news links – Commission on Human Rights - Didipio Fact Finding Mission report filing

NEWS LINKS – Commission on Human Rights - Didipio Fact Finding Mission report filing


Philippines to probe Australian mine firm over rights abuses (Oceanagold Corporati)

MANILA (Thomson Financial) - An Australian mine operator in the Philippines
will be investigated for alleged human rights abuses, including harrassment of
locals and links to shootings, the Commission on Human Rights said on Thursday.

Investigators will probe reports of rights violations by Oceana Gold
(Philippines) Inc. at its gold and copper mine site in Didipio in the country's
north, the Manila-based rights body said.

The firm is a unit of Australia's Oceana Gold Corp. and the
320-million-dollar project, expected to hand the Philippine government a
windfall in tax revenue, is due to start production in 2010.

Commission chairwoman Leila de Lima said the company had been accused of
forcibly demolishing more than 180 houses owned by a local tribal community.

She said alleged abuses also included a connection to "killings, forced
negotiations and harassments" but did not provide details of the allegations or
who had made them.

View full article --> www.advfn.com/news_Philippines-to-probe_27271924.html

12 Australian mining firms in RP
compliant with standards, says envoy

By Estrella Torres
Reporter

THE Australian envoy to Manila has maintained that all 12 Australian mining firms operating in the country submit to the “highest safety and environmental standards,” amid complaints of human-rights abuse against one Australian firm operating in Nueva Vizcaya on charges of killings, harassments and mass displacement of indigenous tribes.

Australian Ambassador to Manila Rod Smith said he is not aware of the human-rights abuse complaints filed against the mining company OceanaGold Philippines Inc., which operates the $320-million copper-gold mining project in Didipio in Nueva Vizcaya province.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is currently investigating the human-rights abuse charges against the operators of the OceanaGold after some 180 families of indigenous tribes in Didipio were allegedly forcibly displaced to make way for the mining operations.


View full article ---> http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/07152008/economy06.html

CHR looks into human rights violations in Nueva Vizcaya

(July 12, 2008)

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Leila De Lima has directed the CHR Region 2 office to validate reports on alleged human rights violation committed by an Australian mining firm against the indigenous peoples (IPs) of Barangay Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Viscaya.

De Lima ordered the officials of CHR Region 2 to validate the report of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and Alyansa Tigil Muna that Oceana Gold Philippines Inc, has violated the human rights of the community.

The report said that the wrecking crew of Oceana Gold as of March 2008 has already demolished 187 houses of indigenous people in Didipio. The demolition started in December 2007.


View full article---> http://www.globalpinoy.com/news/news_inside.php?newsnum=14508

Oceana Gold says it didn't commit human rights violations

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya – Beleaguered Australian mining firm OceanaGold Philippines (OGP) continue to disprove allegations that it has committed human rights violations in Didipio, Kasibu, site of its multi-billion peso gold-copper mining area.

This came after Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair Leila M. De Lima - in a memorandum released Wednesday - ordered CHR-Region 2 to hold an inquiry on the alleged human rights violations committed by OGP against indigenous people living in the area.

View full article---> http://www.gmanews.tv/story/106272/Oceana-Gold-says-it-didnt-commit-human-rights-violations

CHR orders probe on alleged rights violation in N. Vizcaya

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Human Rights chair Leila M. De Lima has directed CHR regional office to check on alleged human rights violations in a mining area in Nueva Vizcaya.

In a memorandum on Wednesday, De Lima directed CHR Region 2 to validate a fact-finding report concerning violations of the rights of indigenous people in the village of Didipio in Kasibu town in Nueva Vizcaya.

View full article---> http://www.gmanews.tv/story/106087/CHR-orders-probe-on-alleged-rights-violation-in-N-Vizcaya

CHR probes raps vs Aussie mine firm

By Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:10am (Mla time) 07/10/2008


MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Human Rights is looking into alleged human rights violations committed against indigenous peoples by a mining firm operating in the provinces of Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.

The commission has initiated an investigation following reports that houses of indigenous peoples in areas where the Australian-based mining company, Oceana Gold Philippines Inc., was operating were being demolished despite opposition from the community.

View full article---> http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=147454

Oceana rejects abuse allegations
Home » News » Business
By Simon Hartley on Wed, 16 Jul 2008
News: Business
Oceana Gold has for the second time in a year rejected allegations of human rights abuses at its $418 million Didipio gold and copper development mine in the northern Philippines.

Oceana vice-president of corporate and investor relations Darren Klinck yesterday rejected the conclusion of articles which he said had recently appeared in the Philippine media claiming an inquiry by the Philippine Commission on Human Rights was under way at the Didipio development.

