KMP joins the peasant women group AMIHAN at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) this morning as the group submitted its latest documentation of peasant human rights violations (HRVs). 

We are requesting CHR to conduct an urgent independent investigation on the escalating cases of peasant human rights violations. We also urge the CHR to probe the accountability and role played by outgoing Philippine National Police Chief Major General Debold Sinas, the PNP-CIDG and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in these piling cases of violations, according to KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos.

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We also appeal to the CHR to assist farmer victims of HRVs in the filing of charges against perpetrators. We encourage the CHR to look into the non-stop killing of farmers who defend their land rights and assert for genuine agrarian reform. KMP has documented at least 326 cases of peasant killings since July 2016 under the Duterte administration. 

KMP’s submission of cases particularly highlighted cases involving PNP-CIDG operations authorized by outgoing PNP Chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, particularly SEMPO operations in Negros; the Bloody Sunday raids in Southern Luzon that killed nine individuals, the illegal arrest of KMP Vice Chairperson Joseph Canlas in Central Luzon; among other cases. 

This initial documentation of human rights violations against farmers and peasants was compiled by KMP and Tanggol Magsasaka. Among the violations include extrajudicial killings, illegal arrest and detention, trumped-up charges, threats, harassment and intimidation incidents, the militarization of peasant communities, red-tagging, bombings, and militarization of peasant communities in the provinces. Violations of land rights and socio-economic rights are also included in the recording.

KMP believes that the NTF-ELCAC is also complicit in these HRVs against farmers as cases highlight the dangers of red-tagging and the Anti-Terrorism Act. The NTF ELCAC, a state body, is utilizing billions of public funds to harass and incite violence and death upon farmers merely engaged in actively defending their constitutionally guaranteed rights. ###