| A Canadian human rights organization, Rights and Democracy, is accusing a subsidiary of Calgary-based mining company TVI Pacific Inc. of having a shoddy human rights record at its gold and silver mine in the Philippines. Rights and Democracy recently released a report that looked at how foreign investment in five different case studies, including TVI Pacific Inc., affected the human rights of local people.
TVI Pacific Inc. owns 40 per cent of TVI Resource Development, which runs a gold and silver mine on the island of Mindanao on Canatuan mountain, which report authors say is considered sacred by the indigenous Subanon people. The report alleges that, since the creation of the mine, local families have been forcibly evicted from their land, small-scale miners have lost their livelihoods and the mine has had a negative impact on farmers and fishermen downstream who claim the water quality has declined since the mine opened. The report authors also claim that the company’s security force, which is allegedly connected to the Philippine army, has harassed, intimidated and in some cases attacked local people. Report authors also allege that TVI Resource Development has not respected the traditional leadership structure of the Subanon and has instead consulted with indigenous groups that aren’t recognized as legitimate representatives, and that the company discriminates against indigenous people when it comes to housing and employment.
Carole Samdup, co-ordinator of economic and social rights programs with Rights and Democracy, says companies have to be held accountable for their human rights record overseas. "Nobody’s saying that there should be no foreign investment. We’re just saying for it to be effective and to bring benefits to everyone, even to bring successful, sustainable profits to the company, you need to have a situation in which communities are benefiting and human rights are respected, basic human dignities. We don’t want to have investment that makes its profits based on the suffering of others," she says.
The human rights assessment of the project was conducted by a coalition of indigenous, church-based and non-governmental groups in the Philippines, as well as Mining Watch Canada, on behalf of Democracy and Rights. The report acknowledges that several of the groups in the coalition have been in opposition to the mine for some time, which led TVI Pacific Inc. and some local groups who weren’t in the coalition to question the legitimacy of the human rights assessment of the project. TVI Pacific Inc. released a press release in which the company stated it was "disappointed" with the human rights assessment because it relied on "biased, anti-mining organizations" to form its research team instead of impartial observers. The press release goes on to mention how the company voluntarily participated in the human rights assessment because it is "proud of its achievements in advanced human rights in the communities in which it is active in the Philippines." TVI Pacific Inc. says the Rights and Democracy report "completely ignores the positive effects of its numerous initiatives to improve the well-being and standard of living of the indigenous population in the area surrounding the Canatuan mine and its efforts to minimize the environmental impact of mining operations at Canatuan."
Feliece Yeban, vice-president of social commitments for TVI Resource Development, says most of the organizations involved in the research are located in a city six hours away from the mine. She says the company is consulting with Subanon groups that are recognized as legitimate representatives by the Philippine government. Yeban, a former deputy chair of Amnesty International in the Philippines, says TVI has built three schools, pays the salaries of nine teachers, provides instruction materials for classrooms and funding for some high school and college students as well as two day cares. She also says it offers medical care to the community through its company clinic and is helping to provide access to clean water. Any allegations of the mine contaminating water downstream have "proven to be false," she says.
"What we want is to be the best mining company, the most responsible mining company in the Philippines and unfortunately we are caught in the middle of politics," says Yeban.
She says many left-wing NGOs in the Philippines are opposed to the government-led expansion of the mining sector and "we are caught in the middle."
Yeban says TVI will be conducting its own human rights assessment and will continue to "dialogue" with community groups in order to improve its human rights performance in the area. |
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