Record of 207 environmental activists killed in the world in 2017

More than 200 environmental activists were murdered last year as government-backed massacres linked to lucrative projects by large multinationals exploded, a global safety net announced Tuesday. human rights. while trying to protect the land from development, often for the production of consumer food like coffee and palm oil, making 2017 the deadliest year for environmentalists

Ben Leather, a leading Global Witness activist, told AFP: "When people dare to defend their rights and demand that the environment be protected, they are silenced. more brutal. "

The watchdog stated that he had found evidence that government actors – soldiers or police – were responsible for 53 of the

" This is that triggermen so we can guess that in cases where criminal gangs or other non-state actors have perpetrated the attacks, the state may very well have been involved, "said Leather. a shocking number of cases, state actors have pulled the trigger, in other cases where the government has allowed companies to enter without protecting local rights, they are also complicit in the murders of these activists.

heinous crimes around the world against communities who dare to denounce big business and government-led development.

These include murders, but also death threats, intimidations, arrests, cyberattacks, sexual assaults and trials

. violence to what we put on our shelves: large-scale farming, mining, logging and poaching all produce ingredients for common products such as oil palm for cosmetics, soybeans for beef and wood

Brazil was the most dangerous country for land activists in 2017 with 57 killed, while the Philippines had 48.

" Weakening of Protection "

" Governments Have a Legal and Ethical Right The duty to protect human rights defenders, but they usually attack them verbally and, as our statistics show, by their armed forces that are leading some of the killings, "said Leather.

Global Witness singled out the government of Brazilian President Michel Temer for particular criticism, accusing his administration of seeking to reduce regulation on large agribusinesses during an election year.

"Michel Temer and the Brazilian legislature actively weaken laws and institutions designed to protect land rights and indigenous peoples" the report said.

"At the same time, they set out to make it easier for big business – seemingly unperturbed by the devastating human and environmental In addition to being the deadliest year for environmentalists since Global Witness began to document their deaths, the year 2017 has seen the largest number of massacres of land activists.

The watchdog found seven cases in which more than four militants were killed in same time, including the massacre of eight villagers protesting against a coffee plantation by soldiers in the Philippines.

"My life is in danger"

Aboriginal Peoples, by far the most often victims of violence, are often already criticized by governments and society

"Of course, my life is threatened," said militant Mario Socorro Costa da Silva. "

" I receive death threats 24 hours a day I will not shut my mouth in the face of this atrocity.

According to Leather, agribusiness investors and even consumers could help reduce violence by demanding greater transparency. "We should ask questions of those who make the products on our shelves," The palm oil sector must absolutely clean itself and every investor must exercise due diligence to know that his money does not will not fund land grabbing, human rights violations and, ultimately, the murders of those who denounce it. "/ vvp