View full article---> http://www.odt.co.nz/news/business/13460/oceana-rejects-abuse-allegations



http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200807/s2306671.htm?tab=latest

Investigation of OceanaGold's human rights record should spur regulatory action
8:46 PM ET

Christina Hill [Acting Extractive Industries Advocacy Coordinator, Oxfam Australia]: "The news that the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines will investigate human rights abuses by Australian mining company OceanaGold, who is developing a gold and copper mine in Didipio is welcome. Didipio, which is located in the northern Philippines, is home to about 2,000 people including many Indigenous Peoples. Since 2002, Oxfam has been working with the Didipio community and its support groups to document complaints by the community of human rights abuses and bringing these complaints to the company’s attention, and to a wider audience. As was reported by JURIST on 10 July, key community complaints include the destruction of people’s homes and physical intimidation and assault. OceanaGold has also shown little regard for the principle of free, prior and informed consent.

OceanaGold has never substantially responded to the community's grievances. It is for this reason that Oxfam Australia released the Didipio report [pdf] and more recently wrote to the Philippines Human Rights Commission asking them to investigate the situation.

View full article---> http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/hotline/2008/07/investigation-of-oceanagolds-human.php

OceanaGold Didipio Project Community Update
/NOT FOR DISSEMINATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES AND NOT FOR
DISTRIBUTION TO US NEWSWIRE SERVICES./

MELBOURNE, Australia, July 15 /CNW/ - Recent Philippine media articles
purport that an inquiry by the Philippine Commission on Human Rights is being
conducted into the Didipio development project. OceanaGold has received no
correspondence or invitation to participate in any Philippines Commission on
Human Rights (CHR) inquiry. However, we will continue to have ongoing
discussions with the many interested government agencies regarding the Didipio
project.

View full article---> http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2008/14/c4550.html

Oceana rejects abuse allegations
Home » News » Business
By Simon Hartley on Wed, 16 Jul 2008
News: Business
Oceana Gold has for the second time in a year rejected allegations of human rights abuses at its $418 million Didipio gold and copper development mine in the northern Philippines.

Oceana vice-president of corporate and investor relations Darren Klinck yesterday rejected the conclusion of articles which he said had recently appeared in the Philippine media claiming an inquiry by the Philippine Commission on Human Rights was under way at the Didipio development.

View full article---> http://www.odt.co.nz/news/business/13460/oceana-rejects-abuse-allegations

Philippines to investigate mining company for human rights abuses
Andrew Gilmore at 10:27 AM ET

[JURIST] The Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) [official website] announced Thursday that it will investigate Australian mining company Oceana Gold [corporate website] for possible human rights violations at the site of a planned gold and copper mine in Didipio, Philippines. According to CHR chairwoman Leila M. De Lima [official profile], Oceana Gold has been involved in the destruction of local homes near the mine site, as well as the physical intimidation, assault, and shootings of local residents opposed to construction of the mine. AFP has more. The Philippine Daily Inquirer has local coverage.

View full article---> http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/07/australian-mining-company-to-be.php



http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5goC1uBtV2qahlBTQcicyjaOSQF3g

Aussie mine firm under probe for rights abuses
Web posted at: 7/11/2008 1:38:1
Source ::: Agencies
MANILA • An Australian mine operator in the Philippines will be investigated for alleged human rights abuses, including harrassment of locals and links to shootings, the Commission on Human Rights said yesterday.

View full article --> http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=world_news&month=july2008&file=world_news200807111381.xml

CHR looks into human rights violations in Nueva Vizcaya

COMMISSION on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Leila De Lima has directed the CHR Region 2 office to validate reports on alleged human rights violation committed by an Australian mining firm against the indigenous peoples (IPs) of Barangay Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Viscaya.

De Lima ordered the officials of CHR Region 2 to validate the report of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and Alyansa Tigil Muna that Oceana Gold Philippines Inc, has violated the human rights of the community.

The report said that the wrecking crew of Oceana Gold as of March 2008 has already demolished 187 houses of indigenous people in Didipio. The demolition started in December 2007.

View full article ---> http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/july/12/yehey/prov/20080712pro3.html

OceanaGold looks at JV or sale for Philippine project

MANILA (Reuters) - Australian miner OceanaGold (OGC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(OGC.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is talking to financial firms and rival gold miners about investing in or even buying its troubled copper and gold project in the northern Philippines, the company said on Wednesday.

The Didipio project is viewed as a test case for foreign ownership in the Philippine minerals sector, but has been hit by rising costs and turbulent equity markets. OceanaGold halted heavy operations at the site last month while it seeks to raise $185 million through a variety of options.


View full article --> http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSMAN26926020080723

salamat ng marami din sa oxfam . . .