United Nations Special Rapporteurs have warned of “massive” human rights abuses that are taking place in Mindanao in the Philippines, where the military is currently carrying out operations.
UN special rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous peoples and internally displaced people, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, said the Muslim population on the island is "suffering massive abuses of their human rights, some of which are potentially irreversible".
"We fear the situation could deteriorate further if the extension of martial law until the end of 2018 results in even greater militarisation," they added.
Martial law has been repeatedlye xtended on the island, with a government spokesperson saying it was needed to "to quell the remaining terrorists who brought destruction to Marawi and its neighboring communities".
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