Searched the resource database for : All Results AND Regions=Philippines AND Topic=Criminal Violence
Haven't found what you are looking for? To further refine your search: Click on the 'advanced search' menu to filter by title, abstract, source, and/or publication date; to include or exclude multiple resource categories, regions or topics.
Abstract: Asia faces a fundamental challenge of how to respond to a number of emerging issues. This challenge stems not only from competition between states but also from human-induced disturbances to the balance of nature that affect the well being and security of states and societies. These issues, amongst others, are climate change, environment and human security, energy and the new dynamics of internal conflicts. Given the transnational nature of these challenges, it is necessary to identify and examine them in order to inform policy, and foster creative and innovating analysis of multi-level governance. The trans-border security implications of human insecurities caused by internal conflicts make for a compelling case to investigate the dynamics of internal conflicts, and multi-level governance and multilateral approaches to conflict prevention and resolutions in East Asia. The multiplicity of internal conflict patterns in Asia has dramatically increased the human costs of conflicts and violent threats faced by people within states. These have resulted in an array of human insecurities, from poverty and human deprivation; mass population displacement; worsening human rights abuses; marginalisation; threats of infectious diseases; and forced migration to a host of transnational crimes. In Southeast Asia, these internal conflicts include the recently-resolved secessionist problem in Aceh and communal violence in Indonesia, the problem in Muslim provinces in Southern Thailand, and the Moro problem in the Philippines.
Abstract: Although reports of targeted killings in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, are not new,
the number of victims has seen a steady rise over many years. In Davao City, the number has
risen from two in 1998 to 98 in 2003 to 124 in 2008. In 2009, 33 killings were reported in
January alone. In recent years the geographical scope of such killings has expanded far
beyond Davao City and other cities on the southern island of Mindanao to Cebu City, the
Philippines’ second largest metropolis. An already serious problem is becoming much worse.
This report provides an anatomy of death squad operations. It is based on our investigations
of 28 killings, 18 of which took place in 2007 and 2008. The victims include children as
young as 14. In researching this report, we found evidence of complicity and at times direct
involvement of government officials and members of the police in killings by the so-called
Davao Death Squad (DDS). We obtained detailed and consistent information on the DDS
from relatives and friends of death squad members with direct knowledge of death squad
operations, as well as journalists, community activists, and government officials who
provided detailed corroborating evidence. Our research found that the killings follow a pattern. The assailants usually arrive in twos or
threes on a motorcycle without a license plate. They wear baseball caps and buttoned shirts
or jackets, apparently to conceal their weapons underneath. They shoot or, increasingly,
stab their victim without warning, often in broad daylight and in presence of multiple
eyewitnesses, for whom they show little regard. And as quickly as they arrive, they ride off—
but almost always before the police appear.
Abstract: Young people are potentially a tremendous force for change in conflict-affected countries
for both good and bad. Directing the energy of youth towards reconstruction is
a challenge and requires rapid interventions in the areas of education, family life and
health, economic empowerment and civic participation.
Abstract: This report, based on over 100 interviews and research that Human Rights Watch carried out in the Philippines between September and November 2006, documents the involvement of the armed forces in the killings of individuals because of their political activities. Witnesses and family members describe how members of left-wing political parties and non-governmental organizations, political journalists, outspoken clergy, anti-mining activists, and agricultural reform activists are being gunned down or "disappeared," with their murders going unprosecuted.
Abstract: xe2x80x98Human securityxe2x80x98 is clearly a growing and evolving
concept in the discourse of global security. Over the last decade,
with increasing attention from the political and academic
community, the concept of human security has developed into a
major issue of debate as it transcends the traditional concept of
state security and gives individual security precedence over
territorial security.
Within East Asia, the concept of human security has not
yet been established, and thus has not been considered as a
security concern. East Asia itself is a vast region, stretching from
Korea, Japan and China in the north to Myanmar, Indonesia and
Singapore in the south, including at least fifteen countries where
about 40 per cent of the world population lives. The region as a
whole has experienced many important and fundamental
changes since the 1960s, not only in terms of economic growth
but also in terms of political and social transformation. It is also
the centre of major concerns about human rights abuses, poverty,
refugee problems, human and drug trafficking, HIV/AIDS,
environmental degradation and food insecurity, all of which
increasingly threaten the security and order of East Asia.
Abstract: The Philippines is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Philippine women are often lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment and are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. A significant number of the 71,084 Philippine women who entered Japan as overseas performing artists in 2004 are believed to have been women trafficked into the sex trade. Philippine men and women who go overseas to work in domestic service and the construction and garment industries often face exploitative conditions that meet the definition of involuntary servitude xe2x80x94 a severe form of trafficking in persons. Organized criminal gangs typically trafficked persons from China through the country to other destinations, although occasionally the country was the final destination.
Abstract: Trafficking in human beings - mostly women and children - has become a global business
that affects almost all countries and reaps enormous profits for traffickers and their intermediaries.
Human trafficking is not new. What is new is the global sophistication, complexity and consolidation
of trafficking networks, and the increasing numbers of women and children who are
trafficked from/to/in all parts of the globe.
