Rights & Democracy Human Rights Impact Assessment Methodology and Execution Problematic
Flawed Execution Results in Flawed Information & Conclusions
- TVI co-operated with Rights & Democracy; supports the Rights
& Democracy mission and the development of the Human Rights Impact
Assessment Methodology (HRIA)
- But criticizes "flawed execution" - through the use of biased,
anti-mining organizations as the Philippines "research team"; instead of
impartial observers or community representatives
- Disappointed that Rights & Democracy failed to honour commitment to a consultative process
- Philippines case study included in the Report is substantially
incorrect/distorted in fact and interpretation rendering its
conclusions/recommendations questionable
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(CCNMatthews - May 30, 2007) - TVI Pacific Inc.
(TSX:TVI) ("TVI" or the "Company") announced today that, while it
applauds the mission and objectives set out in the recently published
Rights & Democracy Report, entitled "Human Rights Impact Assessments
for Foreign Investment Projects", the Company is very critical of the
flawed execution of the Philippines Case Study contained in the Report.
TVI Pacific voluntarily participated in the Philippines Case Study,
as the Company is proud of its achievements in advancing human rights in
the communities in which it is active in the Philippines. The Company
believes that further progress in relation to human rights and the
development of indigenous peoples is attainable with the benefit of an
open dialogue involving interested parties and constructive input from
objective third parties. TVI Pacific is supportive of the Rights &
Democracy goal to develop and test a methodology for human rights impact
assessments for foreign investment projects and proposes to adopt a
modified Human Rights Impact Assessment Methodology to augment the
existing Social Impact Assessment approach for project scoping and
development.
However, the Philippines Case Study included in the Report is, in
the Company's view, seriously flawed and factually incorrect in a number
of important respects. The Case Study was prepared not directly by
Rights & Democracy, but rather by a "research team", which consisted
of well-known opponents of the mining industry in general and TVI
Pacific's Canatuan project in particular. Predictably, the Case Study
evidences a biased view of TVI Pacific's operations in the Philippines
and completely ignores the positive effects of its numerous initiatives
to improve the well-being and standard of living of the indigenous
population in the area surrounding its Canatuan mine and its efforts to
minimize the environmental impact of mining operations at Canatuan.
"We expect it is more than simple coincidence that the conclusions
and recommendations set out in the Philippines Case Study coincide with
positions advocated by members of the "research team" over the past
decade", noted Cliff James, the President and Chief Executive Officer of
TVI Pacific. "Those organizations have consistently taken positions
adverse to TVI Pacific over an extended period of time and the
Philippines Case Study included in the Report provided them with another
forum to propagate their agenda. A central feature of that agenda is
the prevention of new foreign financed mining projects in the
Philippines, such as TVI's Canatuan project, and the repeal of the
Philippines Mining Act, which certain of the members of the "research
team" unsuccessfully challenged before the Philippines courts. Not
surprisingly, the "research team" largely ignored the very positive
benefits that our presence in the Philippines has produced in the areas
of human rights, health, education, security, employment, standard of
living, culture, housing and freedom of association, all of which would
be adversely affected if we were to suspend our operations at Canatuan
as they wish. In the Report, Rights & Democracy indicated that it is
not in a position to verify the facts stated in the case studies and
disclaimed responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness
of the information set out in those case studies. Having regard to the
ideological and economic agendas of the groups comprising the
Philippines "research team", a biased approach to the Philippines Case
Study was foreseeable and we are disappointed that Rights &
Democracy did not take steps to ensure a balanced, objective approach."
A more objective review of the human rights impact of the project
would have included an assessment of the following initiatives
introduced by TVI in the following areas:
Right to Health: Including the provision of a hospital; Operation
Smile (that repaired a widespread harelip affliction); prevention of
maternal and infant mortality; sanitation programs; and many more
Right to Education: Nine Company paid teachers teaching in six
schools; 19 college scholars; 12 students receiving educational
assistance; have provided schools and classrooms, and school supplies,
computers and other instructional materials and equipment, continuing
Indigenous People capacity building
Right to Life and Security: The security force has served as a
deterrent to attacks from armed groups operating in the area making
residents more mobile and safe even at night
Right to Work: Reference the large number of Subanons in active
employment; the employment multiplier in the area; the on-the-job and
pre-employment training
Right to an Adequate Standard of Living - In addition to wages and
employment: the livelihood programs, the entrepreneurial developments,
the provision of water, electricity, sanitation, transportation, and
more
Right to Culture: Reference the program of Subanon cultural
promotion, art workshops, youth camp focusing on cultural promotion,
community museum
Right to Self-determination: The representatives of the majority of
the indigenous community, supported by the majority, entered into a
Memorandum of Agreement that provides a Royalty of 1% of gross revenues
and many other benefits and rights
Right to Housing: The Company is constructing the new Tanuman village and other housing projects
Respect for the Right of Freedom of Association: Recognition of both
new and traditional institutions and the dignity of the indigenous
leaders: the Council of Elders, the Siocon Subanon Association Inc., the
Siocon Subanon Women's Association Inc., the Community Youth Achievers
It is also important, from a human rights perspective, that the
presence of TVI has intensified and is continuing to increase the
presence of government and government services in a location where the
State was previously absent. Among the mechanisms to achieve this goal
has been a partnership of TVI and the local government to deliver a
number of joint projects for the benefit of the community, including a
spillway to facilitate transportation to the Municipality, and the
promotion of sports and community projects.
