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December 2, 1999

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KCTU Declares Support for the People Rallying

in Protest Against the WTO in Seattle

The "People's Action Against Investment Treaties and WTO New Round", which brings together 33 people's and activists organisations, issued a statement declaring its support for the protest actions in Seattle opposing the launching of a new round of trade talks. The "no-to-new-round coalition" is composed of virtually all major people's organisations, like the KCTU, the national farmers federation, the umbrella body of university professors, the national democratic lawyers association, the most prominent civil movement network, and many student movement groups. The 'people's action' coalition was brought together in September this year to build up people campaign against bilateral investment treaties between Korea and the U.S. and Korea and Japan, and to challenge the neo-liberal agenda and the track record of ruins left by the World Trade Organisation.

The people's action coalition has sent a delegation of six persons to Seattle to take part in the solidarity campaign opposing the initiation of the new round of trade talks aimed at further 'liberalisation' and acceleration of globalisation.

The Foul Play by the U.S. Government

In its statement, the people's action coalition declared its support for and oneness with the massive outcry of people of the world that has heaved the sky above Seattle and shaken the "we know what’s good for you" complacency of the dignitaries and trade negotiators gathered for the WTO meeting. Furthermore, it voiced a concern over the actions of police and the U.S. government, which have resulted in the massive indiscriminate crackdown on peaceful demonstration and arrest of more than 400 protesting people.

The vicinity of the WTO meeting in Seattle is cleansed of protesting people as a state of emergency and curfew have been declared and National Guard has been called in. The actions taken by the U.S. authorities to sweep out all the demonstrating people gathered in Seattle from all over the world, on the pretext of pockets of isolated violence, guarding the trade talks, which are supposedly for the benefit of the people, from the people with police and military is symbolic of the very problem of the WTO system and practice which have inspired the people to rise in massive protest.

KCTU Speaks Out

In a separate statement, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions declared that "the intensity of protest in Seattle by representatives of trade union movement, environment movement, farmers, and various other grassroots organisations is a stern warning of the people of the world to the "rulers" of the world". The statement condemned the transnational corporations, global speculative money traders and the governments in the advanced industrialised countries and developing countries who have preached that only the maximisation of the 'freedom of capital’ and 'freedom of business’ will bring about welfare and prosperity of the people.

The KCTU statement pointed to the ever-widening gap in development and wealth between the rich and poor countries and the rich and the rest in individual countries despite all the rhetoric of the virtues of 'free market' and 'liberalisation' championed by the WTO and other capital-led institutions of the global capitalism.

The KCTU drew attention to the violation of national sovereignty, democracy, basic human, social, and labour rights, the precarious life of farmers, the raping of women's rights and the decimation of environment and ecology that have resulted from the neo-liberal ideology of transnational capital which has eyes only for 'competition' and 'efficiency'.

The KCTU called for the immediate end to the repression of just protest actions and the immediate release of the arrested protesters, suspension of the initiative to launch a new round of trade talks, and the immediate recall of the Korean government trade negotiators who have committed themselves to sell out agriculture to secure the interest of conglomerate business concerns. The KCTU also called for a comprehensive debt cancellation for developing countries and the establishment of a rigourous global regulatory regime to reign in the practice of speculative capital and transnational corporations.

Things to Come in the New Millenium

The KCTU statement also announced the plan by a broad coalition led by itself and other people's organisations, including farmers and urban poor, to hold the second 'national people's rally' on December 10, to carry on the struggle that was launched in Seattle.

The KCTU declared its determination to stop the celebration for millenium of capital and its commitment to wage on in its struggle to so that people can celebrate the achievement of the comprehensive rights of workers and all people, the restoration of the ecological integrity, and the enrichment of women's rights in the new century.

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The following is a full translation of the statement issued by the "People's Action Against Investment Treaties and WTO New Round".

The opening ceremony of the WTO Ministerial Conference schedule to start on ten a.m. November 30 in Seattle, was delayed for many hours due to the human chain encircling the convention centre of the WTO meeting. WTO meeting aimed at launching a new round of trade talks got off the ground only when massive force of police and military was moblised quell the demonstrations. Mayor of Seattle declared a state of emergency and curfew and banned all traffic flow in the vicinity of the WTO meeting. Military ? National Guard ? was brought in to keep protesting people away.

We are deeply angered by the brutal and violent suppression of demonstration orchestrated by the U.S. government as seen live on television throughout the world. The demonstrations in Seattle are protest against the WTO system which has aggravated and deepened the wealth gap all over the world, and undermined the principles of social rights and environment. The Seattle demonstration is a clear warning of the people to the WTO as its deigns to design a new round of trade negotiations to broaden and intensify the neoliberal trend.

Peoples organisations all over the world ? in a show of unprecedented common concern ? have sounded a unified opposition to the new round of trade talks under the auspices of the WTO which will be fine tuned to serve the interest of transnational corporations and a few advanced industrialised countries led by the U.S.

We ? the "People's Action Against Investment Treaties and WTO New Round" ? declaring ourselves to be a part of the global people's endeavour and an articulation of the struggle of the Korean people to resist indiscriminate 'liberalisation' and 'globalisation' which suffocate the livelihood and rights of people, are part of the Seattle global solidarity action through our 6-person delegation.

The U.S., which has always proclaimed itself as the defender of democracy, has turned the state instrument of violence and brought in National Guard against the protesting people. We should not, however ? having experienced so much already ? be surprised by the intolerance, deceit, and hypocrisy in the U.S. claims. The violent crackdown of the just protest action is a clear demonstration of intent of all those who are bent on pursuing the new round of negotiations despite the wide spread concern, opposition, and protest. We call on the U.S. government and all other governments to open their eyes and ears to the reality and outcry of people trampled by the merciless machination of global captial and corporations. This is the necessary first step to develop "alternatives for humanity" as against the logic of capital.

We call on the Korean government. It has turned a blind eye to the reality of polarisation where the rights and welfare of the majority of people have been sacrificed and willfully ignored in the thoughtless embrace for liberalisation that has accelerated since the conclusion of the Ururguay Round in 1994. Despite the devastation, it insists on even further wide ranging trade liberalisation. The Korean government must awaken to the meaning of the anger that arose from the streets of Seattle.

We, hereby, present our demands to the U.S. government, the Korean government, and the WTO.

Undertake a thorough and comprehensive investigation and evaluation of the impact of 'liberalisation' pursued by the WTO had on democracy, human rights, ecology, culture, women, health, and sustainable development.
Investigate and evaluate whether the WTO agreement and practices are in compliance with the International Human Rights Declaration, the Treaty on Diversity of Biological, the ILO Conventions, and other international covenants, and the various democratic rights guaranteed by national constitutions.
These investigation and evaluation process must be undertaken appropriate fully mandated body based on the guarantee of the full participation of all people ? workers, farmers, urban poor, women, cultural workers, artists, students, etc. ? who have been affected by the process of 'liberalisation'.
The new round of negotiations and all other negotiations aimed at expanding 'free trade' must be suspended until the investigation and evaluation process are undertaken.
The U.S. government must call off the state of emergency and curfew declared in Seattle and pull out the National Guard which curtail legitimate protest action. The U.S. government must guarantee the activities of all people who have gathered in Seattle to voice their legitimate concern. It must also officially apologise for the violent crackdown of just protest activities.