching industries, a human rights group said on Tuesday, with a fourfold increase in killings related to conflicts over water.
In 19 countries surveyed, mining was linked to 43 deaths, with fatal attacks also recorded at hydropower projects and in disputes involving agribusiness and logging companies.
“Much of the persecution of land defenders is being driven by demand for the land and raw materials needed for products we consume every day, from food to mobile phones, to jewellery,” said Alice Harrison, a campaigner at Global Witness.
“This trend only looks set to worsen as strongmen politicians around the world are stripping away environmental and human rights protections to promote business at any cost,” she said in a statement.