From daga at HK.Super.NET Tue Jul 23 17:44:16 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 16:44:16 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 1] asia-apec introduction Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960723163919.09b72a82@is1.hk.super.net> Welcome to the conference ML. This mailing list on the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) is being initiated by Interdoc and DAGA, and hosted at the computer facilities of JCA (Japan Computer Access). It is meant to provide a forum for APEC related discussions, particularly the Manila People's Forum on APEC, which will be held parallel to the official APEC summit in Manila this November. If you would like to introduce others to this ML or unsubscribe, send a message to , that serves as facilitator. Towards an alternatives people's economic cooperation. Mario R R Mapanao Instructions: 1. To send a message to the mailing list, address your message to: 2. For long documents and to mirror other APEC sites, home page URL is: http://www.jca.or.jp/apec/ 3. To unsubscribe, send a message to In body text type: unsubscribe asia-apec 4. To subscribe, send a message to In body text type: subscribe asia-apec From bogus@does.not.exist.com Tue Jul 23 17:44:16 1996 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 16:44:16 +0800 (HKT) Subject: ***no article*** Message-ID: ***no article*** From yukihiro at klact.co.jp Wed Jul 24 17:32:27 1996 From: yukihiro at klact.co.jp (YASUDA Yukihiro) Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 17:32:27 +0900 Subject: [asia-apec 3] test mail Message-ID: <199607240832.RAA29820@koko.klact.co.jp> Hello, all. I'm a techie at JCA. Testing if this list works correctly. Sorry for junk mails. I'm working to fix the problem. yukihiro From c.tremewan at auckland.ac.nz Thu Jul 25 08:33:17 1996 From: c.tremewan at auckland.ac.nz (Chris Tremewan) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 08:33:17 GMT+1200 Subject: [asia-apec 4] Re: test mail Message-ID: <2E85C4303A5@artsnet.auckland.ac.nz> Yukihiro Got yr test mail. No problem. Christopher Tremewan Director New Zealand Asia Institute The University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland NEW ZEALAND Tel: +64 9 373 7599 ext 6934 Secretary: ext 6935 Fax: +64 9 308 2312 E-mail: c.tremewan@auckland.ac.nz From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 13:00:28 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 12:00:28 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 5] Bigger Battles at the Urban Poor Front Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725115528.1ad7087a@is1.hk.super.net> From: Philippine Peasant Institute PRESS STATEMENT July 19, 1996 TRADING WITH OUR LIVES: THE HUMAN COST OF FREE TRADE Bigger Battles at the Urban Poor Front: Government Set to Demolish More "Squatters" as Urban Poor Communities Prepare for Militant Opposition In its effort to present an "eye-sore-free" Metro Manila to foreign dignitaries attending the APEC in November, the Ramos government has laid out a comprehensive plan to immediately demolish shanties of 432,450 families in the capital region. This "battle plan" is contained in a memorandum to the President signed by housing authorities, namely, Dionisio De La Serna, Garayblas and others. It is expected that Ramos will approve this plan. Some of the communities to be affected are the following: Bonifacio Drive Delpan, Pier 4 to 14 along R-10 up to the infamous Smokey Mountain, North-EDSA, Fort Bonifacio, and others. The following is the profile of these communities: 66,334 families are located in the so-called "danger areas" - such as Delpan as recently declared by a Manila Court, 172,451 - government infrastructure projects, 99,175 - government lands, 94,490 - private lands. It is estimated that almost three million people will suffer not only from housing dislocation but also from economic and social difficulties. This is one of the biggest single battles by a government against the urban poor in the entire history of the country - and for what? - To please the eyes of foreign dignitaries. What is worse and most unfortunate is that the Ramos government has only recently signed the Declaration of Habitat II in Istanbul called the "Global Plan of Action" approved on June 14, 1996 and signed by over 150 countries including the Philippines which declared a decent place to live is the right of every human being and it condemned all forms of forced evictions. The urban poor communities are equally prepared to launch a massive, large-scale militant opposition. Today, the alliance of the KILUSAN LABAN SA PD 772 DEMOLITION, KAHIRAPAN AT IBA PA (KALAS) and the ALYANSA NG MARALITANG TAGA-LUNGSOD (ALAMAT) is launched. This urban poor alliance is composed of local urban poor community associations in the affected areas. If the government turn the communities cited above into "war zones", the urban poor communities are resolved