Indigenous girls at risk in detention

A year on from the Four Corners episode exposing the torture and abuse of Indigenous boys at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in the Northern Territory, independent inquiries reveal Indigenous girls are also being abused in centres around Australia.

The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in detention is rising. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 65% of girls in detention are Indigenous and they are 27 times more likely to be locked up than non-Indigenous girls.

Evidence suggests many girls in youth detention across Australia, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, are victims of violence, abuse and disadvantage. The Change The Record Coalition recently reported that many Indigenous girls are involved in the justice system due to prior violations of their human rights.

Following a visit to Australia earlier this year, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, acknowledged the rate of incarceration of Aboriginal women and girls is growing fast and needs to be urgently addressed.

Abuse in detention

Indigenous girls face discrimination in the justice system on the basis of their race and gender. This is shown in the most brutal form by the abuses they endure in detention.

Sexual abuse and discrimination

Girls in youth detention in the Northern Territory and Queensland have reported sexual abuse and harassment by staff. Concerns have been raised in Western Australia and Victoria over attitudes of staff and other detainees towards girls in detention, with jokes about violence against women, threats of rape, and derogatory language directed towards women not uncommon.

“Sometimes at night I would be awake and the guards would come around and I would pretend I was asleep. The guard would then shine the torch up and down my body. Some of the male guards would also say creepy things to me like ‘nice bra’.”

Statement of AG, Don Dale, Northern Territory Royal Commission, 2017

“Some staff stated that the girls were needy, manipulative, moody, and that they would be much easier to deal with if they behaved more like the boys. One officer even stated that he thought it would be preferable if the girls solved their issues by fighting like the boys did.”

Inspector of Custodial Services in WA, Banksia Hill, 2015

Strip searching: cough and squat

Evidence from Queensland and the Northern Territory shows girls being asked to undress and then cough and squat during searches. This not only goes against international human rights standards – which state intrusive searches should be undertaken only if ‘absolutely necessary’ – but can often re-traumatise girls who have experienced previous abuse.

“They told me they needed to ‘strip search’ me. No one explained why. I said, ‘No, I don’t want to do it’… I had to take off all my clothes and then squat and cough – I felt really embarrassed and weird.”

Don Dale, NTRC Evidence, Statement of AN, 2017

“[O]ther workers make you take your time and cough and squat, and everything. Even if you had your period, they still made you do it. If you say no, they just smash you to the floor. Three staff come in and they just hold you down and check you.”

Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, Sisters Inside Submission to Queensland Independent Inquiry into Youth Detention, 2016

Solitary confinement

By law, girls and boys should be held separately in detention. Due to the smaller number of girls in detention and inadequate facilities, girls are often held in ‘separation’ (solitary confinement) and may be subject to ‘overly restrictive regimes’.

Children must never be held in solitary confinement and the practice is prohibited in international law.

“In one case, the situation was allegedly so dire for one young female that after 72 hours in an observation cell, and finding her soaked in her own urine, staff took her to a holding cell in the centre’s admissions area.”  

Banksia Hill, Inspector of Custodial Services in WA, 2017

Indigenous-led programs for girls

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have the answers when it comes to helping their kids out of the quicksand of the justice system. Independent reviews of detention in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria recommend local governments support tailored programs and services for girls. There are many Indigenous-led prevention, diversion and rehabilitation programs that can have a huge impact on girls’ lives.

Young Luv

Young Luv is a prevention program for Aboriginal girls aged 13 to 18. Run by the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service, Young Luv creates a safe place for women and girls to draw on cultural strength to build resilience and coping strategies, understand healthy relationships and make positive decisions.

Deadly Sista Girlz

Delivered by strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role models through the Wirrpanda Foundation, Deadly Sista Girlz helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls build their self-esteem and identity, and become leaders in their community.

Read about Josie Janz, a Deadly Sista Girlz mentor.

Sisters Inside

For almost a decade Sisters Inside have run weekly art workshops for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, to connect with their culture and be mentored by older women. These workshops culminate in auctions to raise funds for the program.

Yiriman Project

The Yiriman Project is an Indigenous-led cultural program for kids at risk of being caught in the justice system. The Yiriman Project contributes to the healing of young people, provides an opportunity to develop and assert culture, language and bush skills, and creates meaningful employment that values and maintains culture.

