Criminalization

Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants, local communities, and the women within them face growing criminalization and violence in response to defending their lands. All of the Coalition’s work serves to prevent criminalization, as secure, legally recognized community land rights make it more difficult for governments to label communities illegal in their own territories or call them terrorists for defending them. But the Coalition also combats this trend directly by supporting efforts in key countries to address criminalization on the ground, and by elevating these issues in global discourse.

RRI supported research by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, to examine the impact of criminalization on Indigenous Peoples. The report finds a pattern of abuse, with both physical and legal violence used to silence Indigenous Peoples voicing opposition to project that threaten their livelihoods and cultures. To view the report and for more information, please visit www.TheyShouldHaveKnownBetter.com.

RRI supports efforts by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to raise the alarm on this issue globally, including through Land Rights Now. It also directly supports efforts in key countries to address criminalization. These have included:

Co-founding a criminalization fund in Indonesia to provide emergency support to defenders who have been arrested. The fund is administered through a coalition of civil society organizations, showcasing how collective networked action can be leveraged to protect rights.
Supporting efforts to collect data on conflict including in India, where RRI supports Land Conflict Watch, a rapidly growing monitoring platform that has tracked over 600 land-related conflicts in under 2 years. The Coalition has also supported efforts to oppose a Supreme Court Decision in India that could result in the eviction of millions of people from their forests.
Amplifying campaigns in countries like Colombia, where Indigenous, community, and Afro-descendant land rights defenders are calling for an end to criminalization and implementation of their rights under the Peace Accord.
Supporting efforts by Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and community advocates in Brazil to raise awareness of the impacts of criminalization.

Resources Recap

TheyShouldHaveKnownBetter.com, a website housing the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ report and related country findings and testimonies on the impact of criminalization on Indigenous Peoples
Land Rights Now, a global campaign for Indigenous, and community land rights co-convened by Oxfam, the International Land Coalition, and RRI
Cornered by Protected Areas, a website housing a report on the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to conservation efforts as well as the impacts of conservation on communities
Land Conflict Watch, a monitoring platform of land-related conflicts in India
Defend the Defenders Coalition
Global Witness’ most recent report on the killings of land rights defenders
Front Line Defenders

Criminalization

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