Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

Chapter 2.1: Local Community Assistance
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capital, forcing the government to finally rescind the permit,
subject to investigation. 16
If all else fails the next level of struggle is direct action,
or non-violent civil disobedience. Following the example of
rights campaigners, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin
Luther King, the aim is to bring attention to an ignored issue.
Sometimes communities have no option but to set up barricades
if they have tried everything, and the bulldozers are
approaching. If direct action is being considered, then make
sure that all those participating are well briefed and trained,
especially to ensure they are not provoked into violence. It is
likely to be an action of last resort, as—depending on the government—the
repercussions can be severe, and “anti-mining
activists” are increasingly being branded as “terrorists,” and
so facing more extreme legal punishments or becoming susceptible
to non-judicial abuses. It may also turn public opinion
against the struggle, and the legal costs involved could cripple
other activities.
In many circumstances it has the power to unite a community,
however, galvanized into an action of last resort. Recent
examples of communities raising blockades include attempts
by indigenous campesinos in Peru to stop the Minas Conga
project, a massive expansion of Newmont’s Yanacocha mine
back in November 2011 (a stand-off that has fatally escalated
since violent dispersals by the authorities). In June 2011, tribal
villagers in Orissa in India led a peaceful human barricade
against Posco’s proposed $12-billion steel plant, which forced
the state to stop the land acquisition process. 17 There are a
number of examples referred to in this book, including in
India and Nigeria, of where opposition to the practices of the
extractive industries have been a cause of violent insurrection.
It is obviously not within the scope of this book to offer advice
on these matters, but of course they stand as a stark warning
to companies of the ultimate risk from failing to deal with the
demands of local people.
It is also important to consider creating economic alternatives
to the extractive industries. The main argument used
by the company is likely to be on the provision of jobs and
wealth, so work on creating viable, long-term alternatives. In