to engaged the government from one battle to another until we win the war, or at least frustrate the Ramos' scheme to annihilate us. We do not want war. We want peace. But we want decent abode too, near our work places, near our children's schools. Thus, we call the Ramos' government to talk peace with us by talking about mass housing. Our demands are just a very small fraction compared to the concessions the government gave to the MNLF, or to what it might be prepared giving in to NDF's demands in the ongoing peace talks. If the government is prepared to give concessions to these groups, then there is no reason why it is not prepared to give the following demands from our ranks who are not yet taking up arms against the government: 1. Moratorium on demolition until the government comes up with a clear pro-poor program and policies with the following considerations: a. Affordable mass housing program b. Available work for men and women c. Available basic infrastructure facilities such as water, electricity, drainage system, recreational facilities, educational institutions, health centers, etc. 2. Review of all existing laws and policies pertaining to urban land use classification with the letter and spirit of Habitat II Declaration as the guiding principle. 3. In all processes at all levels, affected communities must have their full and meaningful participation. 4. Keep the military and police force out from these contested areas to avoid possible violence. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have served you well. We can serve you even better. But first... As host to APEC 1996, the Philippine Government has given a substantial tax incentive package to all hotels that will house all our foreign guests. The incentive, which includes duty-free importations, was offered to encourage hotels to upgrade or renovate their facilities. The Dusit Nikko Manila (formerly, Hotel Nikko Manila Garden) benefits from this tax incentive program. The new owners saw in this an opportunity to cut costs while giving the old Nikko Hotel a new face. The hotel is presently undergoing a six-month renovation that will end in time for APEC's highlight activities in November. A newly-refurbished Dusit Nikko Hotel, with world-class facilities is a commendable project. Indeed, it is a project that we, the employees of the Dusit Nikko Hotel, who have served our guests for two decades, would want to be a part of--as partners. For, no matter how exotic the cuisine, no matter how expensive the wares; no matter how exquisite the new design will be, a hotel will just be another stone-cold building to any guest without the warm, cordial, friendly, efficient service of its employees. Us. Because, more than anything else, making guests feel "at home" is a people-to-people thing. It's not just business, it's an art. Yet, the Dusit Nikko's management doesn't seem to understand this. For one, it seems that they don't treat us, their employees, as people. During the renovation, the hotel management has insisted not only on a "no-work, no-pay" policy, but more precisely, a "no-work, no-pay, no-benefit, no-assistance, if-you-don't-like-it-then-drop-dead" policy against us. For months, 502 Nikko employees have been out of work. Many among us have been evicted from our homes for failure to pay the rent. Our children are forced to have transfer to cheaper schools. We are forced to eke out a living by whatever means possible in these tough times. As if these are not enough, a handful of us are now confined in hospitals due to illnesses. Without any assistance from our employer, how can we survive? We have tried to dialogue with them, reason with them, but they seem unmoved by our plight. A few days ago, they decided that they've heard enough. They shut the door on our face. Just like that. So we come to you. To the Philippine Government: Must you treat foreign investors like kings while your citizens are treated like rags? A tax incentive without guaranteeing workers' protection? Is this what the APEC is all about? To Dusit Nikko's Stockholders: Must profit be made at the expense of the lives of workers and their families? Aren't you also morally responsible for this? To Our Beloved Guests, and Guests-To-Be: We smile and give comfort as we suffer. Knowing this, we hope you will continue to enjoy the service. SIGNED BY 502 EMPLOYEES OF DUSIT NIKKO MANILA ... treat us well. From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 13:33:06 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 12:33:06 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 6] wecome to asia-apec Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725122807.09dfec50@is1.hk.super.net> Welcome to the conference ML. This mailing list on the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) is being initiated by Interdoc and DAGA, and hosted at the computer facilities of JCA (Japan Computer Access). It is meant to provide a