Accusations against UN expert a retaliation by Philippines, say fellow rapporteurs
GENEVA (8 March 2018) - UN
human rights experts have expressed grave concerns about terrorism
accusations levelled against the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of
indigenous peoples, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a Philippine national.
The
legal petition listing her name is an unacceptable attack against the
mandate holder by the Philippines Government, they added.
“We
are shocked that the Special Rapporteur is being targeted because of
her work defending the rights of indigenous peoples,” said
Michel
Forst, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
defenders, and Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Chairperson of the
Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures.
The
UN expert was named in a Government petition filed last month in a
Manila court, accused of terrorism and alleged membership of the New
People’s Army and the
Communist Party of the Philippines along with over 600 others.
“The
accusation against her comes after the public comments made, jointly
with other Special Rapporteurs, in relation to the militarization,
attacks and killings
of indigenous Lumad peoples by members of the armed forces in Mindanao;
this accusation is considered as an act of retaliation for such
comments,” the experts said.
The Special Rapporteur most recently addressed the issue in a
news release on 27 December 2017,
which was made in line with the responsibility entrusted to her by the
Human Rights Council to report on alleged violations of indigenous
people’s rights globally. The President’s spokesperson reacted with
hostility to the news release, publicly accusing the
Special Rapporteur of seeking to embarrass the Duterte administration.
“We
call on the Philippine authorities to immediately drop these unfounded
accusations against Ms. Tauli-Corpuz and to ensure her physical safety
and that of others
listed,” the UN experts said.
“We remind the Philippine Government of its obligations under the
Convention
on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 1946, which
sets out that United Nations experts have immunity
from
legal proceedings of every kind of spoken and written acts undertaken
in the course of their mandated work,” the experts added.
“The
attack against the Special Rapporteur is taking place in the context of
widespread extrajudicial executions and ongoing attacks against voices
who are critical
of the current Government, including human rights defenders. The
President has himself publicly intimidated Special Rapporteurs.
“Ms.
Tauli-Corpuz is a human rights defender,” the experts said. “Therefore,
the Government
of the Philippines has a duty under the Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders to guarantee her right to promote and to strive for the
realization of human rights.”
ENDS
Mr. Michel Forst
is Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights defenders, and
Ms. Catalina Devandas is
Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
and Chairperson of the
Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures
of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures,
the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system,
is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and
monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or
thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special
Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and
do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any
government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For further information and
media requests, please contact: Adriana Zarraluqui (+41229179965/ azarraluqui@ohchr.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact:
Subscribed and Published by
Anjan Kumar Samal
FOR
THE LAST HOPE(Regd.)
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