Our warmest salute to all the heroines, heroes and martyrs of the world who offered their lives in the name of genuine and sustainable development, equality and environmental defense.

The women and men of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center – Kasama sa Kalikasan/ Friends of the Earth Philippines (LRC-KsK/FoE Phils), and in behalf of our partner communities, join the rest of you in honoring our fallen comrades in today’s “Global Day of Remembrance of Environmental Heroes and Martyrs”

This day is indeed historic and significant.

Historic because for the first time, various organizations will gather in various parts of the world, to remember and honor our fallen heroes and martyrs who demonstrated excellence, courage, and willingness to offer their lives for the marginalized peoples who were deprived of their own wealth, livelihood and promise of a better life.

Significant because again we will enliven the memoirs and lessons handed down to us by our  heroes and martyrs with the hope that they will stir us up and strengthen us as we commit to continue what they have started.

On this day fifteen years ago, Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight (8) other leaders from the Ogoni tribe were killed. They were hanged by the Nigerian dictatorial government because they stood against Shell and its oil mining activities in their land. Today, the said oil rig continues to spell disaster, poverty and environmental destruction in what is called Niger Delta.

Our salute to Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades. Their example is our spring of hope and strength in the continuing struggle.
On this occasion, we render anew our salute to the heroines, heroes and martyr women and men in our country. They too are symbols and models of courage and determination in the fight against foreign corporations in cahoots with local capitalist and the government. We condemn their murder

Our salute to Hon. Arman Marin, killed by the chief security guard of the Sibuyan Nickel Property Development Corp. (SNPDC) in the Island of Sibuyan, Romblon on Octovber 2000. Marin was killed while leading the protest against nickel mining in their island.

Our salute to Eliezer “Boy” Billanes, brutally killed on March 9, 2009 in front of the people in the public market of Koronadal City in South Cotabato. Boy was known for his courage and as a relentless fighter against large mining companies and in advancing human rights.

Our warm salute too, to the 23 other comrades who were killed in the fight to defend the environment, peoples’ livelihoods and community rights. Your memories are our strength and hope in continuing the fight.

We hope that the in the coming years, under the P-Noy administration, the number of fallen heroes and martyrs fighting for community rights will decline, as we commit that our numbers of rights defenders will rise, and increase, as we continue the struggle for justice and genuine development for all.

justice to all VICTIMS OF killings in the name of mining!

Continue the fight of our environmental and social heroes and martyrs!