[asia-apec 890] Adopted resolutions of APPA

[appasec]

ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC PEOPLES’ ASSEMBLY

November 14, 1998

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. Stop military violence on the democratic movement in Indonesia. 

The Indonesian military continues the culture of violence to stop the protest actions by the Indonesia people during the extraordinary session of the People’s Assembly.

The extraordinary session was to reaffirm President Habibie’s present tenure as head of state and the general elections in 1999. 

The students and people were out on the streets everyday in the last few months and their protests intensified from 9th to 12th of November, to demand accountability of former President Suharto and an investigation into his wealth; the ending of the dual-function of the military; and an independent Election Commission for the upcoming elections. 

However, the peaceful demonstrations by the students and the people were brutally suppressed by the Indonesian military using sticks, tear gas, bullets and tanks. The Malaysian newspapers claim nine students died and over a hundred were injured. 

Sources in Indonesia, confirm that another person from Tangerang (district area border in Jakarta), one police and one student from Bandung Technology Institute have also died. Three students from Jakarta remain in critical condition in the hospital and there were three journalists whose legs were broken. 

This latest action by the Indonesian military is a violation of all basic human rights, particularly the right of peaceful assembly and expression. This shows that the present regime is no different from the Suharto regime, but merely a continuation, to repress the people and democratic movement in this country. 

We, the participants of APPA, PROTEST and CONDEMN this use of violence by the Indonesian military and police. We demand for the Indonesia government to:

    1.. Immediately and accurately announce the number of victims who have died or been injured during the protest on November 12, 1998;
    2.. Immediately set up an independent fact-finding mission to investigate the violence perpetrated by the Indonesian military and to be transparent in its reporting.
    3.. Immediately stop all violence and security approaches by the military in handling the demonstrations and rallies by the people who only want to express their rights through peaceful assembly;
    4.. Immediately ratify the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights.
2. Stop the Multilateral Agreement on Investments (MAI) from going into the World Trade Organisation (WTO)

The Global Coordination Against the MAI Going into the WTO has announced that November 20 will be a Global Day of Protest Against the MAI.

We, the participants of APPA, endorse and support this Global Day of Protest Against the MAI. 

3. 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Ratification of Covenants

On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the principal instrument in the International Bill of Human Rights, we, the participants of APPA, urge Malaysia, and all other nations which have not ratified the legal instruments of the International Bill of Human Rights, to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

    1.. On Malaysia
    We, the participants of APPA:

    -call on the Malaysian government to immediately free all political prisoners without condition;

    -to abolish the Internal Security Act and all other repressive laws; and

    -to respect the freedoms of assembly, speech, and association.

    The participants unanimously express our resolute solidarity with the people’s struggle in Malaysia.

    2.. On the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Mexico
We, the participants of APPA, strongly condemn the violation of the human rights of the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico, particularly the indigenous peoples of Chiapas; and we unanimously demand that the Mexican Government comply with the Human Rights Charter and the commitments within the San Andres agreements related to peace talks, and also the immediate implementation of the Pacific resolutions.

We strongly condemn the militarization of the indigenous territory of Chiapas.

6. On Tibet

We, the participants of APPA;

-condemn China for the persistent violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Chinese-occupied Tibet for the past more than four decades

-deplore the fact that the international community, including the United Nations, has failed to bring about an end to the suffering of the six million Tibetan people

-are deeply concerned with the incommunicado detention of Gedhum Choekyi Nyima, the Eleventh Panchen Lama of Tibet, the world’s youngest political prisoner;

-support His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his continued stand on the non-violent approach to resolve human conflicts in the spirit of reconciliation and compromise;

We earnestly call upon the Chinese leadership to open unconditional negotiations with the Tibetan government in Exile for the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Tibet. We agree to contact our local embassies when we return.

    1.. On Africa
    Capitalist globalisation is taking a heavy toll on the human lives and environment of Africa. Increasingly people are losing control of their land and natural resources. Transnational corporations are endangering food security and weakening the ability of people to even feed themselves. Internal civil strife and ethnic conflicts are the tragic manifestations of this situation. Especially damaging are the effects of WTO-led liberalisation and deregulation of African economies. African governments are compromised because of structural adjustment programmes and their psychology of dependence on donors.

    However, the peoples of Africa, especially factory workers, poor peasants, individual workers, students, and all other progressive sections of society fighting for a more just, euitable and self-determined future.

    We, the participants of APPA, support the struggle of the peoples of Africa for the defense of their land, natural resources and cultural sovereignity. And, we stand in solidarity in their struggle in their struggle against imperialist globalisation.

    2.. On the United States of America
    We, the participants of APPA, condemn the role of the Government of the United States of America in violating the human rights of the peoples’ of the Asia-Pacific by supporting anti-people regimes sympathetic to the American neoliberal policies.

    3.. On the Mirrar People, Australia
We, the participants of APPA, extend support to the Mirrar people in their just struggles to prevent the multinational E.R.A. from mining uranium on Mirrar land at Jabiluka in Kakado National Park. We recognize the justice of the mirrar peoples claims to self-determination and call on the Australian government to respect these claims.

10. Stop the World Bank financed dam near Ramancherry, Tamil Nadu

Ramancherry is a village situated in Tamil Nadu State, India where the state government plans, through an agreement with neighbouring Andara State, to construct a reservoir on the Krishna River. The project is supported by the World Bank. Ten villages in Tamil Nadu and three villages in Andra State will be affected by this reservoir project. The affected villagers were never consulted. 

The government told the people to vacate the villages. They will be uprooted from their own villages and place of birth. 25,000 people live in these villages and 4,800 acres will be affected. 

We, the participants of APPA, demand that the World Bank withdraw all support for the project and all other dam schemes, and we pledge our solidarity with the affected villagers and their struggle for justice.

11. On the Nisga’a People, Canada

The Nisga’a are indigenous people of British Columbia, Canada. For over a century, they have been fighting for their sovereignty and for the land that was wrongfully taken from them. 

We, the participants of APPA give our full support and solidarity to their struggle for self-determination.