to the king this is somebody whose role was largely ceremonial or symbolic but i don't think it can be ignored that he did have political influence in a couple of instances during negotiations to end up our day there were many pensions between people of different ethnic groups and at that time former president nelson mandela approached the king to try and quell tensions between zulu people largely allied to the cart of encarta freedom party at the political party and the a.n.c. at that time. with me as a whole robin a reminder of our top story gunman's government have kidnapped students in northern nigeria is the 1st time a high institution of learning has been targeted officials say 180 students were rescued early on friday but 30 is still unaccounted for for the illicit number more from a butcher the state government has. investigated

right now circumstances. witnesses say that when we go on the ground school we only talk with them you know students. which is actually a worrying signal the last. days ago and there would be oh really now. italy is trying to impose another nation wide locked on over easter weekend and you pull the government is trying to control a surgeon coronavirus cases and hospital admissions the world health organization is rejecting concerns in europe and asia about the astra zeneca coronavirus vaccine saying it's safe thailand and bulgaria are the latest countries to delay its rollout after reports of cases of blood clotting. south korea is suspending defense exchanges and banning arms exports to me in march it's the latest country to cut

ties after the military coup on february the 1st security forces are accused of torture and persecution. the u.s. envoy for yemen is urging the rebels to respond to a cease fire plan to lead to king says rebels are prioritizing an offensive to take the city of money of the u.s. envoy warned that yemen will spiral into greater conflict without a cease fire russia says it's in favor of afghanistan forming an interim government that includes members of the taliban moscow is that goes to conference on afghanistan next week but says it will not rival previous negotiations in doha. u.s. president joe budden says a free open in the pacific region is essential he addressed leaders of australia india japan collectively notice called the group is seen as an effort to counter the china's growing influence those weather headlines a bunk with the al-jazeera news in just about half the time but now it's inside story with the have a job to do stay with us. it's

being called bloody sunday 9 people are killed in the raids against suspected communists rebels in the philippines but the u.n. says the dead are human rights activists so can anything be done to stop the escalating violence this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program i'm police and the army in the philippines are being accused of killing human rights activists under the guise of combating

alleged communist rebels the latest deadly incident has been labeled bloody sunday on march 7th 9 people were shot dead when police and the military raided offices and homes south of manila they say they found weapons and those they killed had resisted arrest but rights groups say the victims were community organizers not fighters the government insists the operation was lawful. 2 days earlier president roderigo to terra to urge security forces to kill alleged rebels and ignore human rights well the interim military police told the military and police that during encounter this is the enemy is holding a gun kill them kill them right away ignore human rights that is my order i'll be the one to go to jail no problem. the un is accusing the territory of fanning violence and intimidation of rights defenders there is a history of human rights advocates been red tagged or being accused of being fronts for the armed wing of the communist party in the philippines in our june

2020 reports the high commissioner warns that such public labeling has proved extremely dangerous and she urged the protection of human rights defenders journalists and others at risk in recent months there have been dozens of other activists and several journalists arrested including on human rights day on the 10th of december 2020 lawyers have also been targeted by the so-called red tags at least $54.00 have been killed since rodrigo to tara took office in 2016 some have been representing indigenous farmers who are accused of having links with communist rebels government data shows only 5 of the killings have reached court. the lawyers will. know that i made called it dangerous of serving those who are in danger or boys that's what the church does that is and that's in our society there i bet you and if you know it's

bad it will what will that give us what we didn't think it depends. all right let's bring in our guests in manila carlos condé philippines researcher at human rights watch in dubai richard hay barry an academic and author of the rise of deter a populist revolt against elite democracy and also in manila leon bowen justice reporter for rappler we on his covered government corruption and the culture of impunity in the philippines a warm welcome to you all carlos human rights watch says the bloody sunday raids highlight the need for united nations member countries to address the worsening human rights crisis situation in the philippines what actions which human rights watch like to see the u.n. take. well for one you want the u.n. to really specifically the u.n. human rights council to take

a more robust and more you know definitive option in the philippines quite apart from what they did in october going to train you in the process a solution granting technical assistance in a country that we definitely want more than just a technical assistance you want the human rights council to launch an independent international investigation into the killings in the philippines not just a guess that exists but also against drug suspects which os been going on since the sixty's leon there's a report in rappler dated march 11th that police and military in active polo rizal have prevented the families of 4 activists killed in the bloody sunday operations from claiming their bodies what's the justification for that why would the government be doing that if it's not the 1st time that it happened when a prominent activist randall a tennis died also in the last year or the same thing happened with the police and the military the justification if that be they claim that the police ask us to be

