[asia-apec 1597] Oct. 20th, Seoul Action day

[Kevin Yuk-shing Li]

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" <changgeun_lee at hotmail.com>

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

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>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: kopa at jinbo.net

Korean People's Action against Investment Treaties and the WTO(KoPA)
People's Rally Committee