14 farmers killed in Philippine police 'massacre': Activists

MANILA: Rights groups on Sunday condemned what they called a"massacre" of 14 farmers by police in the central Philippines as authorities defended the incident as a legitimate operation against suspected communist rebels.

Authorities say the operation was a response to communist rebel attacks in Negros, adding one policeman was wounded. "They were defenceless. It's clear that it was a massacre. They are tagged as members and sympathisers but they are farmers asserting their rights to land," Maria Sol Taule, legal counsel for rights group Karapatan, said.

The Federation of Agricultural Workers condemned the latest deaths, saying it highlighted growing rights violations on Negros island.

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