Thousands of migrant workers, lead by members of the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), converged in Victoria Park central lawn, Hong Kong, on 11 December 2005 to protest against the World Trade Organization (WTO).
30 Dec 2005
Hong Kong court adjourns case for WTO protesters
29 Dec 2005
South Koreans demand release of WTO protesters in Hong Kong
Slideshow: World Trade Organization
Curbside at the WTO
Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO
Pascal Lamy's personal blog
The MFA delegation carried out their activities including cultural presentations and speeches ? in Victoria Park, and then joined the Hong Kong People's Alliance centralized action. Around 4,000 anti-globalization and WTO activists carrying banners of "No To WTO" marched through Hong Kong to protest outside the Central Government Office.
December 11 marks the opening of the People's Action Week to protest against the WTO. The World Trade Organization's Sixth Ministerial Conference will be in Hong Kong this coming December 13-18, 2005. Trade ministers will meet in Hong Kong for talks on a global trade liberalization deal. In response, members of Civil Society will gather in Hong Kong from the 11th to the 18th of December to protest the current round of negotiations in the WTO.
The lead organizers for the day's activity included the Asian Migrant Centre (AMC), Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU), the Coalition for Migrants Rights (CMR), SBMI, KOTKIHO and the Filipino Domestic Workers General Union.
MFA's participation in the People's Action Week is a follow-up on the recommendations of the July WTO conference on WTO Trade and Migration where the network reiterated its position on issues concerning the WTO in the Hong Kong Declaration:
" We reject the WTO's services agreement (GATS) that institutionalises the commodification of people.
Current negotiations in the WTO are leading developing countries towards false choices. In the GATS Mode 4 negotiations, developing countries trade-off policy space in agriculture and industry to gain access to labour. We reject this framework that treats workers, women and migrants as tradeable commodities.
We reject the AoA framework that has caused the widespread collapse of rural economies, displacing communities and increasing forced internal and external migration." -Hong Kong Declaration
Purple banners with bold letters stating the calls of migrant workers were raised in the Victoria Park central lawn. Protesters carried a huge effigy of a dinosaur symbolizing WTO. The calls of the protesters included:
Derail WTO!
No deal is better than a bad deal!
No deal in Hong Kong!
Sink WTO now!
WTO out of Services!
No to the commodification of migrants!
Civil Society members who joined the day of protest as co-organizers included: La Via Campesina, Focus in the Global South, Stop the New Rounds, Jubilee South, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Stop the New Rounds and Institute for Global Justice. Members of Migrant Forum in Asia present included: the Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea (JCMK), Welfare Association of Repatriated Bangladeshi Employees (WARBE), Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK), Center for Migrant Advocacy(CMA), Kanlungan Centre Foundation, Unlad Kabayan, Migrant Care and Solidaritas Perempuan.
La Via Campesina, Institute for Global Justice and members of trade unions also gave their solidarity message to migrant workers.
Sources and Relevant Links:
30 Dec 2005 Hong Kong court adjourns case for WTO protesters
29 Dec 2005 South Koreans demand release of WTO protesters in Hong Kong
Migrant Forum in Asia WTO Action Week Highlights
Oakland Institute Hong Kong: A City Under Siege? 18 December 2005
Oakland Institute Kong Yee Sai Mau: The Battle of Hong Kong 17 December 2005
Oakland Institute Daily Reports from WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong
Oakland Institute Live Radio Broadcast From Hong Kong
Reuters WTO protesters hit US, Korean consulates in HK 16 Dec 2005
Reuters Slideshow: World Trade Organization 16 Dec 2005 South Korean student protesters chant slogans during an anti-WTO rally in Hong Kong, December 16, 2005. South Korean activists sprayed slogans on the walls of the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong on Friday and besieged a building housing their consulate to protest against a meeting of world trade ministers intent on opening up farm markets. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won
ABC News Thousands Protest Against WTO in Hong KongThousands March in First Anti-Globalization Protest Before WTO Summit in Hong Kong 11 Dec 2005
Focusweb KONG YE SAI MAU 4,000 workers, farmers, migrant workers chanting "kong yee sai mau " (no to WTO) marched through the bustling commercial district of Hong Kong on day one of the Peoples' Action Week, which will continue throughout the WTO ministerial from 13-18 December.
Focusweb WTO MINISTERIAL BEGINS AMID PROTESTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HK CONVENTION CENTRE. The WTO's Hong Ministerial began with several noisy protests inside and outside the Convention Centre signaling that negotiators would have an arduous 6 days ahead of them. As the inaugural ceremony began, thousands of protestors from across the world, including a 2000 strong delegation of Korean farmers marched through the streets of Hong Kong demanding an end to the talks. Re
Todayonline WTO to meet in Hong Kong with little hope of success 11 Dec 2005
Reuters Protesters denounce WTO at Hong Kong rallies 11 Dec 2005