of the body because these but these people died in operation but of course human rights lawyers will tell you that the police have no right that they cost the bodies and that families will always have the right that he. richard president do terror today had told police earlier this month that if they have an encounter with armed communists rebels and if security forces saw that those rebels were armed to go ahead and kill them don't mind human rights how worrying is that to hear from the president of the philippines. well as worrying as that is it's also a reversion to the mean or diversion 'd to a type president a 3rd the $1.00 to 2006 elections of his that's his understanding and an on take crime drug agenda and over the past year the philippine government has been bogged down we dealing with defend demick so some people have raised concerns on whether there's going to be a different direction in terms of the drug war a war 'd on drugs some of the supporters of the president perhaps are saying what

is the president still committed to war 'd on drugs so this is a way for the president to say that he's not letting go that there's no loosening of the grip in terms of the war in drugs and that he's going to continue until it's final months in office as he enters his twilight year in office i dissent that we see that top officials like the justice minister mr guevara in a recent address at the u.n. c.r. united nations human rights council so i just think that the government is trying to get its act together and is trying to launch investigations and they've revealed that there were 'd miscarriages of to process in perhaps half of the operations conducted by the government so we see this bifurcation into strategy of the government the president signaling continuing to that is committed to maintain the war on drugs on its course was top officials in the government in the justice ministry are trying to signal to the world that they're trying to get their act together and to clean this up so we see despite for cation which just shows the sensitive political situation that is there it is and during his final months in

office liane it looked to me like you were reacting to some of what richard was saying there did you want to jump in 1st of all i just wanted to add on to the what you asked before why of the police would want to take off to be of the bodies the fanbase would say that it's because they wouldn't want an independent autopsy to be conducted and bodies and that's why the families who really fought to get the bodies of the activists who died last sunday and they've been able to get back to the hospital for an independent autopsy cussen independent autopsy would reveal whether route faurisson has been applied excessive porus has been applied and whether how many bullets were pumped at the. the bodies of these activists if it breaks through that they really resisted arrest from the police carlos human rights watch also 'd says that victims in many raids that have happened in the philippines belonged to groups that the government had earlier red tagged i want to ask you specifically about red tagging could you explain to our viewers what it means for those who are labeled with it. before you answer that mom i let me just add

a little bit to what the ad said about go ahead the bodies of. interpol and in many other cases what's happening here i think is that there's a legitimate fear among many filipinos because the police are doing this a cover up is imminent or go after the what they're doing is a cover up because why would why would you want to hold on to the bodies why would why wouldn't they want to go retrieve the bodies so there's a fear here a real fear that. something something's going on in terms of covering up what happened during those raids some having said that the issue of red tagging this has been going on for decades in the philippines is not something new but this has been just ramped up under this administration and this is really scary because you know in the philippines being red tagged being called a communist and now being called a communist and also a terrorist and by this is practically a death sentence for people who are being who are being read this is quite this is

quite serious and this is one of the government's ways to try to intimidate discourage people from speaking out from joining activist groups and even the government thinks that by bill you find these groups exactly this they are going to stem the tide or to discourage people from joining the army this insurgency but the impact of this on civil society price massive use the obvious need restricting democratic space in the philippines and ascending some chilling effect on a lot of people richard i saw you nodding to some what carlos was saying there did you have something you wanted to add. well i mean on one hand this is classic populism one thing that is common among the right thing poppy is that they claim or not put the under-representation of the people's wheel so anyone who's not with them or does 100 percent agree with their point of view is automatically the ending of the people so given that a more full the phoenician who are who are the people and effectively everyone else

he's not with the people the definitions and expense they 1st started with christmas and drug peddlers then it became so-called oligarchs and then liberal media so called yellow's in the philippines and now they're going after the reds and in fact the bark of the state are sheep the conspiracy of the right always has been bred meaning the companies in the case would team up in the yellow sea in the liberals to bring down the government and that kind of conspiracy theory has been going on for quite some time a dissing time there's also a 2nd element to be it's under present the terror that the military establishment has gained tremendous amount of influence that there is they could then get rid of our alliance with the united states but if there's one thing with hawkish elements within the military is their hatred of the coming to movement so it's also possible that it's not only about $230.00 but also some some element within the military trying to make the most of the 50 smaller during this era to also strike against their age or any of the companies or progressive movement again the problem here is

