People's struggle has been already started for O20!
The torch of the international struggle against lobalization carries over
into East Asia with the ASEM 2000 Seoul Day of Action Against Neo-Liberal
Globalization on the 20th of October. It will be held at the same site where
the Asian financial crisis swept through 3 years ago and left much of the
region in ruin, it will be organized by the people who have lost the most and
suffered the most from the direct impacts of the neo-liberal restructuring
program promoted by international financial institutions. It will be another
sign that international resistance against globalization is truly
'international' and also will be a direct contradiction of those who claim
that re-structuring has
succeeded in Korea.
Less than 2 weeks remain now until the ASEM 2000 Seoul Day of Action Against
Neo-Liberal Globalization. The Korean progressive sector has marked the ASEM
action, not only as important people's struggle of the second half of this
year, but as a struggle which will determine whether the people of Korea will
be able to again build up a significant resistance against the unilateral
re-structuring program of the government and international financial
institutions. The Korean People's Action Against Investment Treaties and the
WTO (KoPA) and the People's Rally Committee are concentrating their efforts
into organizing the event.
Interest and participation in the preparations for the struggle has started
to build up, both nationally and internationally. The diversity of the
wide-ranging interest and participation in the preparations for the struggle
has surprised many here in Korea. Apart from the social, people's, and
progressive movement organizations which form
KoPA and the People's Rally Committee, Korean anarchists, numbering few and
until recently not known to exist, have unveiled themselves and declared they
will participate in the struggle against globalization. Many student
organizations, and university student associations have already declared
their opposition to the Meetings and will act in solidarity with KoPA and the
People's Rally Committee in their struggle. The 'Joint media project group
for ASEM 2000,' made up of various progressive and independent
media organizations in Korea, has been formed to bring coverage of the
struggle to the people of Korea, as well as the world. Pictures, audio, and
visual data on the struggle
will be available through various channels soon. This joint project group
will also act as the independent media center in Seoul, bringing news of the
actions to the world.
Human rights groups, professors, environmental groups, peace groups,
actors/directors, and progressive parties have all expressed their support
for the struggle. Even more
are expected to join the ranks in the close future.
Perhaps one of the aspects that will distinguish the struggle in Seoul from
other similar struggles in Seattle, Washington, Melbourne and Prague, is the
fact that major
people's organizations and trade unions will be actively engaged in the
preparations for the struggle from the start. They will not be largely
absent, or pportunistically use the movement to promote their own agenda.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean Farmer's League, both
central members of both KoPA and the People's Rally Committee, have been at
the forefront of the organizing activities for the actions. It is
significant that the president of the KCTU, Dan Byung-Ho will give the
opening address at the rally on the 20th. The following is an except from
his opening address draft:
"The workers struggling to block the second round of restructuring and plan
for privatization.... actors and directors fighting to save the screen quota
and preserve
cultural diversity......the rage of the farmers who have had to burn the
crops they have raised because of market liberalization......the heroic
struggle of the temporary workers this past summer.........the flame of the
struggle against neo-liberal globalization is already burning.
We are positive that the resistance by the people of the world which started
in Seattle was not just an 'incident.' The struggle in Seattle has continued
in Washington,
Davos, Bangkok, Melbourne, and Prague. These struggles were the anger of the
people of the world who have had their democratic rights and livelihood taken
away by neo-liberal globalization, and a clear warning against trans-national
capital, imperialism, and the governments of each country promoting such
policies. The people of Korea support the struggle by the people of the
world against neo-liberal globalization and seek to follow in their
footsteps. Today, we join hands with the people of the world in
the struggle against neo-liberal globalization."
(The entire draft can be seen at the KoPA homepage:
http://antiwto.jinbo.net)
A look at the calendar shows a busy week ahead for us. A joint concert and
culture festival, in which many actors, musical artists, and bands will be
present to voice their
opposition to the neo-liberal free trade order will be held at Joong-Ang
University tomorrow. A joint discussion between the progressive
organizations of Korea will be
held on both the 11th and 12th, the first one on public service and the
second one on the Korea-U.S. and Korea-Japan bi-lateral investment treaties.
The coming week is
also the 'Student Action Week Against Neo-Liberalism' when students will be
holding discussions, demonstrations, and other events to gather support and
promote participation
in the struggle on the 20th. All these events have been planned with the
purpose of raising awareness among the public about the effects that
neo-liberal globalization,
investment treaties, and financial investment treaties have on the people of
the world.
The next week, leading up to the actions on the 20th, will be even more
exciting, with various actions being planned on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, the
all night culture festival on the 19th, the Seoul Day of Action on the 20th,
and a KCTU rally on the 21st.
The government is doing all that it can to prevent the success of this
struggle. A recent news article reported on the government putting pressure
on the police and corporations located in the vicinity of the ASEM tower to
ban any demonstrations or rallys in the area during the meetings. As in
Seattle, the area around the conference
area will be off limits during the duration of the meetings, and as in
Prague, thousands of police will be stationed to block demonstrations. A
clash is unavoidable at this point
in time.
The Asia Europe Meeting is a conference developed to promote cooperation
between the two continents. We already know that this economic cooperation
only serves the
few, and the people of Korea will be out in the streets to voice opposition
to that reality. But the voices and demands that will be voiced in Korea
will not be limited to
the interests of the people of Asia, or even Europe and Asia. They will be
the voices of the people of the world, who have lost too much already to the
system of inequality
and exclusion which neo-liberal globalization, financial institutions, and
governments enforce.
It is integral to the success of the struggle in Seoul that the people of
the world know about and support us in our struggle and express their
solidarity to our actions
against neo-liberalism. Let other activists, organizations, contacts know
about this struggle, organize discussions on the subject, organize actions if
possible, and please
send us your messages of support and solidarity, either through e-mail, or
better yet, post it directly on the bulletin board at the KoPA homepage. It
will be a great help to our common cause. More updates and news to come
soon!
The struggle of the People Continues in Seoul!!
An Immediate Stop to Neo-Liberal Globalization!!
More information on the actions can be seen at:
http://antiwto.jinbo.net
Regular updates on the preparations for the ASEM action can be heard through
the internet broadcasts at: http://cast.jinbo.net/news/yundai.html
Contact us at: kopa@jinbo.net
Korean People's Action against Investment Treaties and the WTO(KoPA) /
People's Rally Committee
** This newsletter is originally from the Policy and Information Center for
International Solidarity (PICIS: http://picis.jinbo.net) Newsletter Team
