[News] Enemies of the State? - How governments and businesses silence land and environmental defenders

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/enemies-state/ 



  Enemies of the State?

*How governments and businesses silence land and environmental defenders *

July 30, 2019
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Calls to protect the planet are growing louder – but around the world, 
those defending their land and our environment are being silenced. More 
than three such people were murdered on average every week in 2018, with 
attacks driven by destructive industries like mining, logging and 
agribusiness.


    Our Findings

Julián Carrillo knew he was in danger long before his body was found 
riddled with bullets in October 2018. He was the sixth member of his 
family to die in two years after opposing mining on their community’s 
land in Mexico.

Days earlier, gunmen had massacred nine men, women and children over a 
long-running land dispute on the island of Negros, in central Philippines.

And in Iran, renowned academic Kavous Seyed-Emami died in prison in 
suspicious circumstances, one of nine environmentalists jailed over 
accusations that they were using their work protecting cheetahs as a 
cover for spying.

Because many other deaths go unrecorded, the figures in this report are 
almost certainly a sizeable underestimate. Nonetheless, the stories it 
tells show how a growing demand for land to meet consumer demand is 
driving deadly violence around the world.

  * In 2018 *Guatemala* recorded the sharpest rise in murders, which
    jumped more than fivefold to make it the deadliest country per capita.
  * *The Philippines* had the highest number of killings of any country
    this year, with at least 30 defenders murdered.
  * *Mining *was the worst sector, causing 43 deaths, though deaths
    related to conflicts over *water sources* also surged. Attacks
    driven by agribusiness, logging and hydropower continued too.
  * Private security groups, state forces and contract killers –
    sometimes working together – are all suspected of carrying out
    killings.


    Criminalisation of Defenders

*Stand with Environmental Defenders. 
<https://act.globalwitness.org/page/45197/subscribe/1>*

But deadly violence is only the most visible of the myriad threats that 
defenders face.

Across continents, governments and companies are also using countries’ 
courts and legal systems as instruments of oppression against those who 
threaten their power and interests.

That’s why this year, for the first time, we have documented the many 
ways that defenders are being criminalised, including:

  * In some countries, the state is labelling defenders as terrorists or
    enemies of the state, as in the case of nine environmentalists who
    were jailed in Iran, accused of spying.
  * As we have seen with the crackdown on anti-fracking activism in the
    UK, governments and industry are also flexing national laws to
    outlaw protest.

Criminalising defenders in this way makes attacks on them seem 
legitimate, making them more likely. These trends continue across the 
globe, helped by populist politicians who are stripping away vital 
environmental protections when we need them most.


    How to Stop the Silencing

The failure of many governments and companies to act responsibly, 
ethically or even legally is a major driving force behind crimes 
committed against land and environment defenders.

Businesses have a duty to ensure their customers are not unwittingly 
supporting projects that drive people out of their homes or devastate 
ecosystems. Consumers have a right to demand that these companies live 
up to their responsibilities.

Moreover, as our investigations have shown 
<https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-deals/land-grabbing-starts-in-our-financial-centres/>, 
the projects driving these environmental and human rights abuses are 
often funded by ordinary people’s savings or investments, more often 
than not without their knowledge. From energy to agriculture, so-called 
development projects in much of the world are driving rampant 
deforestation, mass displacement and climate chaos.

Governments, investors and business all have the power to protect the 
environment and those that defend it. Ordinary people – as consumers, 
pension holders and voters – can help make these changes happen.

As we hurtle towards climate breakdown, it is more important than ever 
that we break the cycle of silence that allows the powerful to trample 
over human rights and the natural world. We must ensure that the voices 
of land and environment defenders are heard.

We all live on the same planet. We are all connected by our shared 
humanity. We all share a common future that will be defined by what we 
do to protect our environment. If you agree with this idea, then stand 
with defenders and support their voices.

*Find out what you can do here. 
<https://act.globalwitness.org/page/45197/subscribe/1>*

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