Read about Sarah’s life-changing experience with the Yiriman Project.

How you can help

Investment and support of Indigenous-led programs must form part of a national plan to end the abuse and overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in detention. Indigenous girls must not be neglected any longer.

Syria: ‘Deadly labyrinth’ traps civilians trying to flee Raqqa battle against Islamic State

Thousands of civilians trapped in Raqqa, northern Syria, are coming under fire from all sides as the battle for control of the city enters its final stage, Amnesty International said following an in-depth investigation on the ground.

In a report released today, the organisation documents how hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured since an offensive began in June to recapture the “capital” and main stronghold of the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS). It calls on the warring parties to prioritise protecting civilians from hostilities and creating safe ways for them to flee the frontline.

Survivors and witnesses told Amnesty International that they faced IS booby traps and snipers targeting those trying to flee, as well as a constant barrage of artillery strikes and airstrikes by the US-led coalition forces fighting alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Australia is a member of the US-led coalition.

Survivors also recounted how Russian-backed Syrian government forces bombarded civilians in villages and camps south of the Euphrates river, including with internationally banned cluster bombs.

It is unknown how many civilians remain trapped inside Raqqa, with UN estimates ranging from 10,000 to 50,000. Many, possibly most, are believed to be holed up as human shields in the Old City and other IS-controlled areas.

“As the battle to wrest Raqqa from Islamic State intensifies, thousands of civilians are trapped in a deadly labyrinth where they are under fire from all sides. Knowing that IS uses civilians as human shields, SDF and US forces must redouble efforts to protect civilians, notably by avoiding disproportionate or indiscriminate strikes and creating safe exit routes,” said Donatella Rovera, Senior Crisis Response Adviser at Amnesty International, who led the on-the-ground investigation.

“Things will only get more dangerous as the battle reaches its final stages in the city centre. More can and must be done to preserve the lives of civilians trapped in the conflict and to facilitate their safe passage away from the battleground.

“Those besieged in Raqqa face horrific brutality at the hands of IS – of that there is no doubt. But violations by IS do not lessen the international legal obligations of other warring parties to protect civilians. This includes selecting lawful targets, avoiding indiscriminate or disproportionate strikes, and taking all feasible precautions to minimise harm to civilians.”

On 6 June, the SDF and coalition forces launched the final phase of their operation to recapture Raqqa from IS control. In mid-July, Russian-backed Syrian forces began launching airstrikes in villages and camps for displaced people south of the city. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured in attacks from all sides since these new offensives began.

The ‘hell’ of relentless shelling

Civilians still trapped in Raqqa are in grave danger from the intense artillery shelling and more limited airstrikes by the coalition forces, on the basis of coordinates provided by SDF forces fighting on the ground.  

Numerous recent escapees told Amnesty International how these relentless and often imprecise attacks resulted in a surge of civilian casualties in recent weeks and months.

Daraiya, west of Raqqa’s city centre, is one area that was heavily bombarded by coalition forces, including from 8-10 June.

One Daraiya resident said: “It was hell, many shells struck the area. Residents did not know how to save themselves. Some people ran from one place to another… only to be bombed there. Didn’t the SDF and the coalition know that the place was full of civilians? We were stuck there… because Daesh [IS] didn’t let us leave.”

Another described how a dozen shells struck a residential area of single-storey houses in Daraiya on 10 June, killing at least 12 people across several homes, including a 75-year-old man and an 18-month-old baby: “The shells struck one house after the other. It was indescribable, it was like the end of the world – the noise, people screaming. I [will never] forget this carnage.”

Survivors also told Amnesty International that coalition forces have been targeting boats crossing the Euphrates River, one of the only viable escape routes for civilians trying to flee the city.

On 2 July, the coalition commander, US Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, told the New York Times: “We shoot every boat we find”. Coalition forces also dropped leaflets in March 2017, warning: “Daesh is using boats and ferries to transport weapons and fighters – do not use ferries and boats, airstrikes are coming.”

“Crossing the river has been a key escape route for civilians fleeing the conflict in Raqqa, so striking ‘every boat’ – on the erroneous assumption that any boat will be carrying IS fighters or weapons – is indiscriminate and prohibited by the laws of war,” said Donatella Rovera.

