Sketch of the O20 Struggles in Seoul
The actions started bright and early yesterday, with the leadership of KoPA
(Korean People's Action against Investment Treaties and the WTO) and the
People's Rally Committee attempting to deliver a letter protesting the free
trade/neo-liberal agenda of the Asia Europe Meeting. However, police stopped
the attempt immediately after they got off the bus in front of the conference
site. A placard reading "No to Neoliberal Globalization" and "No to
Structural Adjustment Programs," was torn away from the hands of the
religious, labor, human rights, and social movement leaders' hands. Police
violently pushed away the protestors using shields and clubs. The leadership
conducted an immediate sit-in protest at the site, explaining to reporters
the situation and declaring that since peaceful means are being blocked,
'other means to deliver the people's voice' would have to be used.
With such efforts being repressed, it did not take long for the direct
actions to commence. Students took to the streets an hour later, in close to
a dozen places in the Seoul area, in an effort to draw the police away from
the site of the summit meetings. The government and police had announced
several weeks before the meetings that all demonstrations would be prohibited
around the ASEM Tower and had stationed 30,000 policemen around the tower to
enforce the announcement. Students teamed up in groups of 20 or so, 'popped
out' of subway stations near main intersections and blocked off roads, and
then dispersed when police showed up. A little later in the morning, a rally
jointly organized by the Korean People's Action Against Investment Treaties
and the WTO and the People's Rally Committee was held in downtown Seoul about
4 miles away from the ASEM Tower. Over 3000 workers, students, and activists
gathered and demanded an end to the neo-liberal free trade order. They
demanded an end to plans for privatization of the public sector and reduction
of working hours. They started to march toward the conference site but were
soon stopped by police. Clashes ensued between the activists and police
wielding clubs. Ten activists were injured in the process.
In the afternoon, 20,000 gathered in at Olympic Park for the main event of
the day: The Seoul Day of Action Against Neo-liberal Globalization rally.
Speakers both national and foreign, spoke about the atrocities caused by
neo-liberal globalization, in front of a huge sign on the stage which read
'no to Neo-liberalism,' 'humans before profits'. Sign held by participants
read 'enough destruction of our lives,' 'no to BITs (Bi-lateral Investment
Treaties).' A huge statue, made by a famous Korean artist from the bomb
shells and empty cartridges gathered at American bombing ranges in Korea, was
unveiled during the rally. Afterwards another march toward the conference
site followed, and again police blocked the march about a mile away from the
ASEM Tower. Tensions mounted as each side deliberated on what actions to
take next. Intense discussions went on within the ranks on wether to push
forward or call off the rally at the police blockade. However, in the end,
the leadership of the organizing committee decided to call off the rally.
Many participants remained at the blockade for an hour after the decision,
refusing to move. Afterwards, criticisms of the decision filled related
webpages.
Demonstrations continued late into the night, as close to 1000 students
held a separate rally in the northern part of the city, continuing the
struggle of the day. Students retreated into a university nearby afterwards
and this marked the end of the O20 struggle in Seoul.
The joint independent media project group for ASEM 2000 has been as active
as anyone bringing news of the struggle to the people of the world through
radio broadcasts, text news, and video clips. All the actions of the 19th
and 20th, as well as of the preparatory process for the struggle can be seen
at the KoPA website (http://antiwto.jinbo.net).
The evaluations of the O20 struggle are still on-going, but the outcomes of
the struggle pose some very basic questions for the progressive movement here
in Korea. The movement's products are perhaps clear: mobilizing more than
20,000 for the actions, bringing the struggles of Seattle, Washington, and
Prague to East Asia, demonstrating that the voice of the people against
neo-liberalism exists world-wide, engaging in an active discussion with the
people of Korea on the effects of globalization and what alternatives exist.
But analysis of the failures and limitations of the movement is not so easy.
The struggle was not able to have a direct effect on the meetings themselves;
the relationship between the civic movement sector and people's movement
sector was constantly a problem; democratic decision making process within
the organizing committee came into question; and many more.
The struggle against neo-liberal globalization has ended in Seoul. For
now, that is. But we here in South Korea know that the struggle continues
today for the people all over the world fighting for democratic rights, for
diversity, for the environment, for human rights, and for all the values that
we hold dear. We will be coming to you once more with an evaluation on the
O20 struggle here in Seoul, with the hope that it will be of help to all
those who are concerned with the same issues which we are. We hope to meet
you again, wherever the struggle takes us next.
The Struggle of the People Continues!!
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
