The dangers of being an environmental activist in Southeast Asia | Radio Free Asia (RFA)

[Music] [Applause] in Southeast Asia pursuing environmental justice is not just a challenge it's dangerous jonila Castro and Zed Tano two young environmental activists fighting to save Manila Bay and its Coastal communities from massive land reclamation projects were apparently abducted by the Philippine Security Forces we were just walking and then an SUV stopped right behind us the first one that they grabbed was me actually I was actually shouting sh shouting help help and they and it told me stop stop shouting or I will punch your punch you something like that Castro and Tano worked with aapka Manila Bay advocating for Coastal communities in batan Province facing displacement from land reclamation Philippine military officials have denied any involvement in the abduction asserting instead that the pair were taken by the leftist new People's Army according to Global witness the Philippines is Asia's most dangerous country for environmental Defenders 281 activists have been killed since 2012 The Narrative extends beyond the Philippines with young activists across southeast Asia threatened jailed and sometimes beaten for their work authorities in La Cambodia and Vietnam have arrested and jailed Advocates speaking out against Environmental degradation puan kxi in Cambodia spent more than a year in pre-trial detention for her environmental advocacy with Mother Nature Cambodia a youth-led environmental movement the situation of environmental defenders in Southeast Asia is very alarming they're trying to ensure that our planet and people out put of a profit but doing that in countries that are very authoritarian and so because we are working on the authoritarian regimes the voices are being silenced however despite facing daunting challenges including imprisonment and constant threat of violence the profound commitment of the Region's activists to Environmental Protection remains [Music] unshaken [Music] [Music] [Music] for