arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

People's struggle has been already started for O20!

The torch of the international struggle against lobalization 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 pportunistically 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@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