Researchers differ on the numbers of women trafficked. United Nations (UN) reports estimate
that 4 million women have been trafficked from one country to another and within countries
(Arlacchi, 2000: 7). U.S. reports cite 700,000 to two million women and children internationally
trafficked each year into the sex industry and for labor (Richard, 1999). All estimates, however,
are preliminary. The most prevalent forms of se#x trafficking are for prostitution, sex tourism, and
mail-order bride industries. Women and children are also trafficked for bonded labor and domestic
work, and much of this trafficking concludes with their being sexually exploited as well.
Abstract:
An x-ray of the Sri Lankan policing system & torture of the poor is the third report produced on police torture and other abuses in Sri Lanka by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and its sister organization, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC). The first report was 'Torture committed by# the police in Sri Lanka' (article 2, vol. 1, no. 4, August 2002) and the second was 'Torture and the collapse of policing in Sri Lanka' (article 2, vol. 3, no. 1 February 2004). Together, these three reports present a significant number of cases that establish a pattern of systematic torture taking place at police stations and during routine criminal investigations throughout Sri Lanka.
The factual material and analyses presented in these reports can give rise to serious studies in many fields such as political science, constitutional studies and sociological studies. The reports may even help to initiate new approaches to the study of Sri Lanka's political, social and cultural problems. Such studies are very much needed, if only to prevent the current shallow discussions that take place. The insights gained from the study of one of the primary institutions in the country-the police-can shed light on most other problems in Sri Lanka.
Abstract: The research leading to this publication aimed to collect data on the modus operandi of the trafficking
in Filipinos, in particular, smuggling and trafficking routes, recruitment
practices, use of fraudulent documentation, transport methods, deception,
coercion and exploitation, the involvement of organized crime groups,
criminal justice responses and victim reporting patterns. This was
accomplished through victim surveys, criminal justice expert interviews and
case files analysis. NGOs were also interviewed in the Philippines with the
objective of identifying the quality of services provided and the special
needs of trafficked victims.
Abstract: Rough estimates indicate that around 200 million people world-wide are in some way
under the control of traffickers and agents of deception of various kinds. About 30
million of these are women and children being trafficked within and from Southeast
Asia.1 According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), an office attached to
the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), of the six million Filipinos
estimated to be overseas, around 1.8 million are said to be undocumented. In 1995, it
was estimated that there could be as many as 100,000 Filipinos working illegally in
Japan. A percentage of these are victims of human trafficking.
Abstract: The focus of the research summarized in this document
was to determine certain aspects of trafficking in persons between the Philippines and
Western Europe to include modes of recruitment, transportation, use of fraudulent documents,
deception and exploitation, routes, corruption and collusion and the involvement of organised
criminal groups.
Abstract: The Philippines is a source country of migrant workers. Recruitment agencies and
placement firms arrange migrant workers' travel and employment, however, not all of
these agencies and firms operate within the law. The trafficking process, originating
in the Philippines, has been xe2x80x98very creative'. Trafficked Filipinos include those who
were xe2x80x98legitimately' recruited, promised high-paying jobs, but ended up as prostitutes;
those who left as tourists and ended up as domestic helpers, exotic dancers, or bar
girls; women who were willing or coerced victims of the mail-order bride trade.
Often there is a continuum between smuggling and trafficking as victims who depart
the Philippines undocumented (or with forged documents) are trafficked upon
reaching the country of destination. By placing herself in the hands of smugglers,
albeit voluntarily, an individual has already ceded control of her fate and is therefore
vulnerable to situations in which migrant smuggling can degenerate into trafficking of
persons. Many trafficking victims fall prey to this practice because they seek a better
life or enhanced economic opportunities. They are, therefore, vulnerable to false
promises of good jobs and higher wages.
Abstract: Australia has passed legislation making organised people smuggling a criminal offence,
carrying maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment and/or fines of up to $220,000. In
Australia there is no specific law against trafficking in persons. The criminal provisions
aiming to capture "trafficking" activities are the Slavery and Sexual Servitude provisions
under the Commonwealth Criminal Code. These provisions were enacted only recently, in
1999, and to date there have been no prosecutions under this legislation. Consequently,
official police statistics on the number of persons trafficked to Australia do not exist. The
number of trafficked persons is, however, thought to be small. It is generally accepted that
human trafficking is not a significant problem in Australia. This view is supported by findings
of the U.S. Department of State in its recent global report into trafficking in persons. The
report attempted to encompass all countries which have a significant number (defined as "in
the hundreds") of trafficking victims. Australia was not a listed country in this report.
Abstract: The economic condition of the country, which started to decline during the 1970s, and the
scarcity of employment opportunities forced Filipinos to seek overseas job opportunities.
Filipinos responded to the increasing demands for skilled construction workers, engineers,
nurses, care-givers, domestic helpers and entertainers in the Middle East, East Asian
countries, Europe and the United States.