Trapped under fire

IS has been using multiple tactics to prevent civilians from fleeing Raqqa, effectively using them as human shields. IS fighters have been laying landmines and booby traps along exit routes, setting up checkpoints around the city to restrict movement, and shooting at those trying to sneak out.

With the frontline constantly shifting, civilians are at grave risk.

Mahmouda, a resident who fled the Daraiya area, told Amnesty International: “It was a terrible situation … IS wouldn’t let us leave. We had no food, no electricity. There were lots of spies for the religious police. They besieged us with snipers. If you get hit by a sniper, you die in your house. There were no doctors.”

As the battle enters its final stage, the situation for civilians is worsening.

Reem, also from Daraiya, explained how IS fighters began forcing people to move within the walls of the Old City, where they are expected to make a final stand: “They [IS] came to knock on our door and told us we had half an hour to get to the Old City. If you refused they accused you of being a PKK [Kurdish Workers Party] agent and threatened to take you to the prison.”

“By embedding themselves in civilian areas of Raqqa and using civilians as human shields, IS fighters are adding to their brutal track record of systematically and flagrantly flouting the laws of war,” said Donatella Rovera.

Banned cluster bombs

While civilians in Raqqa city have been bearing the brunt of the fighting, villagers in IS-controlled areas south of the Euphrates have faced a separate onslaught as Russian-backed Syrian government forces launched indiscriminate airstrikes in the second half of July, killing at least 18 civilians and injuring many more.

Survivors’ detailed description of the strikes to Amnesty International indicate that Syrian government forces have dropped internationally banned cluster munitions as well as unguided bombs on areas where civilians displaced by the conflict were  sheltering in makeshift camps along irrigation canals near the Euphrates.

Several eyewitnesses told the organisation how Russian forces dropped four cluster bombs on Sabkha Camp on 23 July, killing around 10 civilians, among them an 18-month-old baby. Thirty others were injured.

“We know they were cluster bombs because it was not one big explosion in one place; there were many small explosions over a very large area. The explosions set the tents on fire, so we lost everything,” said Zahra al-Mula, who lost four relatives in the attack.

The next day, more cluster bombs were fired at Shuraiyda camp, two kilometres to the east. Amnesty International visited survivors at a local hospital, including Usama, a 14-year-old boy who sustained massive injuries to the abdomen and limbs. He lost seven relatives in the attack.

Residents of towns south of Raqqa also described fleeing indiscriminate air bombardments in the area in mid-July.

 

Palestine: Dangerous escalation in attacks on press freedom

The Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and their rivals, the de-facto Hamas administration in Gaza, have both tightened the noose on freedom of expression, Amnesty International said.

In recent months, both authorities have launched a repressive clampdown on dissent that has seen journalists from opposition media outlets interrogated and detained in a bid to exert pressure on their political opponents.

In the West Bank, the Palestinian authorities have arrested six journalists in August so far, shut down 29 websites and introduced a controversial Electronic Crimes Law imposing tight controls on media freedom and banning online expression and dissent. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas security forces have arrested at least two journalists since June and hampered others from freely carrying out their work. At least 12 Palestinians, including activists, were also detained by Hamas for critical comments posted on Facebook.

“The last few months have seen a sharp escalation in attacks by the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza, on journalists and the media in a bid to silence dissent. This is a chilling setback for freedom of expression in Palestine,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.

“By rounding up journalists and shutting down opposition websites, the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip appear to be using police state tactics to silence critical media and arbitrarily block people’s access to information.”

The Electronic Crimes Law, adopted by President Mahmoud Abbas in July, violates citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression and blatantly flouts the State of Palestine’s obligations under international law.

The law imposes heavy fines and permits the arbitrary detention of anyone critical of the Palestinian authorities online, including journalists and whistleblowers. It could also be used to target anyone for simply sharing or retweeting such news. Anyone who is deemed to have disturbed “public order”, “national unity” or “social peace” could be sentenced to imprisonment and up to 15 years hard labour.

“Instead of presiding over a chilling campaign designed to silence dissent, intimidate journalists and breach the privacy of individuals, the Palestinian authorities must stop arbitrarily detaining journalists and drop charges against anyone prosecuted for freely expressing themselves. They must also urgently repeal the Electronic Crimes Law,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.

