Tribal communities, environmentalists and human rights groups are asking the government to stop its plan for training private armed groups to serve as security guards for mining firms in southern Philippines.

Citing human rights violations by paramilitary groups, the People’s Network for the Environment (PNE) today said the plan does not address the problem and even skirts the issue of destructive practices by mining companies.

President Benigno Aquino recently approved an armed forces’ proposal to train and employ militias to provide security to mining firms following a raid by communist rebels on three mining companies in Surigao del Norte on October 3.

“We see the [armed forces’] collusion with the Surigao mining corporations to heighten militarization in communities severely affected by their operations as an open threat to critics…. The established link of militarization and human rights violations has been all too apparent in the past decade,” said Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of PNE.

Mamanwa tribesmen and their leaders in Surigao del Norte also urged the national government to dig deeper into the cause of indigenous people’s complaints against mining and logging that allegedly led to the recent rebel attacks.

“What the government is now doing is merely a ‘Band-Aid’ solution,” they said. “[It plans to] beef up security in mining areas but this is not the solution…. No matter how much propaganda is done, sooner or later they will be attacked again, and again.”

Amnesty International, backed by local human rights groups, also criticized Aquino’s plan, saying the UN has already determined that the use of such militias at remote mining areas has put indigenous people at risk.