forum for APEC related discussions, particularly the Manila People's Forum on APEC, which will be held parallel to the official APEC summit in Manila this November. If you would like to introduce others to this ML, send a message to the conference facilitator . To unsubscribe, you may do so by sending a message to , and in the body text write: unsubscribe asia-apec. Towards an alternatives people's economic cooperation. Mario R R Mapanao Instructions: 1. To send a message to the mailing list, address your message to: 2. For long documents and to mirror other APEC sites, home page URL under construction is: http://www.jca.or.jp/apec/ 3. To unsubscribe, send a message to In body text write: unsubscribe asia-apec 4. To subscribe, send a message to In body text write: subscribe asia-apec From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 13:33:09 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 12:33:09 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 7] from the ML facilitator Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725122810.09df69c4@is1.hk.super.net> Computer/electronic conferencing is when a group of people can share information and have a conversation/discussion by 'posting' messages and information to a host computer (in this case, courtesy of JCA - Japan Computer Access). Messages and information, once posted, are automatically mailed out electronically to other participants. A computer conference may also be known as a 'bulletin board', a 'Usenet newsgroup', a 'forum', or an 'e-mail mailing list'. (Source: @t ease with e-mail: A handbook on using electronic mail for NGOs in developing countries, (UNCTAD/ NGLS). Because telecommunication charges are expensive for many southern countries, kindly keep your messages as direct to the point as possible. For those who press the reply mode when sending a new message, please ensure that the original message you are responding to is deleted. If not, this will mean unnecessary connect time charges for many. When sending a message for the first time, it would be good to briefly introduce yourself, organization and concerns. Kindly sign your name at the end of each message, so we will all know who it is directly from. Lastly, to avoid the matter of bouncing/pingpong messages, for those leaving on extended trips - please unsubscribe, then subscribe again when you return. We will post later how to retrieve archived mail. This for now. Mario Mapanao, DAGA conference facilitator From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 13:33:12 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 12:33:12 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 8] from the e-conference facilitator Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725122815.09df2f52@is1.hk.super.net> Dear All, you may all be wondering how you got on the mailing list! Rather than you sending a message to subscribe c/o , I short-cut the process by making use of available addresses that I believe are interested in the whole APEC process, including some from non-APEC countries. A thousand apologies if this has caused some problems. In case you would like to unsubscribe, which I hope is not the case, you can send a message to and in the body text put: unsubscribe asia-apec. In the next few days, we will be working on Internet and other network providers picking up the conference feeds. So that, as example for Hong-Kong based NGOs, you do not have to contact , but can receive the same through . So for those on the Asia-Net mailing list, etc.. In this way, we do not have to unnecessarily keep that busy the host computer :-) Mario Mapanao From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 13:33:20 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 12:33:20 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 9] Statement of the Phil PO-NGO Summit on APEC Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725122821.09dfbce0@is1.hk.super.net> Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 11:14:33 +0800 (HKT) From: "Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA)" To: "Asianet (ac10136)" Subject: Manila People's Forum on APEC '96 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 10 Jul 96 13:09 GMT+0800 From: Philippine Peasant Institute To: arena@hk.net Subject: Manila People's Forum on APEC '96 HIDDEN COSTS OF FREE TRADE STATEMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE PO-NGO SUMMIT ON THE APEC If the Ramos government is to be believed, APEC is nothing less than the Philippines' ticket to economic salvation. With an all-too familiar combination of bullish rhetoric and doomsday scenarios reminiscent of the GATT-UR debates, government is plying the public with promises of APEC-induced growth, jobs, and all-around prosperity. This, even as it warns of economic isolation and stagnation should we fail to live up to APEC's sweeping libaralization vision, a vision that has been defined and controlled by the US and Australia from its inception. We, the people's organizations and development NGOs represented at this summit--we who have felt and witnessed the grave human and ecological costs brought on by the neoliberal framework that the APEC represents--beg to differ. We know only too well what the freeing up of markets and investment regimes implies. In its SAP and GATT guises, liberalization has meant the marginalization of small farmers unable to compete with heavily-subsidized produce and unable to defend their farmland from arbitrary land conversions and agrarian reversals; the undermining of small fisherfolk's rights over coastal and marine resources; the trampling of indigenous and Moro peoples' rights to self-determination and to their ancestral domain; the violent demolition of urban poor communities and their dislocation from their homes and jobs; the pawning of labor's rights to self-organization, decent wages and job security in favor of the steady infusion of investments; the exodus of Filipino men and women to jobs abroad peddled by the government itself. The list goes on. All these costs are borne to a harsher degree by the country's women, who not only bear the multiple burdens of poverty, but are also unrecognized and discriminated upon in their efforts to assure them and their families' survival. Its' toll will also be felt to a deeper degree by future generations, as its growth-at-all-costs framework heedlessly extracts resources and plunders our ecosystems without regard for the future. Stung by past experiences and continued marginalization of peoples whom we seek to represent, we look with deep suspicion upon APEC's concept of cooperation that is hinged on the establishment of an Asia Pacific free trade regime by the year 2020. We reject APEC and its anti-democratic, unaccountable and untransparent processes. We are committed to engage APEC and the Philippine government in our pursuit of genuine people to people cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, and in our desire to put forward concrete development alternatives that place highest value to the right to self-determination, sustainability, equality, and economic, political, social and gender equity and justice. We shall continue to resist the onslaught of economic liberalization against peoples and communities even as we continue to build these alternatives. In this light, we call for changing the current US-driven, market-led, growth-oriented development strategy to one that is centered on people and nature, and ensures equity and participation across genders, classes, sectors, cultures, and generations. We aspire for nothing less than total human and ecological development, one that does not divorce economic gains from its social, political, ecological and cultural dimensions. We call for a new development path where women and men are empowered participants and equal beneficiaries, through a framework that works for equity, food security and ecological balance. We also call for fair trade, socially-responsible investments, and genuine regional cooperation that places communities and peoples at the core, and that upholds and respects subsidiarity, local self-sufficiency and self-determination. We urge the use of alternative growth indicators such as the community net-worth in lieu of the traditional measures of growth in redefining development. We demand from the Asia-Pacific leaders full adherence to the U.N. Declaration on Human Rights; the immediate ratification of the International Convention on Labor and Migrant Rights; and to advance genuine people's rights and welfare in the region in the pursuit of regional cooperation. We demand government to promote and safeguard the people's welfare, and to assume the responsibility for the efficient, effective and equitable delivery of basic social services. We demand government to protect and uphold the national patrimony and sovereignty, to desist from being an instrument of the US in its narrow interests in the region, and to protect and defend the people from the ravages of market forces. We demand government to promote genuine and effective people's participation in the formulation of national development plans and policies that are gender-specific, sustainable, just and equitable. We strongly condemn and hold the Ramos government accountable to the massive APEC-driven, anti-people campaign that has displaced peoples, communities and livelihood. We call upon people's movements, in the Philippines, Asia-Pacific, and across the world, to join in unmasking the hidden costs of the neoliberal agenda being peddled by APEC and other instruments of the global market. We also urge peoples and communities to deepen their understanding of the globalization process and its consequences, and to continue forging, advocating and practicing alternative development paradigms that promote and ensure equitable and sustainable development. We commit ourselves to pursuing mutually beneficial interdependence of and solidarity among peoples--be it with or without APEC, in engagements with government, through Congress or the courts, or in caravans and mobilizations on the streets, and in movements within and across borders, in all forms of just struggles. We believe that the daunting challenges of globalization and the inexorable pace of development aggression demand no less. MANILA PEOPLE'S FORUM ON APEC '96 Institute of Social Order Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights, Quezon City PHILIPPINES 6 July 1996 From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 13:33:17 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 12:33:17 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 10] APEC Websites and their URLs Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725122818.09df9d2e@is1.hk.super.net> for research purposes-- APEC Websites and their URLs (uniform resource locators) Focus-on-APEC (Focus on the Global South) - http://www.nautilus.org/focusweb Interdoc/DAGA/JCA (under construction) - http://www.jca.or.jp/apec/ APEC 1996 Home Page - http://www.pinternet.ph.net/apec/ APEC Secretariat - http://www.apec.sec.org.sg APEC's Home Page (also prepared by APEC Secretariat) - http://www.apec~wg.com US-APEC Home Page - http://www.usia.gov/topics/apec/apec.html US Department of Commerce - http://www.ita.doc.gov/region/asia/pacific/apec.html Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - http://www.dfat.gov.au/events/apec/apec.html Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs - http://www.nttls.co.jp/infomofa/refer/index.html Japanese Economic Foundation - http://www.jef.or.jp/apec_e/index.html Japanese External Trade Organization - http://www.jetro.go.jp/apec APEC Osaka '95 Host Council Home Page - http://www.apec.or.jp Taiwan Government Information Office - http://gio.gov.tw/info/fcj/fcj45/1124p1.html Seoul's APEC Home Page - http://www.mic.go.kr/apec/apec.html New Zealand - http://www.govt.nz/govt/politics/bio/Williamson.Maurice/apec130695.html Hong Kong Government Centre - http://www.info.gov.hk/isd/news/nov95/21apec.html Chile presidency - http://www.presidencia.cl/presidencia/webingles/apecenglish.html APEC EduNet - http://www.washington.edu:1180/apec 2nd APEC financiers group meeting - http://fujibank.co.jp/eng/fb/topics/apec.html Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada - http://www.apfnet.org/apf/web Enercana Capital Ltd. - http://www.worldtel.com/enercana/apec.html Kyoto Shimbun - http://kyoto~np.co.jp/kp/plaza/over_e.html Center for Strategic and International Studies - http://www.csis.org/html/7wtch144.html Hawaii State Department of Education - http://intlrel.soc.hawaii.edu/pacc/apec/apec.html APEC Human Resource Development (HRD) Working Group - http://www.efs.mq.edu.au/aprim/hrd.html University of Hawaii and East-West Center - http://www.cba.hawaii.edu/apec/ APEC-NGO - http://www1.meshnet.or.jp/~apec-ngo/members/contact.html Asia Pacific Business Network (APB-Net) - http://www.webaustralia.com.au/apec/apbnet.htm Source: "i" The Investigative Reporting Magazine Vol. II No. 2 April-June 1996 E-mail: pcij@phil.gn.apc.org From daga at HK.Super.NET Thu Jul 25 15:57:19 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 14:57:19 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 11] from the e-conference facilitator Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960725145220.0b5f59b8@is1.hk.super.net> Dear Friend(s), hopefully we can leave the initial technical problems behind us, such that a write-up on urban poor demolitions got posted before the series of welcome messages that had to be resent (then got distributed in a different order). Let us now engage in this whole "business" of electronic conferencing on asia-apec. Again, my apologies if you were caught by surprise by getting on this mailing list you are hearing of for the first time, rather than the roundabout of notifying you individually, sending a message to subscribe to the facilitator, then getting you on the list. A word about the sponsors. Interdoc AsPac is a (loose) network of e-mail system network providers and information providers. DAGA stands for Documentation for Action Groups in Asia, and is a regional church-related NGO based in Hong Kong. JCA is Japan Computer Access which provides connectivity for NGOs in Japan (many thanks to JCA for hosting this conference!). At an "NGO Documentation and E-Mail Networks Workshop" co-sponsored by Interdoc/DAGA and held in Bangkok late last year, one of the resolutions was to come up with an e-(lectronic) conference on Apec. This we recently got to discuss with the Philippine Hosting Committee of the Manila People's Forum on Apec (MPFA). This is it! It is suggested that network providers who are on this list, or participants who have access to related e-mail conferences make available; forwarding to this list responses and the like. Details can be worked out with this e-conference sponsors. We will also be arranging to mirror other mailing lists and web pages, on a home page. The electronic conference is not only for posting statements/papers/ news items and the like, but more so for promoting a healthy discussion, and when need be debate, on the range of issues having to do with Apec. When writing to the ML for the first time, kindly briefly introduce yourself, organization, etc. For starters, barring inactive e-mail accounts and wrong addresses, there are some 100 individuals and/or organizations on the mailing list! To reiterate especially for those with direct Internet access-- when using the reply mode, kindly delete the original message you are responding to, as this will mean unnecessary connect time charges for those from southern countries :-) So let's get things going.... Towards an alternative peoples' economic cooperation, Mario Mapanao Instructions: 1. To send a message to the mailing list, address your message to: 2. For long documents and to mirror other APEC sites, home page URL (under construction is): http://www.jca.or.jp/apec/ 3. To unsubscribe, send a message to In body text write: unsubscribe asia-apec 4. To subscribe, send a message to In body text write: subscribe asia-apec From marcia at essential.org Fri Jul 26 00:20:32 1996 From: marcia at essential.org (Marcia Carroll) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 11:20:32 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [asia-apec 12] logging company Message-ID: Does anyone have information on a Hong Kong-Chinese logging company called WEMPCO (Western Metal Product Company). Nigerian environmentalists are campaigning against WEMPCO's plans to log on the outskirts of one of Africa's largest primary rainforests. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. Marcia Carroll Multinatinals Resource Center PO Box 19405 Washington, DC 20036 Fax 202/234-5176 Marcia Carroll Essential Information | domain: marcia@essential.org From infidnl at antenna.nl Thu Jul 25 09:19:23 1996 From: infidnl at antenna.nl (infidnl@antenna.nl) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 09:19:23 Subject: [asia-apec 13] RCPT: test mail Message-ID: <199607251521.AA16148@antenna.nl> Confirmation of reading: your message - Date: 25 Jul 96 8:33 To: asia-apec@jca.or.jp Subject: [asia-apec 4] Re: test mail Was read at 9:19, 25 Jul 96.  From LEO at isid.unv.ernet.in Thu Jul 25 11:40:04 1996 From: LEO at isid.unv.ernet.in (LEO@isid.unv.ernet.in) Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 11:40:04 Subject: [asia-apec 14] RCPT: test mail Message-ID: <9607260520.AA13802@doe.ernet.in> Confirmation of reading: your message - Date: 25 Jul 96 8:33 To: asia-apec@jca.or.jp Subject: [asia-apec 4] Re: test mail Was read at 11:40, 25 Jul 96. =================================================================== Leo Fernandez Tel: 91-11-461 0674 Coordinator IndiaLink 463 5096 Indian Social Institute 462 5015 10 Institutional Area 462 2379 Lodi Road FAX: 91-11-469 0660 New Delhi - 110 003 Email: leo@unv.ernet.in =================================================================== From mario_m at HK.Super.NET Fri Jul 26 14:15:58 1996 From: mario_m at HK.Super.NET (Mario R R Mapanao) Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 13:15:58 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 15] Phil PO-NGO Summit on Apec, 4/5 July Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960726131059.1e37b51a@is1.hk.super.net> This is a slightly expanded e-mailed flash report from Manila that I shared with Hong Kong NGOs early July.... I count myself fortunate to have been in Manila at the time of the Philippine PO-NGO Summit on Apec, 4/5 July. The summit served to consolidate the Philippine PO-NGO contributions of participants coming from different formations, as country input to the Manila People's Forum on Apec this coming November. Cluster fora (eg, people's rights, labour and migrant rights, environment, economic and social development, politics and governance) met in workshop, and regional groups had their own position papers (eg., Mindanao, Visayas, Central Luzon). There was also a one day women's forum prior to the summit proper, and a "women's forum statement for the Apec Manila process" was produced. Each cluster came out with their agenda/program of action which was presented and discussed in plenary. I would like to share some of my notes from the sessions I got to attend.... What emerged from the whole processing was the basic stance to OPPOSE Apec. The elements of opposition are: the transformation of Apec into a trading bloc, the undemocratic processes, and the Ramos government's leadership of turning Apec into free trade area. In the context of opposition is to engage APEC by way of the people's viewpoint (people-to-people exchange) outside of the Apec process, offering alternatives, exposing the US role, holding