In June, several weeks before the Electronic Crimes Law came into force, Palestinian authorities arbitrarily ordered internet service providers in the West Bank to block access to 29 websites, according to the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA). They include websites belonging to political parties, opposition and independent media outlets and the al Quds network, a volunteer-run community online news outlet.

At least six people in the West Bank have been detained and charged with defamation or spreading information that “threatens the state” since the Electronic Crimes Law came into force in July. They are currently awaiting trial. At least 10 journalists were summoned for interrogation by Palestinian security forces in June and July. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas security forces arrested two journalists in June, blocked journalists from reporting in some areas, and restricted the work of a foreign journalist.

At least six people in the West Bank have been detained and charged with defamation or spreading information that “threatens the state” since the Electronic Crimes Law came into force in July. They are currently awaiting trial. At least 10 journalists were summoned for interrogation by Palestinian security forces in June and July.

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas security forces arrested two journalists in June, blocked journalists from reporting in some areas, and restricted the work of a foreign journalist.  At least 12 activists and journalists were detained and questioned over comments and caricatures posted on social media deemed critical of Hamas authorities. Amnesty International also gathered evidence suggesting at least one of the activists was tortured and otherwise ill-treated in custody including by being beaten, blindfolded, and forced into stress positions for prolonged periods.

“Hamas must immediately release anyone held solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and urgently investigate allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees by security forces,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.

According to MADA, the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank are responsible for 81 attacks on media freedom since the start of the year. Hamas authorities in Gaza have been responsible for 20 such attacks.

For further information including a full analysis of the Electronic Crimes Law please see: State of Palestine: Alarming attack on freedom of expression

Marriage Equality: Media disruption signals youth vote is vital

In support of the planned self-disruption this evening of youth media sites Vice, Broadsheet, Junkee, The Feed and Pedestrian TV to signal to young Australians to check the electoral roll in preparation for the marriage equality postal plebiscite, Amnesty International Australia Campaigns Manager Michael Hayworth said:

“We are proud supporters of this innovative, collaborative initiative by youth media platforms which signals to young Australians that their votes are vital to winning a Yes result in the marriage equality postal plebiscite.”

The sites will replace their usual home pages with black screens or a special splash page between 5-8pm today, which default to the Australian Electoral Commission’s electoral roll.

“This initiative indicates that the time is now. Marriage equality is way overdue. There are only a few hours left in which young Australians can register to vote or change their details on the electoral roll, before it closes for the postal plebiscite,” Michael Hayworth said.

“LGBTQI Australians have already waited too long for their loving unions to be treated with dignity and respect. Let’s make 2017 the year that the Government finally reforms the Marriage Act so that Australians can join more than 1 billion other people around the world living in countries that respect and protect marriage equality.

“The youth vote is vital to this.”

Australians have until midnight on Thursday 24 August to update their voting details here: www.aec.gov.au/enrol

USA: Florida about to resume executions

Amnesty International has issued a briefing on recent developments relating to the death penalty in Florida, ahead of a planned resumption of executions in the state on Thursday 24 August – 18 months after the last one.

“Death in Florida” outlines the state’s divided response to the January 2016 US Supreme Court decision that Florida’s capital sentencing law was unconstitutional.

When State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced that she would not seek the death penalty due to its demonstrable flaws, Governor Rick Scott immediately ordered her replacement with a prosecutor more willing to engage in this lethal pursuit. Since then, the Governor has transferred 26 cases to his preferred prosecutor.

State Attorney Ayala, the first African American to be elected to that position in Florida, cited racial discrimination as one of the death penalty’s flaws – along with its costs, risks and failure as a deterrent.

“Here are two officials taking very different approaches to the overwhelming evidence that the death penalty is a failed policy,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.   

“One says drop it, it is a waste of resources, prone to discrimination, arbitrariness and error. The other says crank up the machinery of death.

“One is acting consistently with international human rights principles. The other is not.”

Background

The prisoner set to be executed on 24 August at 6pm is Mark Asay, who was sent to death row in 1988 for two murders committed in 1987. The last execution in Florida was of Oscar Bolin on 7 January 2016, five days before the US Supreme Court issued its Hurst v. Florida ruling that the state’s capital sentencing statute was unconstitutional.

