GENEVA, March 9 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Tuesday
condemned the killing by Philippine police of nine activists in
weekend raids against suspected insurgents and urged authorities
to avoid rhetoric that could lead to human rights violations.
Rights groups have accused President Rodrigo Duterte of
encouraging a crackdown on activists to silence dissent and
target his detractors, under the guise of intensified
counter-insurgency operations against Maoist rebels.
His government has said Sunday's killings were lawful and
legitimate operations, but has promised a full investigation.
"We are deeply worried that these latest killings indicate
an escalation of violence, intimidation harassment and 'red
tagging' of human rights defenders," U.N. human rights
spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing in Geneva.
An influential church group on Monday expressed alarm at the
killings and concern about "red-tagging", or the labelling of
opponents as communists or terrorists to justify targeting them.
Rights groups said those killed in Sunday's raids were
activists, not combatants.
Their deaths came two days after Duterte told security
forces they could kill communist rebels if they were holding a
gun, and to "ignore human rights". Activists said the raids were reminiscent of thousands of
deadly police operations under Duterte's bloody anti-drugs
crackdown, in which police said all of the victims were armed
and had resisted arrest.
Critics accuse Duterte of openly encouraging police to kill
drug suspects. His office rejects that.
Shamdasani urged police to "take urgent measures to prevent
the use of excessive force" and the government and security
forces to "refrain from rhetoric that may lead to violations".
Shamdasani said an investigation must be "conducted with a
view to accountability".
"The fact remains that most of the perpetrators of these
human rights violations are enjoying impunity to this day," she
said.