Philipppine government accountable, stressing negative effects of Apec, promoting regional cooperation, information campaign, and linking with civil society. Elements of alternative development model were spelled out as follows: sustainability, equity, gender equality; must meet human needs; people's participation; affirmation of people's and human rights- indigenous peoples, women, children, disabled; based on self-sufficiency; interdependence of communities; and reliance on local resources. On principles guiding regional cooperation: economic relations must be based on economic cooperation not competition; fair trade, not free trade; subsidiarity, localization, decentralization; local self-efficiency; reliance on local resources; not principally be based on trade but concerns like labour code, environmental code; people's control over trade, not corporations; mutually beneficial interdependence and solidarity among peoples, communities and countries. A summit statement was produced and discussed (see asia-apec 9). I also attended the Bayan press conference at the National Press Club on 9 July, in preparation for a November people's conference against imperialist globalization on the theme: "Strengthen international solidarity and advance the people's struggle against imperialism". Bayan's call is for the Philippine government to withdraw from (hosting) Apec. Written presentations were made by Satur Ocampo, Ed Villegas and Vicky Tauli-Corpuz. Best. Mario Mapanao ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Documentation for Action Groups in Asia, Hong Kong E-mail: mario_m@hk.super.net Phone-mail: (852) 2696 9307 (flat) Phone: (852) 2691 6391 (office) Fax: (852) 2697 1912 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From ucansw at peg.apc.org Sat Jul 27 21:43:17 1996 From: ucansw at peg.apc.org (ucansw@peg.apc.org) Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 22:43:17 +1000 Subject: [asia-apec 16] Re: Phil PO-NGO Summit on Apec, 4/5 July Message-ID: <199607271243.WAA12912@peg.apc.org> Thanks Mario, Cheers, Stephen From daga at HK.Super.NET Tue Jul 30 10:23:01 1996 From: daga at HK.Super.NET (daga) Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 09:23:01 +0800 (HKT) Subject: [asia-apec 17] Trade: No New Issues at Singapore WTO Meet, Says Developing World Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960730091803.201fb400@is1.hk.super.net> The 18 APEC member countries are part of WTO, so this article should be of interest to all (recipients of this conference, that is). This is posted with the kind permission of IPS-Mnl. Mario M. /* Written 3:41 PM Jul 26, 1996 by newsdesk in igc:ips.english */ /* ---------- "TRADE: No New Issues at Singapore W" ---------- */ Copyright 1996 InterPress Service, all rights reserved. Worldwide distribution via the APC networks. *** 23-Jul-96 *** Title: TRADE: No New Issues at Singapore WTO Meet, Says Developing World By Martin Khor KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 22 (IPS) - Political leaders, trade officials and independent groups in Asia and other developing regions are increasingly opposing moves by industrial countries to bring new issues onto the agenda of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Several Asian officials have spoken out against proposals of the European Union (EU) and the United States to introduce non-trade issues -- the most contentious being labour standards -- at the WTO's first Ministerial Conference to be held in Singapore in December. In Jakarta, where ASEAN senior officials met at the weekend, Malaysia's top foreign ministry official, Ahmad Kamil Jaafar said that the Association of South-east Asian (ASEAN) would take a common stand to oppose discussion of new issues at the scheduled WTO conference. ''Malaysia is against new issues like rights of foreign investors as we cannot give national treatment rights to foreigners,'' he said ahead of the Jakarta meeting. ''We are also not in favour of the proposed competition policy rules.'' In Manila, the Philippine Trade and Industry undersecretary Cesar Bautista also made clear that the 18-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) refused to entertain new issues in the WTO, especially at the Singapore ministerial conference. He said this was the consensus that emerged during the APEC trade ministers' meeting recently held in Christchurch, New Zealand. Chaired by Philippine Trade and Industry secretary Rizalino Navarro, that meeting agreed the WTO should focus on unfinished business following the Uruguay Round conclusion, and on the built- in agenda of work, before entertaining new topics. The differences in perception on the future programme of the WTO, and especially on the agenda of the Singapore conference, is threatening to cause a North-South split in the organisation. The major industrial countries are trying to get developing countries to accept including new issues like labour standards, foreign