 

The attacks in Catalonia are deliberate civilian attacks which could constitute a crime against humanity

Madrid / Barcelona: At least 13 people died and more than 100 were injured on 17 August, when a van deliberately ploughed into crowds of people in Las Ramblas in Barcelona, one of the town’s main tourist areas.

According to official sources, several hours later, in the early hours of 18 August, another attack took place in Cambrils (Tarragona) which left at least one person dead. According to reports, the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan Regional Police) thwarted the second attack when five people were shot while attempting to carry out a similar attack to the one in Barcelona. According to official sources, the five people, who are confirmed dead, were wearing fake explosive devices.

Amnesty International has condemned these attacks which it believes may constitute a crime against humanity. The organisation notes that the state security forces have confirmed that both attacks, as well as the explosion in Alcanar (Tarragona) on 16 August which left one person dead and another injured, are connected. It is for this reason that, should the information made public by the authorities be confirmed, the organisation believes these attacks form part of a widespread and systematic attack against the population in Spain in support of the policy of an organisation. “As such, this would be a serious human rights abuse. Crimes against humanity, because of their heinous nature, concern the entire international community and are not subject to a statute of limitations”, said Esteban Beltran, Director of Amnesty International Spain.

“No one can justify such actions. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, to whom we send our full support and solidarity.”

Esteban Beltrán – Director of amnesty international spain

“No one can justify such actions. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, to whom we send our full support and solidarity,” said Esteban Beltrán.

“The Spanish authorities must carry out an independent, thorough and immediate investigation in line with international standards to bring to justice all those suspected of criminal responsibility for the attacks. The victims also have a right to truth, justice and full reparation”, he added.

Amnesty International took part in the tribute that took place today in Barcelona and its headquarters held a minute’s silence with the message “No hate. No fear”.

“In such difficult times it is important to avoid any kind of hate speech and to remember that we must always respond to attacks like these with resoluteness, confidence and respect for human rights,” said Beltrán.

Pauline Hanson burqa stunt ‘revolting act of intolerance’

In reaction to Senator Pauline Hanson’s wearing of a burqa on the floor of the Senate yesterday, in a call for the garment to be banned in Australia, Amnesty International Australia’s Campaigns Manager Michael Hayworth said:

“Senator Hanson’s burqa stunt is a revolting act of intolerance. Women of all faiths and backgrounds should be free to wear what they want.

“This stunt is an attack on all women, in particular Muslim women, whose clothing is already the target of verbal and physical abuse on Australian streets.

“Attorney General George Brandis’ rebuke yesterday of Senator Hanson’s stunt and call for a burqa ban was a welcome stand against a rising tide of religious intolerance.”

Hong Kong: “Vindictive” jail terms for pro-democracy leaders

The Hong Kong authorities’ relentless pursuit of jail terms for three leaders of the pro-democracy movement is a vindictive attack on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International said.

On Thursday, Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal handed Joshua Wong, Alex Chow and Nathan Law between six and eight months in prison for their roles in a demonstration that helped spark the city’s 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement. Prosecutors pursued harsher punishments for the trio, after they were originally given non-custodial sentences at their first trial a year ago.

“The relentless and vindictive pursuit of student leaders using vague charges smacks of political payback by the authorities.”

Mabel Au, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong.

“The relentless and vindictive pursuit of student leaders using vague charges smacks of political payback by the authorities,” said Mabel Au, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong.

“The real danger to the rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Hong Kong is the authorities’ continued persecution of prominent democracy activists. Prosecutions aimed at deterring participation in peaceful protests must be dropped.”

The convictions relate to a specific incident on 26 September 2014 at the beginning of the student-led pro-democracy protest outside government headquarters in Hong Kong. On that day several students pushed their way and climbed into a fenced-off forecourt of the legislative complex, commonly known as Civic Square. The square had been a popular site for previous peaceful protests on other occasions, before the authorities’ restricted access to it in the summer of 2014.

At their first trial, Joshua Wong and Alex Chow were found guilty of “taking part in an unlawful assembly”. Nathan Law was found guilty of “inciting others to take part in an unlawful assembly”.

