Development for Whom? | A campaign on so-called ‘development’ projects in Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar

As the fight for fundamental freedoms and sustainable development grows more complex, APHR is rising to meet the challenge. This month, we launched Development for Whom?— a bold new campaign that exposes the human and environmental toll of extractive industries and mega-projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

BACKGROUND:
Southeast Asia is renowned for its vibrant cultures and abundant natural resources—from thriving marine ecosystems and fertile farmlands to lush rainforests and rugged mountains rich in biodiversity. The region’s immense wealth underpins vital industries such as agriculture, fisheries, construction, technology and energy (both renewable and fossil fuels).

However, under the guise of ‘modernization and development’, these resources have often been exploited, becoming a pretext for Western colonization and later, widespread plunder by private and foreign-owned corporations and state institutions. These actions have frequently come at significant social and environmental costs.

To spotlight— in Indonesia, extensive nickel mining operations and state-initiated dams, power plants and plantations among others have accelerated deforestation, polluted water sources and displaced indigenous communities. In the Philippines, rapid development in urban and rural areas led to land grabbing and militarization, dispossessing fisherfolk, farmers and indigenous peoples. And in Myanmar, decades of conflict, intensified by the 2021 coup, have spurred unchecked resource extraction exacerbating environmental degradation, increasing climate risks and perpetuating human rights violations.

Development for Whom? | a campaign on human rights amidst national development projects and extractive industries in Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar
This campaign will zoom in on the human cost of so-called progress. From the deployment of state forces to drive farmers and indigenous peoples away from their ancestral lands, bypassing laws and the overruling of local communities’ consent, the extrajudicial killings of environmental defenders and the suppression of journalistic investigations exemplify some of the most severe violations of human rights and environmental integrity often driven by the pursuit of profit for a select few. ​

Amidst towering buildings and brawny expressways, grand economic hubs and expansive organic farms, to shopping malls on reclaimed land, mega plantations and solar farms, the wealth and social equity gap continues to widen—enriching the ruling elite, while the majority remains mired in poverty. ​

This advocacy campaign therefore offers a crucial opportunity for policymakers, civil society and advocates, to use evidence-based storytelling to advance urgent action in addressing environmental challenges and upholding human rights in the region.

By influencing policy, building knowledge and raising awareness, we can champion the right to a safe, clean and healthy environment for this generation and the next.

🧐 STAY TUNED to APHR’s channels as we prepare to launch a set of tools for action—designed to help policymakers and advocates engage, resist, and demand a future where people and the planet come before profit.

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Know more about our CCBHR/Climate Change, Business and Human Rights work here: https://aseanmp.org/our-work/climate-change