From West Papua to Michoacán: Indigenous Women Defenders Visit the UK
Ahead of International Human Rights Defenders Day (9th December) and International Human Rights Day (10th December), PBI UK welcomed two Indigenous women human rights defenders to the UK: Claudia Ignacio Álvarez, a Purépecha woman from Michoacán, Mexico, and Lia Yewen, a Miyah woman from West Papua.
Claudia and Lia spoke with policy makers, Parliamentarians, civil servants, representatives from civil society organisations, the legal community and journalists, among others, about the grave human rights violations Indigenous peoples are currently facing in Michoacán and West Papua.
In Michoacán, Purépecha and Nahua Indigenous communities and human rights defenders have been facing increasing levels of violence, including attacks, forced disappearances and killings, all for protecting their collective rights to their territory. During her visit to the UK, Claudia shared that perpetrators of these heinous acts operate with total impunity, particularly highlighting the lack of progress in the investigations into the killing of Estacio “Tacho” Alcalá Díaz in 2023 and the forced disappearance of José Gabriel Pelayo in 2024, both from the Nahua community of Huitzontla.
During her time in the UK, Lia explained that West Papuans, all of whom are considered Indigenous peoples, face grave threats and risks due to the encroachment of extractive industries and agribusiness on their lands. Currently, over 100,000 West Papuans have been displaced from their homes due to business operations. She particularly noted the large-scale land destruction linked to the Merauke National Strategic Project, which currently spans over 2 million hectares—over 12 times the size of the City of London. This is one of several National Strategic Projects backed by the Indonesian government, which has also led to increased militarisation of West Papua to suppress Indigenous peoples’ opposition to the human rights harms and environmental destruction linked to such projects.
Fostering Solidarity with Civil Society
Claudia and Lia’s visit to the UK started off with a roundtable discussion attended by representatives from UK civil society organisations, researchers and legal professionals. Both Claudia and Lia explained the issues facing Indigenous communities and those defending human rights, the land and environment, particularly in Michoacán and West Papua. They underscored the need for international support and solidarity, so that Indigenous peoples can continue living on their lands and Indigenous defenders can continue their work safely, free from the interference of State and non-state actors, particularly those acting in support of corporate interests.
Claudia and Lia at the Department for Business & Trade
Corporate Accountability & Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
Lia and Claudia met with the Department for Business and Trade in the context of the Government’s review of the UK's approach to responsible business conduct. The review, launched as part of the UK’s Trade Strategy (launched June 2026), focuses on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK. Both Indigenous women human rights defenders called for stronger government action to protect land and environmental defenders opposing corporate human rights and environmental abuses.
It is clear that the UK lags behind international standards, and that’s why many parliamentarians, civil society organisations, trade unions, businesses, rightsholders and the public are calling for a robust new legislation that requires businesses to take meaningful action to prevent human rights, labour rights and environmental harms in their operations and supply chains. However, both Lia and Claudia expressed that progress can only be made if rightsholders and those impacted by business activities in the Global South are consulted, including Indigenous communities and human rights defenders.
An Evening of Solidarity
At PBI UK’s event, An Evening with Women Defending Land & the Environment, at LUSH Studio Soho, Claudia and Lia spoke on a panel chaired by Tracy McVeigh, editor of Guardian Global Development.
Lia explained the current context that West Papuans are facing, as well as the systematic racism and discrimination they face as Indigenous peoples.
“In West Papua, we have strong relationships with each other; we are one people, one soul. All West Papuans have experienced discrimination and racism, and now our forest land is being destroyed. ”
As well as sharing the context that the Purépecha and Nahua communities face in Michoacán, Claudia emphasised the cost of speaking out in defence of Indigenous peoples’ rights.
“Police come in anti-raid gear to intimidate me, to stop me from speaking or acting. We are followed everywhere. Heavily armed officers stand outside our homes, surveilling us.”
Support from the UK Government & Parliamentarians
Towards the end of their visit to the UK, Lia and Claudia met with Chris Elmore MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the FCDO Services (Human Rights and Latin America & the Caribbean). They raised the escalating risks faced by Indigenous, land, environmental and women defenders and the communities they seek to protect. The Minister committed to raising these concerns with the governments of Mexico and Indonesia. PBI UK underscored the necessity to strengthen the UK’s support for human rights defenders and require UK-linked companies to conduct mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence.
They also met with Parliamentarians from the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Lia met with Alex Sobel MP who is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on West Papua. He has routinely raised the human rights and environmental violations being perpetrated in West Papua, including impacts of the Merauke National Strategic Project.
Claudia spoke at a roundtable hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group and PBI UK, which was chaired by the former Minister for International Development, Anneliese Dodds MP. As well as raising the serious situation facing the Purépecha and Nahua Indigenous communities in Michoacán, Claudia urged those present to call on the UK Government to sign and ratify the International Labour Organisation Convention 169 (Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989), which would provide a binding standard for British businesses operating abroad to respect and protect Indigenous peoples’ rights.
Claudia was also invited to speak at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) flagship International Human Rights Day event on 10th December alongside the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and a human rights defender from Malawi. The event was hosted by Minister Chris Elmore MP, and was attended by Government officials, Parliamentarians, civil servants, diplomats and representatives of civil society organisations.
