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Anti-mining elder
arrested in Rapu-Rapu rally
Freed
as townsfolk storm local jail, vow to stage larger protests
November
14, 2007
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14 November 2007--
Two protesters, including a 69 year old community leader, were arrested
and temporarily detained by local police during a rally in Rapu-Rapu
island, Albay while calling for the closure of an Australian-owned
mining project in the area, green watchdog Kalikasan Peoples Network
for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) today reported.
At around 3:00 this afternoon, Rapu-Rapu police personnel arrested and
briefly held in detention 69-year old community elder Mr. Antonio
Casitas and a Stephen Prestado of Ateneo de Naga University during a
hundreds-strong protest in front of the municipal hall of Barangay
Poblacion in Rapu-Rapu island, said Kalikasan PNE National Coordinator
Clemente Bautista Jr., citing reports from the field.
The two protesters were detained by the police for over an hour in the
municipal jail in Poblacion but were released around 4:15 this
afternoon after around 400 protesters stormed the jail, threatening to
file charges against Casitas' captors, Bautista said.
"We condemn the use of harassment against Rapu-Rapu folk who want
Lafayette's project stopped and laud the vigilant efforts of residents
to defend their civil and political rights and patrimony," Bautista
said.
Casitas, at the time of his arrest, was leading a rally or a Kampong
Bayan (People's Camp) in front of the municipal hall of Poblacion,
where a meeting by the Sangguniang Bayan was taking place. The
protesters were dispersed at around 3:15 p.m.
The protest, which started earlier this morning, called for the closure
of Lafayette mining amid fish kills which hit several villages near the
mine last October, said Arieto Radores, Spokesperson for Umalpas
Ka-Bicol, a regional organization against mining and land use
conversion.
Also harassed by the police during the dispersal were Simeon
Incenarial, 29 years old of Barangay Carugcog, and Lola Corazon David,
66 years old of Barangay Poblacion.
Radores said that residents vowed to again stage the Kampong Bayan to
press their demands for Lafayette's closure.
Rapu-Rapu townsfolk have been petitioning and calling for the closure
of Lafayette's mine project since the mine opened in 2005, citing as
reasons for their opposition the destruction that the mining operations
brought on their livelihoods and local ecosystems.
Casitas, a vocal critic of the Rapu-rapu polymetallic mining project
owned by Lafayette Mining Limited of Australia, is currently Head
Servant of Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa (SISK), an island-wide organization.
Stephen, a student, was taking video footage at the site as past of his
volunteer research. |
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