A/HRC/41/41/Add.1
10/2018), the Special Rapporteur listed the unlawful killings of 32 members of farmers’,
indigenous and land rights organisations, or their families, including five women and one
child, by members of the Armed Forces or paramilitaries, or by people linked to them. The
Special Rapporteur stresses the need for full investigations into these killings and for the
perpetrators to be brought to justice. The Special Rapporteur further urges the Government
of the Philippines to ensure that farmers’, indigenous and land rights organisations are
protected from attacks, threats or other forms of harassment and are not targeted for their
human rights work, especially in the context of continued, intense counter-insurgency
operations.
68.
Communications sent to the Government of Indonesia also raised serious concerns
over attacks on members of non-governmental organisations in more rural areas. In both of
the communications sent (IDN 1/2019 & IDN 4/2019), the victims of attacks were
members of environmental organisations campaigning against human rights abuses
stemming from mining industries in rural areas of Indonesia. JATAM (Mining Advocacy
Network), during the course of its advocacy activities, has campaigned for accountability
and compensation in cases of fatal accidents associated with mining pits in East Kalimantan
Province. On 5 November 2018, their office in Samarinda city was ransacked by a group of
approximately 30 people. Although fortunately no staff were present, the group damaged
the office’s window and a motorbike, along with a neighbour’s house. The organisation’s
members have also been the subjects of multiple acts of intimidation and harassment in the
past.
69.
In a similar case, Mr. Murdani, the executive director of Wahana Lingkungan Hidup
Indonesia (Indonesian Forum for Environment), had allegedly been subjected to repeated
threats, including death threats, for his work opposing human rights abuses related to illegal
sand mining activities in West Nusa Tenggara Province, however no investigations had
been carried out. On 28 January 2019, Mr. Murdani was the victim of an arson attack which
set fire to his house while he and his family were sleeping. Although he and his family were
able to escape unharmed, the fire caused significant damage to his house. Despite
registering a police complaint, investigators made statements to the effect that they were
exploring the possibility that the human rights defender had started the fire himself. The
Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Indonesia for the information provided in its
response with regards to the investigation which is underway and invites the Government to
share the results of this investigation as it proceeds.
70.
It is clear from the above-mentioned cases that organisations in rural areas in the
region are subject to greater degrees of risk than their urban counterparts as a result of
reduced visibility, increased levels of impunity and friction between their work in defence
of human rights and more powerful industrial concerns. The Special Rapporteur urges
States to pay special attention to such organisations due to their heightened levels of
vulnerability, ensuring also that their members are free from threats or acts of violence and
other harassment. He also urges States to create an enabling environment for such
organisations, including by allowing and helping them to expand their networks in rural
areas so as to increase their collective security.
71.
The Special Rapporteur raised his concerns with the Government of India regarding
raids on the offices of Greenpeace India and Amnesty International India, along with the
freezing of both of the organisations’ bank accounts (IND 28/2018). In both cases, the raids
conducted on the organisations’ offices related to foreign funding laws which limit certain
flows of NGO funding emanating from outside the country. In the case of Greenpeace
India, all twelve bank accounts of its subsidiary Greenpeace India Society were frozen due
to allegations that it had incorporated and received funding from a commercial entity called
Direct Dialogues Initiatives India (DDII), which engages in ethical fundraising and NGO
marketing. Greenpeace India was accused by the Enforcement Directorate of violating the
Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for accepting funds from abroad through
DDII. In Amnesty International India’s case, the Enforcement Directorate accused the
organisation of bypassing the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, by receiving funding
from abroad after it was denied permission by the Home Ministry to do so. On 22
November 2018, the Karnataka High Court granted Amnesty International India interim
relief to use funds collected domestically for specific purposes, however despite this, all
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