IRRI, Guilty!

Last April 4, members of several representative organisations and other interested parties came together for a tribunal hearing at the University of the Philippines Diliman. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was being indicted with committing crimes against the peasants of Asia including violating the rights of employees, land grabbing, and chemical poisoning.

The nature of these decrees has meant that IRRI is unable to be prosecuted or held legally accountable for action it has taken in the past or that it may take in the future.

The tribunal featured several distinguished participants, including Dr. Irene Fernandez (Asian Peasant Coalition Treasurer) as Chief Judge and Dr. Romeo Quijano (Professor of Toxicology, University of the Philippines Manila), both of whom have received internationally recognised awards for their advocacy work.

The proceedings consisted of presentation of evidences from five witnesses being presented to two judges, two prosecutors, and six jurors who were to deliberate on the evidence before reaching a verdict on the charges laid.

The proceedings opened with a speech from Dr. Gene Nisperos, Secretary General of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) who emphasised the tribunal as a venue for the sharing of experiences with IRRI and the struggle for genuine land reform, the need to expose IRRI and hold them accountable for their crimes, and to strengthen the international movement against TNCs and US imperial globalisation.

The role of the two judges at the tribunal was to analyse the evidence presented and be able to request more information from the witnesses. Joining the Chief Judge Dr. Irene Fernandez, was Atty. Jobert Pahilga, Executive Trustee of Sentro para sa Tunay na Repromang Agraryo(SENTRA). The judges were deemed to complete their task with considerable skill, requesting particularly relevant and pertinent information from the various witnesses.

The five witnesses consisted of members of several organisations who had had a variety of detrimental experiences with the actions of IRRI over the 46years since it came into existence. The first witness was Danilo Ramos, Secretary General of the KMP and ACP.

The primary issues brought to the KMP by farmers is the lack of available land, low returns as a result of high farming costs combined with low product prices, and the effects of militarisation and land grabbing activities. It was this issue of land grabbing that was most pertinent to the proceedings as Ramos, more popularly called Ka Daning, presented evidence of more than 100 peasants who were evicted from their land when IRRI was established in Los Ba?os in 1959.

"Farmers in Laguna recounted that in 1974, IRRI, together with the University of the Philippines Los Ba?os (UPLB), literally rounded-up local farmers to ask that they give up their lands,"said Ka Daning. "UPLB officials explained that the lands were needed for government experiments. They made agreements with the tenants that they would be offered regular and permanent employment with IRRI that would be passed to their family after they could no longer work themselves." These agreements, however, were revoked over 3 periods of mass retrenchment from IRRI in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

An additional issue with the retrenchments was the significant numbers of workers who were suffering illness and disease attributed to their time working for IRRI, particularly those frequently exposed to toxic chemicals used in the experimental fields without being issued protective clothing or masks. Aurelio Mercado, a former tenant and employee of IRRI of almost 20 years, testified on this issue. Ka Ure was a part of the first wave of retrenchments in 1997, leaving him without an income or land to support him or his family. His repeated exposure to chemicals led to diseases and illnesses that he is suffering up until the present. "Unfortunately, we have not received any help from IRRI," said Ka Ure.

The use of chemicals by IRRI had also caused contamination of several local water sources. Unfortunately for those affected by these actions, IRRI has been able to ignore its moral responsibilities by adhering to the immunity offered by PD 1620. Because of this, there is no avenue for Mr Mercado or others like him to prosecute for compensation for their suffering, leaving them without access to expensive medical treatment.

The third witness was Dr. Romeo Quijano, Professor of Toxicology at the University of the Philippines Manila (also President of PAN Philippines and Convener for RESIST Agrochemical TNCs). He outlined the medical complications associated with prolonged and repeated exposure to the particular chemicals used by IRRI over the years. "Several chemicals used by IRRI had been banned from use in the US," said Dr. Quijano. "And yet IRRI had blatantly ignored these decisions and utilised these chemicals in their trials thus, knowingly exposing their employees to the risks associated with their use."

Dr. Quijano supported the evidence given by Ka Ure in acknowledging that employees who had been retrenched had no access to compensation for their suffering due to PD 1620, and thus many were unable to seek appropriate medical treatment, often resulting in further suffering, and in some cases death.

The fourth witness was Dr. Shahid Zia, Executive Director of the Lok Sanjh Foundation in Pakistan. Dr. Zia described how prior to the 'Green Revolution' traditional farmers had had very few problems with pests and had been able to effectively manage pest populations using traditional methods. "As a result of IRRI introducing the use of pesticides with the 'Green Revolution' many pests have developed immunity to the chemicals," said Dr. Zia. "The infestations occur much more frequently and greater ferocity than before."

He added that many beneficial wildlife that farmers had kept in order to manage the populations of destructive wildlife were affected by the use of these pesticides, thus contributing to the overall increase is pest control problems.

Dr Zia also explained the increasing significance of the so-called 'Gene Revolution'. He brought attention to the way in which IRRI, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) in Pakistan, had altered crops of Basmati rice to have no flavour or smell, thus eradicating attributes that are highly sought after by farmers and consumers alike. IRRI and the ARI also used their partnership to attempt to control the farming of Basmati rice by encouraging the Pakistani government to allow only their modified crops to be planted. "Obviously this behaviour is detrimental to the sustainability of traditional farming methods and rice varieties, while mono-cropping has also proven to encourage more frequent and severe pest infestations," said Dr. Zia.

The final witness was Ms. Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director of PANAP (Malaysia). She spoke of the relationships between the World Bank, Ford, The Rockefeller Foundation and IRRI, and how they were not serving the interests of the farmers. "A decline in external funding has driven IRRI to rely more on their Gene Bank to provide the necessary monies for their activities," noted Ms. Rengam.

"While research into rice is essential, there were some activities undertaken by IRRI - particularly those centered on genetic- and bio- technologies and the use of chemicals - that have proved a failure and should cease immediately," she added. She also supported Dr. Zia's evidence relating to increases in pest populations and frequency of infestations as a result of upsetting the balance between primary and secondary pests due to the use of chemical control methods.

After the witnesses had presented their evidence, the prosecutors summed up the case and left the jury to deliberate a verdict. While it was no surprise that it was a unanimous "GUILTY", it was clear that the determination and courage of the people affected by IRRIs actions had been vindicated. Each member of the jury - made up of representatives from various farmer and peasant organisations - was required to elaborate on why they personally had reached their decision. It was obvious that the decisions were not reached as a result of bias or prejudice, but were based on the facts presented before them over the course of the day.

The event ended successfully with a peaceful torch rally by the people through the University of the Philippines Diliman. The tribunal was organized by KMP and RESIST Agrochemical TNCs, and sponsored by PANAP and the Asian Peasants Coalition (APC).

Despite an invitation to attend and participate in the tribunal, no representatives from IRRI were present. However, had IRRI been represented it would have been an acknowledgment to the people laying the charges that IRRI was legitimising the proceedings and therefore also legitimising the charges and acknowledging responsibility for their past and present actions.