1 February 2021
International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) strongly condemn the military coup and attack on civilian rule in Myanmar that took place on 1 February 2021.
GENEVA (28 January 2021) – UN human rights experts today called on Philippine authorities to drop a reportedly unwarranted murder charge against an indigenous rights defender who submitted himself to police after a “shoot to kill” order had been issued if he resisted arrest, and to ensure his safety and well-being while in custody.
After 11 months and six days of abduction, on 9 December 2020, the police called Lakingme’s father to identify his daughter's body in the Cox's Bazar hospital morgue. Ataullah’s mother claimed that Lakingme had committed suicide by drinking poison. However, a civil society-led fact-finding team investigated the case from 27-29 December 2020 and stated that “the law enforcers must investigate whether she killed herself or was murdered, because we have found many examples that she was instigated to commit suicide.”[1] Allegations include that she was frequently tortured by Ataullah and forced to work as a sex worker. These gruesome occurrences led Lakingme to believe that she may not be accepted back into her family and society ever again.
Brænder du for at drive social forandring gennem kommunikation og fortalervirksomhed? Har du solid erfaring med at sætte dagsordener og skabe opmærksomhed og synlighed gennem presseengagement? Trives du lige så godt med at arbejde hurtigt på en pressemeddelelse som med strategisk planlægning og politisk fortalervirksomhed?
Deadly operations through coordinated police and military actions on Indigenous Peoples under Duterte’s regime in the Philippines must stop!
IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting, protecting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights. Read more.
IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for indigenous peoples worldwide. Read The Indigenous World.
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E-mail: iwgia@iwgia.org
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