commercial agricultural and industrial production, such as textile factories
and palm oil, rubber, and cassava plantations”.132
VIOLENCE AGAINST
LAND RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Southeast Asian environmental defenders document the crises caused
by extractivism in their region – but rapacious international development
agendas and government corruption often go hand-in-hand in the
subregion to produce excessive rights violations and ecological harm.
Southeast Asian experts documented in 2018, “The region is… one of
the top destinations for extractive industries such as mining and logging.
In Southeast Asia alone, a total $53 billion worth of major minerals was
produced in 2012.”133
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS
PROTEST THE HEAVY MILITARY
INVOLVEMENT IN LAND GRABS IN THE
PHILIPPINES, OFTEN FACING GRAVE
VIOLATIONS SUCH AS KILLINGS AND
ABDUCTIONS BY THE ARMED FORCES.
The Global Witness report of 2023 identified the Philippines as “the
most dangerous country in Asia” for environmental rights activists.134
Environmental defenders protest the heavy military involvement in land
grabs in the Philippines, often facing grave violations such as killings and
abductions by the armed forces.135
Across South Asia and Southeast Asia, such as in Bangladesh,136 India,137
132
Samranjit, R. (n.d.). Land Grabbing and Impacts to Small Scale Farmers in Southeast Asia Sub-Region. International Institute of Social Studies. https://www.iss.nl/sites/corporate/files/CMCP_60-Samranjit.pdf
133
Bautista, C. & Yang-ed P. C. (2018). In peril: Southeast Asia’s environment and its defenders (Part 1 of 2). Bulatlat.
https://www.bulatlat.com/2018/07/10/peril-southeast-asias-environment-defenders-part-1-2/
134
Zhang, S. (2023). The Philippines is the most dangerous country in Asia to defend the environment, Global Witness report says. ABC. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-27/philippines-most-dangerous-in-asia-for-environmental-activists/102891938
135
Ibid.
136
Faiaz, Z. (2021). Attacks, land grabs leave Bangladesh’s Indigenous groups on edge. Al Jazeera. https://www.
aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/30/bangladesh-indigenous-groups-chakma-khasi-santal-land-grab
137
Fayaz, A. & Firdous, M. (2024). India’s massive farmer protests spark police brutality claims. Nikkei Asia. https://
asia.nikkei.com/Politics/India-s-massive-farmer-protests-spark-police-brutality-claims
42