200 environmental activists slain in 2016: Watchdog

LONDON: At least 200 land and environmental activists were slain in 2016 protecting forests, rivers and land from mining, logging and agricultural projects, the highest annual number on record, a campaign group said Thursday.

Nearly four people were murdered each week, making it the deadliest year on record. The number of killings is up about 10 percent from 185 in 2015, said the human rights watchdog Global Witness.

In its annual report, the UK-based group said the phenomenon of violence against land rights activists is not only growing but spreading, with murders recorded in 24 countries, compared to 16 nations last year.

India has a threefold increase in such killings, while Latin America remained the deadliest region with some 60 percent of all killings having occurred there, the report said.

Brazil fared worse with 49 deaths followed by Colombia with 37 activists murdered, Honduras 14 and Nicaragua 11. In the Philippines, 28 activists died defending their lands.

“This tide of violence is driven by an intensifying fight for land and natural resources, as mining, logging, hydro-electric and agricultural companies trample on people and the environment in their pursuit of profit,” the report said.

The report also noted a spike in killings in India, which it attributed to increased police repression of peaceful protest and civic activism.

The report found 33 murders were linked to mining — the bloodiest industry — while logging and defending national parks has become riskier with a rise in deaths to 23 from 15.

“The fact that the upward curve of killings has continued ... suggests that governments and business continue to prioritize shortterm profit over human lives,” Global Witness campaigner Billy Kyte told The Associated Press.

The group’s research suggests that 2017 will be deadlier, Kyte said.

“I think these attacks are getting more brazen,” said Kyte, lamenting what he called “collusion between states and corporate interests in silencing dissent over these destructive industries.”

Global Witness highlighted the vulnerability of park rangers, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo where nine were killed last year.