Fanning the Flames - War on Want

damaged <strong>the</strong> lives of <strong>the</strong> poor,“I have never seen anything sosystematically destructive as <strong>the</strong> mining programme in <strong>the</strong>Philippines.” 63Human rights organisations report that extrajudicial killings and‘disappearances’ are on <strong>the</strong> rise in <strong>the</strong> Philippines, withhundreds of people killed in recent years, often by militarypersonnel acting with complete impunity. 64 Many of those killedby <strong>the</strong> security forces are activists opposed to mineralexploration in <strong>the</strong>ir regions, and <strong>the</strong>re are fears that individualslabelled as ‘anti-mining’ simply for <strong>the</strong>ir peaceful and legitimatecriticism of mining projects or government policies are <strong>the</strong>rebytargeted for execution by <strong>the</strong> military. Indigenous people areparticular targets in this regard. 65Based on its 1995 Mining Act, <strong>the</strong> Philippines has declaredmuch of <strong>the</strong> country open for mining operations – up to 40%of <strong>the</strong> country’s land area is open to private mining rights. Of<strong>the</strong> government’s 24 identified priority projects for seekingmining investment, 10 are in Mindanao. Despite recent peacetalks, conflict between <strong>the</strong> government and groups such as<strong>the</strong> Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) still plaguesMindanao, along with terrorism by groups such as Abu Sayyafand Jemaah Islamiyah. The UN’s Special Rapporteur onIndigenous People’s Rights, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, has reportedextensive human rights violations by <strong>the</strong> army in nor<strong>the</strong>rnMindanao in connection with mining and o<strong>the</strong>r economicdevelopment projects. 66Mining companies are set to invest hundreds of millions ofdollars in exploration in <strong>the</strong> Philippines, principally Mindanao,which contains <strong>the</strong> bulk of <strong>the</strong> country’s mineral wealth.Australia, for example, has recently doubled its development aidto Mindanao while up to 12 Australian mining companies areworking <strong>the</strong>re. 67 Anglo American is reported by <strong>the</strong> miningpress to have “joined <strong>the</strong> rush to discover new Philippinemines” and has 12 pending applications for exploration permitsin <strong>the</strong> country, seven of which are in Mindanao. 68 These sevenapplications are for projects in <strong>the</strong> Caraga region of north-eastMindanao, where BHP Billiton has also been active. This is anarea where targeted political assassination of anti-miningactivists is rife. Local media reported in late 2006 <strong>the</strong> 15thkilling of an advocate of indigenous peoples’ rights who hadcampaigned against destructive mining and logging in <strong>the</strong> area –<strong>the</strong> 35th in Mindanao as a whole. 69UK company exploration projects in MindanaoCompany Project LocationBHP Billiton ACT nickel project Caraga regionBHP Billiton Pujada nickel project Region XIXstrata Tampakan copper/ Region XIIgold projectAnglo American Boyongan copper project Caraga regionAnglo American Bayugo copper/gold project Caraga regionThese mining projects in Mindanao face considerable localopposition. For example, Xstrata’s project at Tampakan in <strong>the</strong>south of <strong>the</strong> island is being opposed by <strong>the</strong> local CatholicChurch, with one bishop warning of poisoning, livelihooddisplacement and environmental catastrophe once <strong>the</strong> minegoes into full operation. 70 BHP Billiton is locked in a battleagainst <strong>the</strong> local community in <strong>the</strong> Pujada bay region ofMindanao, in <strong>the</strong> south-east of <strong>the</strong> island, over its nickelexploration project (<strong>the</strong> area may contain 150 million tonnes ofnickel ore). The Macambol community, comprising around 3,000people dependent on fishing, has organised a campaign againstmining and demanded that <strong>the</strong> Philippine government cancelmining permits. Their fears are that <strong>the</strong> local rivers and waterwill be polluted, that mining will destroy a local protected areaand that rural livelihoods will be lost. 71 The local provincialgovernment has also expressed opposition to mining in <strong>the</strong>area. 72 There is evidence that <strong>the</strong> exploration permits grantedby <strong>the</strong> government to BHP Billiton in <strong>the</strong> area are unlawful inthat not all <strong>the</strong> communities needing to give <strong>the</strong>ir consentunder Philippine local government law have done so. 73 Yet BHPBilliton is pushing ahead with <strong>the</strong> project, which is set to begincommercial operations in 2010.There is major local opposition to o<strong>the</strong>r mining projectselsewhere in <strong>the</strong> Philippines. The Cordillera region accounts for25% of <strong>the</strong> Philippines gold ore reserves and 39% of its copperore. Anglo American subsidiary, Cordillera Exploration Inc, isexploring across many thousands of hectares in a number of<strong>the</strong> region’s provinces, and has provoked widespread oppositionfrom local communities. Leaders of <strong>the</strong> campaign against AngloAmerican’s presence believe that <strong>the</strong>ir vocal opposition to <strong>the</strong>project, as well as criticism of <strong>the</strong> government’s mining policies,is enough to subject <strong>the</strong>m to death threats, and <strong>the</strong>re have beenmurders linked to mining activities. 74Community and tribal groups toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> CordilleraPeoples Alliance are contesting Anglo American’s entry intoFANNING THE FLAMES:THE ROLE OF BRITISH MINING COMPANIES IN CONFLICT AND THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS13