--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 19:45:03 +0800
From: Kevin Yuk-shing Li <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [StopWTORound] Oct. 20th, Seoul Action day
Sender: Kevin Yuk-shing Li <[log in to unmask]>
To: Asia APEC <[log in to unmask]>, Help Asia
<[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Reply-To: Kevin Yuk-shing Li <[log in to unmask]>
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
FYI...
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ATTAC INTL] Oct. 20th, Seoul Action day
Resent-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 06:33:31 +0200
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 04:32:51 GMT
From: "changgeun Lee" <[log in to unmask]>
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Korea,
This is Korean People's Action against Investment Treaties and the
WTO(KoPA). KoPA is composed of more than 40 social and people's organization
including KCTU, Korean Farmers' League.
KoPA is organizing a big rally under the title of "Seoul Action Day against
Neoliberal Globalization" on the momentum of ASEM(Asia European Meeting), on
Oct. 20th.
Please distribute the following message widely.
Thanks in advance...
International Coordinating Team of KoPA
-----------------------------------------------------
>From Seattle to Prague.............to Seoul!!!!!!!
October 20th!!! The Next Round of the Struggle Against Globalizaton will
take Place in Seoul!!!
Your solidarity is needed for the 'ASEM 2000 Seoul Day of Action Against
Neo-Liberal Globalization'!!!!
The progressive sector of Korea is busy preparing for the start of the Asia
Europe Meeting, not because of the meaningless rhetoric that will go on
inside the venue of the meetings between the state heads, but because of the
live voices that will be present in the streets outside of the venue.
The preparatory committee of the ASEM 2000 Seoul Day of Action Against
Neo-Liberal Globalization consists of the Korean People's Action Against
Investment Treaties and the WTO(or KoPA), the People's Rally Committee, and
the ASEM 2000 NGO Forum Committee. KoPA, composed of 40 social, labor, and
civic organizations including KCTU, KFL, has actively struggled against
investment treaties, international financial institutions such as the IMF,
and the WTO.
The People's Rally Committee is composed of the biggest people's
organizations in Korea, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
(KCTU), the Korean Farmer's League(KFL), and the National Union of the Poor.
The major civic organizations in Korea make up the ASEM 2000 Social Forum
Committee. As the title of the actions suggest, the actions will be a
uniform voice of adamant opposition to the world-wide free trade system of
modern day capitalism and the 'race towards the bottom' it enforces upon the
people of the world. It will be a joint
project between the civic, social, and people's movements, bringing together
workers, farmers, the poor, students, women, environmentalists, health care
activists, unification movement activists and more in the fight against
globalization.
Why the actions at the ASEM? The reasons are clear: the meeting itself will
not reach an agreement that will have to be observed by participating
states. However, the meeting itself, and the actions by governments
participating in the meetings have made cleat their committment to the
furthering of free trade and globalization through various channels. Through
empirical observations
(President Kim Dae-Jung has made it clear that he plans to continue with
re-structuring through the second half of his term as president. Labor
Parties and Social Democratic Parties in Europe seem to be on the same path)
and through the plans laid out by the previous summit meetings in London and
preparatory meetings for the meeting in Seoul.
The people of Korea, though we know international
opinions vary on the topic, know all to well at what effects the IMF crisis
and the forced re-structuring program which followed, have had on the people
of Korea and Korean society in general. Increasing dependency on foreign
economies and international trends, increasing economic instability,
lay-offs, unstable jobs, rise in unemployment, the polarization of wealth,
the dismantling of social unity, and an overall decrease in the standards of
living, among many others. The past 3 years after the IMF crisis have been
an almost constant battle for the socially oppressed of Korea, in defense of
labor rights that had been gained through years of struggle. The progressive
sector of Korea also realize the importance of continuing with what has
become the latest trend of international solidarity in
the progressive movement, and plan on using the actions at the meetings to
engage in an active dialogue with the people of Korea on just what
neo-liberalism has meant to Korea and what alternatives exist.
There is much at stake, and clear cut goals in relation to this struggle for
the people of Korea as well. The Korean Farmer's League and the KCTU are
feeling the pressure from the government's continuing efforts to conclude a
bi-lateral investment treaty with the U.S. and Japan. The treaties are
filled with clauses similar to the ones in the Multi-lateral Agreement on
Investment, defeated by
international resistance a couple years ago. The Kim Dae-Jung government is
also seeking to commence with plans for the 2nd part of the restructuring of
the public sector, and are also planning on further liberalization and
opening up of the national economy. The actions during the ASEM meetings
will be a cry against the neo-liberal policies of the Kim Dae-Jung
government, as well as
neo-liberal trends of globalization as a whole.
It probably doesn't need to be pointed out that isolation could have
devastating effects on the struggle here in Korea. People's organizations
and trade unions in Korea know all to well the barbaric tactics the police
use to crack down on demonstrations and strikes, and the same could happen
to the direct actions at the ASEM meetings. We have already seen in previous
struggles in Seattle and Washington what kind of pressure that international
support and solidarity can put on the government, especially one which
advertises its leader as being the 'human rights president'. This sort of
pressure is especially important in Korea, where suppression of
demonstrations often turn violent, as seen in the crackdown on the Lotte
Hotel workers' strike several months ago. Your interest and solidarity is
critical if the actions in Seoul are to succeed.
With less than a month left now until the day of the actions in Seoul, we do
realize that time is running short on us. It took longer than expected for
the progressive sector in Korea to arrive at an agreement on the course and
theme of the actions. We are working with a sense of urgency and our doing
our best to make up for the late start. We are paying close attention to the
developments in
Prague, where activists with the same issues and causes as ours will be
gathering to demand an end to the destruction and oppression stemming from
neo-liberal globalization and the international financial institutions which
enforce its policies.
Our solidarity and full support to the struggle in Prague!
Your struggle is our struggle!
More information on the actions can be seen at:
http://antiwto.jinbo.net (currently under construction, will reopen in a few
days)
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: [log in to unmask]
Korean People's Action against Investment Treaties and the WTO(KoPA)
People's Rally Committee
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D.J. McKnight
Room 107
Department of Geography
Roxby Building
University of Liverpool
Liverpool
L69 3BX
(0151) 794 6422
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