that the definition of who has read who's coming this is rebellious is increasingly also amorphous and increasingly even universities in the countries are being targeted including again the burst of the philippines the hotbed of activism in the philippines for the past century leon from your perspective are you concerned that the escalation in violence will only get worse and also what do you think are there concrete steps that can be taken to lessen the violence. on your 1st question last year we were already seeing and we were already saying that if the united nations human rights council does not because stronger resolution on the killings that more people would die and we saw that 9 people died in sunday so i don't think that it's a matter of us being concerned that more people would die it's a matter of evidence that more people have indeed died since last year when all these groups have been calling for stronger resolutions not just from the united

nations human rights council but from our own government departments the killings of lawyers have started 3 days as early as september october last year but there's the risk no action from the department of justice or the supreme court it was only in january that they started the whole new things with the lawyers and even then the lawyers still died after after those new things and we just found out that 2 days ago the supreme court's office of the court administrator has asked judge us to do an inventory of the he says about the the lawyers who have died or who have been attacked and we're wondering why it has taken them only this march to issue such an order when the meetings have started in january and even beyond that why the action only now when lawyers were already being killed not just last year but years before that carlos so you heard leon there talk about the fact that it's not

just activists who are being targeted in the philippines right now it's also members of the legal profession i want to ask you specifically about that how bad has it gotten right now when it comes to targeting members of the legal profession and attacks against them. oh it's got to really so bad mom out is something that that. keeps us awake these days in the philippines i mean one of the one of the latest attacks that happened was last week when a lawyer in the central philippines left stabbed with a screwdriver. clearly evident the some people one. went up there can be quote what he was doing a lawyer for the national union of people's lawyer which is a group of lawyers that are representing marginal a sick person and yesterday there was a disco sure that. the provincial police in the province in the central philippines after they asked a court there do you know if they were released within the names so lawyers who may

be representing who or who are depressed and being what they called communist terrorist groups would use of course what they mean are activists. people or activist groups so this is as i said this is a vent the bullet hit this is the port 'd grants you know to police this list of lawyers that are representing people from doctor to sector so you know if it's really bad and the police right now there they're going after not just after this but also those who are who are defending them there has been an increased neon can speak more of this perhaps your husband increasing the number of lawyers were being attacked in the philippines and more than half of these attacks are work related so you know from all that goes you know you you know you have human rights defenders being a. journalist being. civil society leaders human. citizens are the athletes being attacked and now even those who help them who are different than the

need and are also under threat are also on their backs so all the institutions now in the gut in the philippines you know for civil society. the priorities are being undermined and being intimidated richard you mentioned a few moments ago that president. do terror today was in a bit of a politically sensitive situation i want to ask you about the fact that last december the international criminal court released a preliminary report saying that there was evidence to show crimes against humanity had been committed in the philippines under president do terror tape is this something that is of great concern to do terror to. absolutely i mean it's a convergence of many factors i mean on one hand the i.c.c. investigations are increasingly moving towards a potential. prosecution or at least formal investigation against top officials in the philippines that's not necessarily good news if you're entering the end of your term at the same time you have a democratic majority in the u.s.

congress and we saw that actually back in 2019 top u.s. senators especially democratic senators were agitating for tougher sanctions some lieutenants of the president face travel restrictions if that was one of the reasons why president a 3rd that threatened to abrogate a major defense argument with the united states now biden himself may be pragmatic but 1st more 'd overzealous of them is in the democratic party when we push for even tougher sanctions us present a 3rd enters his final months in office so on multiple in multiple directions present desert that he's facing at least wittering perception of reality this kinds of threats they depend for international intervention or one kind or the other now at the same time you have the european union the new ambassador trying to strike a more pragmatic kind of position and try to find an understanding because. some people is that they also do not want to push president to turn to a corner because that might force seem to resort to extraordinary measures let's not forget that even though present

a threat they cannot run for office next year technically if everything goes according to the constitution he's daughter can draw and he can run as the vice president there is to emergency powers in place he's a very 'd dominant position he has a grip on local politics so if to tear it to ease threatened he might be tempted to stay in power in one way or another maybe not as president but as vice president or as a power behind the throne and that could complicate the situations on so on the other hand you have the european union or other elements maybe there is thinking that a better approach is not to push the 3rd to a corner but play the long game and rather invest in capacity building and if it is . in institutions in fact i think that's the context within which you have to understand that facade the justice minister in the philippines on technical assistance on institution building so these are the political dilemma sir we are 'd facing as we entered the twilight years of a twilit months of present a 3rd term in office i mean the reality in the philippines is that such in the rule of 'd law it's ruled by law that means politics would shape how law is implemented

