BANGKOK: Authorities must thoroughly investigate the murder of an indigenous activist in the Philippines, where defenders of land and environment are increasingly under attack, said a group of Southeast Asian lawmakers yesterday.

Ricardo Mayumi was shot dead March 2 in his home in Ifugao Province in the country's north. He was one of the leaders of the Ifugao Peasant Movement (IPM) and had opposed a hydroelectric dam project, according to IPM.

His killing requires "a prompt and thorough investigation", said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a group of politicians from countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "The killing highlights the increasingly hostile climate faced by activists in the Philippines," APHR said in a statement.- Reuters