investment and competition policies, and even corruption into WTO agreements. Developing countries on the other hand are concerned that introducing these new issues, which have no direct linkage to trade, would further erode their sovereignty and limit their ability to make national policies and construct development programmes of their own choice. Intense debates and negotiations are now taking place in the preparation of the agenda for the Singapore Conference. Most of these preparatory debates are taking place behind closed doors in Geneva, where the WTO is headquartered. Several Northern governments have in recent months also held meetings to discuss the Singapore Conference agenda in Stockholm, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Earlier in July, many developing countries for the first time got together in Kuala Lumpur to make their own preparations. Organised by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), the conference on 'The WTO: Perspectives from the South' was attended by about 70 trade policy-makers, WTO diplomats, academics and businessmen from several developing countries, including Brazil, Bangladesh, India, Singapore, Thailand, China, Korea, Egypt, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Ghana. The main conclusion of the meeting was that the attempt by Northern countries to put new issues into the WTO poses a danger to the sovereignty and economic interests of the South, and that this should be resisted in a united way. The Conference theme was set by Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry, Rafidah Aziz, who described as ''discomforting'' the move by some developed countries to broaden the WTO's work programme to include on multi-lateral investment rules, labour standards, competition policy and corruption. ''These are highly contentious issues and they constitute the single greatest challenge to the sovereignty and economic prosperity of the developing countries in the future,'' said Rafidah. She noted that developed countries had proposed that the WTO initiate discussions and subsequently negotiations on liberalisation and protection of cross-border investments and rules harmonising national competition policies. ''These moves are of grave concern to developing countries as they could eventually restrict national governments in their domestic economic policy making,'' she said. ''In particular, the demand that there should be free movement of investment across national borders and for national treatment imply that any investor will have the right to establish a market presence in any sector in any country and be accorded national treatment. ''This will remove the right of national governments to implement national level investment policies which may either restrict a foreign presence in certain sectors or which may provide preferential treatment to national firms to enable them to compete with large established foreign firms.'' Rafidah added that some developed countries are also keen to get the WTO to forge a direct link between trade and labour rights, claiming that developing countries' imports were cheap -- not because of a comparative advantage in production cost but because of unacceptably low labour standards. ''This is not only politically unacceptable to developing countries but also does not make sound economic sense,'' she said. ''These issues will have far reaching repercussions on our development efforts and objectives. Developing countries must stand together...to counter the proposals. ''We must strive for a united approach, for if we are divided we will continue to be dominated by the industrialised countries.'' Zimbabwe's Ambassador to the WTO, Dr Tichaona Jokonya, and Bangladesh's Commerce Secretary, Mofazzal Karim, made similar assertions, saying that in implementing even the Uruguay Round commitments, smaller economies are facing a host of problems. The Singapore meeting should focus on ''how far we have gone'' since the Uruguay Round, said Jokonya. ''We have not yet really started implementation. How can we talk about the new issues?'' Moreover, added Karim, while the industrial countries are fully equipped to meet their obligations in the Uruguay Round, many developing countries do not have the machinery. ''From the (Uruguay Round) agreements, it was not clear whether poor countries benefited from Round at all,'' he noted. ''If they do not benefit, they should be compensated. Therefore, a stocktaking exercise should be done. It is not the time for work on any new issues.'' And this is particularly so, he added, if the ''new issues are controversial''.(END/IPS/WD-AP-IP/MK/CPG/96) Origin: Manila/TRADE/ ---- [c] 1996, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS) All rights reserved May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service outside of the APC networks, without specific permission from IPS. 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