and how law is expressed in everyday reality and the paradox of the 3rd this presidency is that it promise law and order there is no or same or generalized anarchy and in some ways that strengthens the 3rd to sat because people will in need even more strong and leadership in a climate of fear so that's why we are in a very delicate political situation and that has implications for accountability and justice questions leon in his previous answer carlos mentioned how journalists in the philippines have been targeted increasingly we all know of course that your organization rappler and maria ressa have been targeted i want to ask you specifically how bad the situation is in the philippines right now for members of your profession. basically i can answer it with one phrase it's really chilling effect it's the threat that if you are critical you might be sued for libel you might be harassed online called names or worse you can get

a cab or you can get killed in the daily in that they lead the lamb off the job it's a simple refusing access to you it's a simple ask government officials not answering your question and it's a simple as them trying to block the story you're going to publish so it's a chilling effect it's that thought in your head that whatever i write next may lose me my next or your of me even cost me my me even cost me my life but then again i would like to believe that the philippine media as a whole list is pushing back and are equipped when you're going to do it and are continuing to do their jobs never never mind the threats that happened the work will lead i see salim who was jailed for 3 months and even after she was cleared she had to stay a week or a month 2 weeks in jail before she had to be freed so those are the kinds of risks that we run into for doing our jobs here carlos it looked to me like you had

something to say please go ahead. yeah i want to pick up on what richard said about international response to what's happening here i think to be to be honest about our assessment of the international response to the crisis here has been has been quite disappointing for a lot not just us but a lot of human rights defenders who are monitoring these this pastor fear that we're facing i mean that human rights council resolution and this column are said it's a shameful who sedition many among us who are distressed by that because of the h r c we feel. bought into the agenda of the philippine government and keep in mind the philippine government has been launching a massive this information campaign about that happening the philippines promising all sorts of thing because obviously the things that they think the international community want to hear and then you have also other countries you know when

governments they have been dragging their feet put about or stopping the philippines i mean there are there are mechanisms that they can use to try to hold this government to account but they have been using that and that is that is quite a disappointment now we we realize that you know this this there are considerations to be made because you know where you're getting recovery with the federal government but you know the situation here the philippines i mean this not just after that that they happened but for decades now other killings they said you know killings i mean to put it bluntly how many more dead but you know any reading to. wait to see before they act before you know these countries that you p.n. union the united states canada astray that they have human rights commitment not just the face char sea but also to the philippines we have not been seeing any of

these commitments being held up by these countries and in the meantime thousands of people are being killed when are they going to act that's my question liane i saw you nodding your head a lot to what carlos was saying did you want to jump in. yeah just so picking up on what carla said what we've done really in rappler is to want to or what the 15 local system has done for address these killings because the rationale basically of the court and court shameful resolution of the united human rights council is that it looks like knowledge and that the philippine domestic system was doing something to address these killings so we have been monitoring that so i. tell the story for the supreme court for example i scoreless had earlier there was a request from the local police from the court to give them a copy of the lawyers who are representing alleged communists lawyers have said this is like a kill list comparable to the drug list that was the basis of the policeman in their blood me and i drug and of course it's bad that the past to happen to anyone

but that it's happening to lawyers is even worse than i thought comments from a prominent lawyer also here that they are demanding the supreme court to face something and publicly denounce that policeman to resorting to these kinds of acts and of course supreme courts or arts all over the world are passive institutions that are not active they will not be the one to speak out they will not be the one to speak out 1st but lawyers are just saying that this these are now lawyers under that before the exactly within your jurisdiction and to know that the former chief justice merely your lawyer decide and the did this during her time he publicly stored for the judges who were saying who were included in president that there is this mark a list and she said you have to protect these judges from we have to give them due process and what happened the chief justice said i know he was ousted she is no longer in position and when it comes to the department of justice which is the

executive agency their efforts their programs were the ones mainly cited by the human rights council for issuing that soft richelieu shouldn't technical assistance and with money started all these projects and i'm just going to state the day. the drug war review panel was created in june when when i say yes when they already knew that people are worried that you will appreciate and that technical assistance by the united nations has not yet been officially begun the deficit midnight confirmed that the me yesterday she said he said they're still waiting for a document the beside before the technical assistance. all right we've run out of time so we're going to have to leave the conversation there thank you so much to all of our guests carlos condé richard hay darien and leon blon and thank you too for watching you can see this and all our previous episodes again any time by visiting our website al-jazeera dot com and for further discussion go to our facebook page that's facebook dot com forward slash a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter our handle is at a.j.

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