Currently, the Philippines is one of largest migrant countries in the world. A percentage of
this large migrant population comprises illegal migrants. Some of these are victims of human
trafficking. In spite of the existence of legal channels for overseas employment in the
Philippines, intermediaries who offer their services for the expeditious but illegal alternatives
continue to exist, and this contributes to the problem of trafficking. Victims are subject to
contract violations regarding pay and working conditions, are deceived about the nature of
work they will have to undertake after arrival in the destination country, are forced into sexual
contact with customers, and subjected to various forms of coercion, manipulation, physical
and sexual assaults.
Abstract: Sabah, a state in the south of Malaysia, was chosen as a main focus for the study on
trafficking of Filipinos to Malaysia. It serves as the main entrance point to the country,
particularly for Filipino women who are often trafficked into the sex industry. Statistics
providing an indication of the seriousness of the problem show that of the 3.123 Filipinas
arrested by the Malaysian Police Department in the year 2000 for their involvement in vice
activities, 3,117 were arrested in Sabah. The Fed#eral Territory of Labuan (FT Labuan)
serves as the centre of the sex industry in Sabah and was selected for the study of trafficked
victims as it hosts a number of entertainment centres in which the women are employed.
Abstract: This article discusses the threats to maritime security in Southeast Asia, describes the factors tending toward strengthened maritime security cooperation, and argues that networks of bilateral relationships may be more fruitful than purely multilateral arrangements. The first section, a historical overview of maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia from the end of the Cold War through December 2004, is followed by a survey of contemporary maritime security threats. The article then discusses five significant factors that now favor improved maritime cooperation. It concludes with the various forms that future cooperation might take and speculation as to which are mostly likely in light of evolving state interests and constraints.
Abstract: From the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the townships of Cape Town, from the inner-city communities of Kingston, to the rural provinces of the Philippines or the ghettoes of Chicago, children and youth are dying in increasing numbers due to gun violence. While some die in gang disputes, some in organised crime, and others in direct conflict with state security forces, increasing firearms-related mortality reflects the growing involvement of young people in organised armed groups that function outside of traditionally defined war zones. The shocking reality is presented in a new book released by Viva Rio, which challenges the traditional parameters of definitions such as armed conflict, crime and delinquency; a reality that for many young people who live it daily is Neither War nor Peace.
Abstract: At the beginning of 2005, Southeast Asian security cooperation is still regarded as inadequate to defend the region against maritime threats. However, structural, economic and normative factors are enabling greater cooperation in the post-9/11 "Age of Terror". This article opens with a brief outline of the history of Southeast Asian maritime security cooperation from 1990 to December 2004, and then discusses the various maritime threats faced by the region. It next describes five factors that are enabling greater maritime security cooperation in the Age of Terror. The potential application of those factors is assessed to anticipate the most likely forms of future regional cooperation. While cooperation will expand on many levels the most fruitful cooperation will result from improved networks of bilateral relationships. Information in this working paper will be of interest to those seeking to understand the cooperation and security dynamics of this important and intensely maritime region. It should be of specific interest to those policymakers seeking to improve international cooperation to combat Southeast Asian transnational maritime threats such as terrorism, piracy and smuggling.
Abstract: U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, Africa, the Philippines, and Colombia
are part of the U.S.-initiated Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). These operations
cover a wide variety of combat and non-combat missions ranging from fighting
insurgents, to civil affairs and reconstruction operations, to training military forces
of other nations in counternarcotics, counterterrorism and counterinsurgency tactics.
Numbers of U.S. forces involved in these operations range from 18,000 to just a few
hundred. Some have argued that U.S. military operations in these countries are
achieving a degree of success and suggest that they may offer some lessons that
might be applied in Iraq as well as for future GWOT operations. Potential issues for
Congress include the long-term U.S. military strategy in Southeast Asia and Africa,
proposals for NATO to assume command of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in
Afghanistan, and how counternarcotics operations in that country should be
conducted. This report will not discuss the provision of equipment and weapons to
countries where the U.S. military is conducting counterterrorism operations nor will
it address Foreign Military Sales (FMS) which are also aspects of the
Administration's GWOT military strategy. This report will be updated on a periodic
basis.
Abstract: UNESCO Director-General Koxc3xafchiro Matsuura today condemned the murder and torture of Philippines reporter Stephen Omais and voiced alarm at escalating violence against journalists in the Philippines.
Abstract: The Philippines is a country of origin, transit, and destination for human trafficking. Within the country, women and children are trafficked from rural and semi rural to urban areas, especially tourist cities.
Abstract: This report sheds analytical light on the complex linkages between economic factors and the conflict in Mindanano, and on the possible role of local business leaders and their associates in communities of other sectors in the country in breaking these links. It also explores options for government in addressing these dynamics.
Abstract: The brutality in Kosovo, East Timor, and Rwanda has fed the conventional wisdom that tribal and nationalist fighting is raging out of control. It is not. Since the early 1990s, the number of new ethnic wars has dropped sharply and many old ones have been settled. The world has found a new way to manage secessionism and nationalist passions: granting autonomy, devolving and sharing state power, and recognizing group rights. Ethnic warfare's heyday may have belonged to the last century.