Readers are invited to review the companion document to this News Release, available on the Company's website at tvi2014.q4web.com,
for a more detailed critique of the Philippines Case Study and a review
of the positive impact on human rights contributed by the Company.
Readers are also invited to consult the web site of TVI Pacific's
Philippines affiliate, TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. ("TVIRD")
at www.tviphilippines.com
for extensive coverage of the programs contributing to the improved
enjoyment of human rights in stakeholder communities as described above.
"That said," Mr. James added, "our activities are a work-in-progress
and we have made significant advances since the time of the study. Our
interaction with the Canadian team from Rights and Democracy has
strengthened our implementation of rights sensitive programming. In
addition, we share the sensitivity of all right-thinking people to the
issue of conflict and armed security in Mindanao; we are working to
implement the principles of the Voluntary Principles on Security and
Human Rights; and we are working in a number of ways to contribute to
demilitarization of the region - from the provision of economic
development and jobs, to rethinking security management."
Among other things, TVIRD recently appointed a Vice President of
Social Commitment, Ms. Feliece I. Yeban, who was previously a Professor
of Human Rights Education and was once Deputy Chair of Amnesty
International Philippines. Ms. Yeban has complete responsibility for all
of TVIRD's social development and community relations initiatives in
the Philippines. The Company's Social Commitments program is being
fashioned within a human rights paradigm in keeping with the Norms on
the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business
Enterprises with regard to Human Rights (the "UN Norms for Business").
TVI Pacific noted that its disappointment with the Report also
extends to a failure on the part of Rights & Democracy to uphold its
commitment to TVI to provide a draft copy of the Report to the Company
for comment, and to arrange a meeting with the Philippines "research
team" for discussion, prior to finalization of the Philippines Case
Study. Allowing interested parties to comment on a draft report is also
identified as an essential component of the methodology described by
Rights & Democracy in the Report. Step 7 of that methodology, as set
out in the Report, reads, in part, as follows: "The draft report will
be circulated for comment among all parties. The nature of unresolved
disputes and should be clearly articulated and included in the final
report, but the research team maintains responsibility for the final
content." Despite repeated requests, TVI Pacific was not provided with a
draft copy of the Report for comment, but rather received a copy of the
final report on Monday, May 28, 2007.
About TVI Pacific Inc. (TSX:TVI)
TVI Pacific Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian mining company
focused on exploring for and producing precious and base metals within
district scale systems in Asia.
In the Philippines, TVI's most advanced project, the Canatuan Mine
(the first foreign-invested, new, mining project in the Philippines
since the passage of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995) began mining and
milling operations in mid-2004, producing gold and silver dore through
its affiliate TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Ltd. ("TVIRD"). In 2006,
TVIRD received a completed NI 43-101 feasibility study on the Canatuan
Sulphide project prepared by Norwest Corporation. The report has been
filed with certain securities regulatory authorities in Canada and is
available at the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
The Norwest study addresses the copper-zinc bearing massive sulphide
zone, or lower portion of the Canatuan Deposit. Construction of the
Sulphide Project at Canatuan is now underway. In addition, TVIRD holds a
2.5% NSR on the Philippine-based Rapu Rapu project operated by
Lafayette Mining Ltd. Exploration in the Philippines is being conducted
at Canatuan, in an effort to expand TVIRD's mineral resource base and to
find new deposits, at Balabag and at other areas which management of
TVI view as compelling exploration properties.
In China, TVI's wholly-owned Chinese subsidiary, Hunan Pacific
Geological Exploration Inc. ("HPGEI"), was the first foreign mining
company to be granted both WOFE status and a Qualified Explorer License.
The exploration program in China is focused primarily within the Golden
Triangle area, a prospective metallogenic region in China's
south-western provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi Autonomous Region
and prospective areas in the Tibet Autonomous Region. HPGEI has 2,394
sq kms of land under application in China in the Golden Triangle and in
the Tibet A.R.
TVI also has a Drilling Segment consisting of Exploration Drilling
Corporation ("EDCO"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TVI Pacific Inc.
based in the Philippines, and Hunan Pacific Drilling ("HPD"), a segment
of HPGEI based in China, which generates revenue from contract drilling.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein.