Mindanao groups take their protest vs extrajudicial killings to Manila

DAVAO CITY—Leaders of indigenous peoples’ groups, human rights advocates, environment defenders and families of victims of extrajudicial killings in Mindanao have decided to take their protest to Manila.

“It’s historic because it’s the first time that human rights groups gave more focus on the rising human rights violations in Mindanao, associated with the aggressive expansion of mining and plantations,” said Carlos Isagani Zarate, secretary general of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao.

He said the 10-day “Manilakbayan” started on Nov. 29 from this city to protest the killings in mining and plantation areas in Mindanao.

Zarate said the Mindanao protesters would be joined by a contingent from southern Luzon in time for the bigger protest to be held on Dec. 10, the International Human Rights Day, in Malacañang.

Prior to the Malacañang march, a series of pickets will also be held at the embassies of Canada, Switzerland, Australia and the United States, countries from which mining firms accused of human rights violations in Mindanao are based. Germelina Lacorte and Ayan Mellejor, Inquirer Mindanao