Representatives of communities in Colombia, West Papua and the USA are in London to challenge the claims of two of Britain’s biggest mining companies that their operations are sustainable and fair.

A report launched today in the UK will call for a moratorium on new mining in the Philippines. The Church of England however has a substantial investment in the companies which the report challenges.

British mining corporations supported by the UK government, such as Vedanta Resources, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, are complicit in human rights abuse while making huge profits in developing countries.

Three bishops from the Philippines and Australia issued a challenge at the Houses of Parliament yesterday, to end British investment in destructive mining.