Dec 3- People will take to the street on the inauguration of the WTOs 9th ministerial in Bali

Media Advisory- Gerak Lawan, SMAA, LVC

(Dec 2, Bali) As the official WTO talks open on the 3rd of December in Bali, peoples movements will take to the streets on the same day. The Gerak Lewan- an alliance of Indonesian Peoples Movements against Neocolonialism and Imperialism, along with the Social Movements for an Alternative Asia (SMAA), a newly formed coordination of Asian social movements along with La Via Campesina will demonstrate in Renon Square in Denpasar from 9 am until 2 pm. 

The protest will bring together atleast a 1000 farmers, trade unions, students, women and youth from more than 30 countries. They will manifest their total rejection of the WTO and its free trade regime. “The Bali package is a terrible deal for the developing world. We are forced to accept a legally binding agreement on trade facilitation and cut our small subsidies for farmers and the hungry. The peace clause is a trojan horse to get us to accept the WTO deal.” said Henry Saragih of Indonesia. 

“We don’t want to get into discussions on weather the peace clause should be for 4 years or 10 years, the point is that the WTO is doing nothing for the farmers, in the long run it spells death for us. Indian farmers will never accept such a deal,” said Yudhvir Singh of BKU. 

The protests will remain peaceful and will use colorful dance and culture to express the people’s solidarity and rejection of the WTO.