[asia-apec 1605] Fw: Seoul O20 Struggle Newsletter 3

[APEC Monitoring Group]

-----Original Message-----
From: changgeun Lee <changgeun_lee at hotmail.com>



>Dear Friends,
>
>Following message is a Newsletter on Seoul O20 struggle.
>Please distribute it widely and sorry for cross posting..
>
>In Solidarity,
>
>International Coordinating Team of KoPA
>(Korean People's Action against Investment Treaties and the WTO)
>
>------------------------------------
>
>
>SEOUL O20 Struggle Newsletter 3
>
>  The torch of the international struggle against globalization 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 opportunistically 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 at 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
>
>
>
>
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