Hong Kong (Dec 13) – People from all over the world united by one common purpose, gathered on the football pitches of Victoria Park in Hong Kong to herald the opening of the Peoples Action Week (PAW) in protest of the official opening of the 6th WTO Ministerial.

Joining the “Speak Out” held to articulate concerns of the millions of those betrayed and marginalized by WTO fueled neo-liberal trade policies, were delegates of the Peoples Camp for Food Sovereignty.

“Ten years is enough!”, called out Antonio Tujan of the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS). “Ten years ago very few had ever heard an inkling of the WTO and its impacts,” he continued, “but now many NGOs and Social Movements are resisting the WTO-including peasants’ movements like La Via Campesina, and the Kilusang Magbubukid Ng Pilipinas (KMP) in the Philippines”.

In all countries, especially in the poor colonial and post colonial South, the negative results of the WTO have had immediate and long term effects, he stated. The immediate effects include the dumping of cheap agricultural and industrial goods; bankruptcies for peasants and small farmers; closure of enterprises especially domestic SMEs and the loss of millions of jobs; the loss of medicines and food; the loss of dignity and increased poverty in many countries!

The benefits of the WTO and globalisation have been limited. These have been limited to the rich, elite and the global corporations.

Recounting the long term effects, he cited the re-concentration of land and capital to transnational corporations and comprador landlords; rapid expansion of social injustice, poverty, landlessness and displacement; de-industrialisation of pre-industrialised colonies and semi-colonies. And there has been massive loss of jobs, resulting in a race to the bottom in wages, and in commodification of labour as migrant workers and trafficked people.

“These ten years have exposed the myth of free trade and the reality of imperialist globalisation, which has resulted in the rapid expansion of people’s resistance and solidarity”, he asserted. “Southern governments are becoming more hard pressed. The maxims of free trade, and the agenda of the WTO and globalisation, are being challenged as illusionary and hollow. The imperialist powers, the G8, and the U.S. and E.U find it more and more difficult”.

But imperialists are not satisfied with what they have gained already, he warned. They do not care about strong opposition from peoples’ movements, and governments that want to assert independence. They are pushing for progress and expansion of the Doha development agenda. This is an important move not only because of greed, they also face intense crisis or threats of grave economic crisis.

“Thus in ten years, WTO is in crisis, just as the whole global monopoly capitalist system is in crisis! Ten years later, even though poor and enslaved, people have forged militant solidarity to protect their livelihood, jobs and dignity. It is now more difficult to define the agenda further, there is conflict, but imperialist powers like the U.S. and E.U will be more intense. There maybe calls to reform the WTO! But we know that there is only one way forward, and that is to JUNK the WTO!”

The “Speakout”, which took place as officials entered the shiny halls of the Hong Kong Convention Centre, was antithecal to WTO director general Pascal Lamy’s, denouncement of the groundswell of protests echoing through the streets of Hong Kong. Protests which Lamy, as cited on television, claimed were only coming from a “minority” in contrast to the so-called “silent majority who wanted, and benefited, from free trade”.

Injecting the realities of the devastating effects of WTO policies on the lives of millions of peasants, Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of the 126 member Asia Peasants Coalition and KMP, strongly addressed the “Speakout” carrying a bushel of rice in one hand and a mock farmers’ sickle marked with the call to “Junk the WTO!”

“We, the rural people, are the primary victims of WTO and imperialist globalisation. Liberalisation of agriculture brings misery to landless peasants, agricultural workers, fisherfolk, and peasant women, so we are here to register our opposition. Ten years of WTO is a catastrophe for agricultural producers,” said Ka Daning.

Ka Daning also spoke of how WTO means the control of transnational corporations over seeds that the farmers have nurtured and developed for years, and how it leads to the plunder of natural resources.

He ended his speech with a rousing and positive call to action for the peasants and peoples of the world. “The rural people in the world must unite, we must strengthen our ranks to intensify our resistance to WTO and imperialist globalisation. We believe, in the end, we will succeed. Long live international solidarity!”

In his native language he shouted, amidst deafening cheers: “Mabuhay ang mamamayan ng mundo” (Long live the peoples of the world!), “Imperyalismo Ibagsak!” (Down with imperialism!)

The Peoples Action Week March took take place from Victoria park in Causeway Bay to the cargo handling area facing the Hong Kong Convention Centre in Wan Chai, and involved thousands of peoples organisations, peasants and farmers movement, women’s groups, and workers’ organisations-including delegates to the Peoples Camp.

The “Speakout” continued with great passion as the crowds gathered to raise their voices in opposition to the WTO proceedings taking place across the water. Joining the lineup of speakers was P. Chennaiah of the Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union (APVVU, Agricultural Workers Union)-spokesperson for the Coalition of Agricultural Workers International (CAWI), a unique coalition of Peoples Movements, Trade Unions, NGOs and other support networks representing agricultural workers, peasants, small farmers, dalits and fisherfolk.

Accompanied by CAWI members from Indonesia and the Philippines, Chennaiah called for solidarity and a united front against the violence and denigration facing workers, and the loss of their livelihoods and lives, “we have to destroy the WTO before it destroys us!” Pointing to the Hong Kong Conference Centre, he denounced the terror facing millions of workers, especially agricultural workers, by referring to the WTO as the “World’s Terrorist Organisation” because of policies that are literally devastating and terrorising workers, and proliferating poverty, loss of jobs and migration.

The People’s Camp for Food Sovereignty taking place from December 15-17 in Victoria Park, will have tribunals, seminars, workshops, protest actions, exhibits, a Rice Festival and other cultural events. It is being organized by Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PANAP) and the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) together with 40 People’s Organisations and support NGOs from all over Asia and other regions.