The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, a civil society organisation in the Philippines, issued an "urgent appeal" in February 2009, as five Mamanwa indigenous men have been missing since 29 January this year in Mindanao, southern Philippines. Known now as "Mamanwa Five", they disappeared on the day when they built barricade to block roads to their communities, in order to stop mining.
The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, a civil society organisation in the Philippines, issued an "urgent appeal" in February 2009, as five Mamanwa indigenous men have been missing since 29 January this year in Mindanao, southern Philippines. Known now as "Mamanwa Five", they disappeared on the day when they built barricade to block roads to their communities, in order to stop mining. Please read their appeal below.
The Philippine government must immediately look into the case of five Mamanwa tribesmen who remain missing since they disappeared on the first day of the barricade their community put up to block mining roads in their ancestral domain last January 29 in Barrangay Taganito, Claver, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.
The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center – Kasama sa Kalikasan/FOE- Philippines (LRC-KsK) calls upon the Arroyo government to exert all its efforts in locating the five IP (Indigenous People) protesters and put to justice whoever caused their disappearance. In disappearance cases every minute counts, all concerned government agencies and personnel must be mobilised in order to protect the lives of these five Mamanwa community members.
LRC-KsK notes with concern the growing list of indigenous peoples victimised by human rights violations that have been perpetrated with impunity under the Arroyo government – especially the targets have been IP community human rights defenders.
The 400 Mamanwa community members barricaded the mining roads connecting the mining site to the local seaport to protest decades of continued mining operations by four mining companies in their ancestral domain without the consent of the community, nor just compensation to the community. The five missing Mamanwa protesters went to look for food for the barricade after they helped put up makeshift shelters, they were not seen again even after a search conducted by community members.
The setting up of the protest barricade was known to the local police since they were informed by the community last December that they were driven to this after repeated attempts of sending out notices of termination of mining operations as well as demands for just compensation proved futile.
LRC-KsK demands that the Arroyo government do away with its obsession for mining generated revenues in the face of overwhelming rejection of IP communities who have long borne the brunt of the destruction, displacement, discrimination and disempowerment that mining operations bring with it.
We support the Mamanwa community as they continue with their barricade in their stand for their rights against destructive development projects and undemocratic policies.
SURFACE THE MAMANWA FIVE!!
