Jalaur River for the People’s Movement (JRPM) members and supporters picketed before the Iloilo Provincial Capitol on August 25 to inform the island’s officials of the ongoing human rights violations and environmental destruction caused by the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II (JRMP II), more commonly known as the Jalaur Mega Dam. The protest action was conducted in solidarity with the Tumandok during the International Day of Solidarity and Action for the Tumandok and as part of the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Month.

The action acknowledged and honored the Tumandok heroes and martyrs who have long fought to defend their ancestral land and community against the dam’s damaging effects. The protest aimed to amplify the call for justice and accountability for the serious violations related to the dam’s construction, which began as early as 2011.

Meanwhile, the JRPM recently filed a complaint against the Korean Export-Import Bank (KEXIM/EDCF) and Daewoo E&C for their role in widespread human rights violations, environmental destruction, and breaches of international standards. The group went to South Korea to file the complaint in the courts there with the help of Korean groups like People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) and lawyers from Advocates for Public Law Interest.

“KEXIM/EDCF violated its own EDCF safeguard policies by funding a project that caused irreparable harm to the Tumandok and their ancestral lands,” JRPM coordinator John Ian Alenciaga stated. “Militarization, red-tagging, threats, and harassment continue in Tumandok communities, and many fled their lands following the 2020 Tumandok Massacre. KEXIM and Daewoo must be held accountable. Funding must be stopped, justice must be delivered to the victims, and full accountability must be ensured.”

The project will displace 17,000 people, destroy their livelihoods, and wipe out the Tumandok cultural heritage. The gravest crimes committed by the state, in collusion with the project’s financiers, include the massacre of nine Tumandok, and the arrest of sixteen more, for opposing the dam.

“Daewoo E&C must engage with the affected communities and acknowledge their accountability. The Korean NCP must facilitate this process to ensure corporate accountability and justice in line with OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) standards,” Advocates for Public Law Interest lawyer Jung Shin-young said.

They demand the immediate halt of dam construction and justice for all victims of abuse and military crimes.