"It's not about my politics. Something happened way to quick. A bunch of men who played it sick. They divide and conquer" -- Husker Du

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Report condemns Philippine mining

Former British Minster for International Development, Clare Short, launched a report about destructive mining practices in the Philippines. She said that she was “deeply shocked by the negative impact of mining in the Philippines,” and feels that “the Government of the Philippines and the mining companies have failed to comply with national law and international standards”. The complete report can be found on the website of the Columban fathers. This Irish religious order was one of the organizers of the fact-finding mission that went to the Philippines last year in order to examine the impact of mining on the environment and people’s livelihoods. Its findings and recommendations are now made public through the report.

Interestingly, Frank Nally, a Catholic priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, who has long campaigned against corporate logging and mining in the Philippines, was denied entry at Manila airport on January 6. He was entering the country to make the final preparations for the Manila-based report launch. A member of the July/August 2006 fact-finding team and one of the authors of the report, he was told he is ‘blacklisted’ from entering the Philippines. That's how Manila deals with foreign critics these days.

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