Joshua Wong and Nathan Law had previously been ordered to carry out community service but this was increased to six months and eight months prison terms respectively at today’s hearing. Alex Chow’s original three-week suspended prison sentence was increased to seven months in jail.

The vague provisions of Hong Kong’s Public Order Ordinance, on which this prosecution was based, have been repeatedly criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee for failing to fully meet international human rights law and standards on the right of peaceful assembly.

International community must avert growing crisis as number of South Sudanese refugees reaches a million

The international community must deliver and improve on existing financial commitments to help Uganda support the refugees it is hosting, following a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announcement that one million South Sudanese refugees are now in the country.

Driven by the ongoing violence in South Sudan, refugees have been entering Uganda in their thousands, especially since the spread of the conflict to formerly peaceful areas after July 2016.

Amnesty International has documented evidence of unlawful killings, sexual violence, detention, torture, the purposeful destruction of private and public property, the use of food as a weapon of war and other serious human rights violations in South Sudan; all of which have been drivers of forced displacement into neighboring Uganda.

“This unhappy one-million milestone must serve as a wake-up call to the international community that much more is needed from them. With no resolution to the conflict in South Sudan in sight, refugees will continue to flee to Uganda and the humanitarian crisis will only escalate.”

Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

“This unhappy one-million milestone must serve as a wake-up call to the international community that much more is needed from them. With no resolution to the conflict in South Sudan in sight, refugees will continue to flee to Uganda and the humanitarian crisis will only escalate,” said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

“While the Ugandan government, the UN and NGOs have done a commendable job, they are now struggling to meet even the most basic needs of South Sudan’s refugees, including food, water and shelter, let alone other needs such as psychosocial support for refugees who are deeply traumatized.”

At a solidarity summit held in Kampala, in June, hosted by the Ugandan government and the UN, donors including the EU, the UK and Canada pledged to provide Uganda with greater support in responding to refugees’ immediate and longer-term needs. The summit raised US$358.2 million of the US$ 2 billion requested, including US$960 million for humanitarian needs, but much more is needed.

“It is time for other countries to bear their share of responsibility and do much more to alleviate the unsustainable pressure being placed on Uganda. Failure to do so undermines Uganda’s progressive refugee policy and could result in an even worse humanitarian crisis than we are currently witnessing,” said Sarah Jackson.

“And ultimately, to stem the flow of refugees fleeing the country, international and regional actors must also take measures to stop violations against the civilian population in South Sudan.”

Philippines: 32 killed in a day as Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ hits new levels of barbarity

After Philippine police killed 32 people in what is believed to be the highest death toll in a single day in President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs”, Amnesty International’s Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, James Gomez, said:

“These shocking deaths are a reminder that President Duterte’s lawless ‘war on drugs’ continues unabated and actually appears to be plumbing new depths of barbarity, with police routinely gunning down suspects, violating the key right to life and completely flouting due process.

“No one is bearing the brunt of this brutality more than the poorest communities in areas such as Bulacan province, a hotspot for extrajudicial executions since the president took power, and the scene of 21 of yesterday’s 32 killings.

“Duterte‘s recent statement that he might not be able to solve the Philippines’ drug-related problems during his current term are very concerning. With the indefinite extension of this failed strategy there is seemingly no end in sight to these killings.

“Coupled with Duterte’s troubling threat last month to abolish the country’s Human Rights Commission, the single institution that is carrying out thorough investigations into extrajudicial executions, it appears that human rights in the Philippines are in more peril than at any point since the president’s bloody reign began.”

“This shows clearly that there should be no further delay in establishing an internationally led investigation into the ‘war on drugs’ and the carnage currently taking place in the Philippines on a daily basis.”

Background

Since assuming the presidency of the Philippines in June 2016, Rodrigo Duterte and his administration have presided over widespread human rights violations in the ‘war on drugs’, intimidated and imprisoned critics and created a climate of lawlessness.

Using the highest office in the country, Duterte has explicitly approved and encouraged violence that has involved thousands of extrajudicial executions in the government’s anti-drug campaign.

In its January 2017 report “If you are poor you are killed,” Amnesty International detailed how the Philippines police have killed, and paid others to kill, thousands of alleged drug offenders in a wave of extrajudicial executions that may amount to crimes against humanity.