Southeast and East Asia Peasant Youth Assembly Convenes for Agrarian Justice

Dili, Timor-Leste — October 22-24, 2024:

The Regional Youth Articulation Assembly for the Southeast and East Asia region, organized by La Via Campesina, took place in Dili, Timor-Leste, gathering young peasant-farmers to address shared struggles and strengthen solidarity across the region. Youth representatives from Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Australia participated in this three-day assembly, held from October 22 to 24, to promote regional cooperation, share knowledge, and campaign for agrarian justice and sustainable food systems.

The assembly, hosted by MOKATIL in collaboration with La Via Campesina’s Asia Regional Secretariat, focused on building a unified approach to tackling the challenges facing rural communities across Southeast and East Asia. These gatherings are pivotal in forming collective strategies, empowering peasant youth, and enhancing grassroots movements to address critical issues impacting farming communities, from land rights to food sovereignty.

The Secretary of State for Cooperatives in Timor-Leste opened the event, welcoming the youth delegates and reaffirming the government’s dedication to promoting agricultural cooperatives. He highlighted the importance of youth in advocating for peasant rights and sustaining agriculture for future generations.

Representatives from MOKATIL shared insights into the struggles of Timorese peasant families due to capitalist expansion and environmentally destructive projects. They emphasized the urgent need for youth engagement to protect agrarian rights and uphold sustainable farming practices amidst these challenges.

Throughout the assembly, youth representatives from each participating organization presented the issues affecting farmers in their countries:

• Philippines (Paragos): Philippine farmers face severe challenges as corporations, often backed by the government, seize land, pushing many into poverty and forcing youth to abandon schooling. Paragos members have pledged to resist these injustices, with assembly delegates proposing a solidarity video to raise awareness of Philippine farmers’ struggles.
• Timor-Leste (MOKATIL): MOKATIL showcased their initiatives to support Timorese youth in building sustainable agricultural systems, vital for post-COVID economic recovery. Despite facing obstacles like unfavorable policies, climate impacts, and limited adaptation skills, MOKATIL’s youth are committed to pushing for agrarian reform.
• South Korea (KWPA): The Korean Women’s Peasant Association raised concerns about untaxed rice imports that undercut local rice prices, making it harder for Korean farmers to compete. KWPA also advocates for preserving traditional seeds, promoting agroecology, and improving gender equality in rural areas, with a focus on involving youth in these efforts.
• Australia (AFSA): The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance reported that over 70% of Australia’s agricultural land is used for export, often relying on underpaid immigrant labor. AFSA supports initiatives that enable young Australians to access farmland, aiming to promote an agroecological, locally-led agricultural sector.
• Thailand (AOP): The Assembly of the Poor (AOP) highlighted the displacement of Thai farmers due to government projects like dam construction and forest reclamation, which, though intended for conservation, often harm local farming communities.
• Cambodia (FNN): The Farmer and Nature Network has mobilized Cambodian youth in agricultural cooperatives, focusing on agroecology and organic farming practices. FNN provides business training for youth and engages them in advocacy at both community and ministry levels.
• Indonesia (SPI): Serikat Petani Indonesia discussed their efforts in promoting agrarian reform but noted that young people are forced to move away from farming due to unfavorable policies, corporate land control, and monopolization. SPI is pushing for a fairer land distribution model that benefits rural communities.

On the third day, participants visited Aileu municipality, where they held discussions with MOKATIL members on managing membership and production processes. During the visit, the youth also created a solidarity video for peers in the Philippines and Sumatra, Indonesia, who have lost their farms due to corporate land grabs. The group concluded the day with a tour of the MOKATIL secretariat and National Warehouse to see the organization’s work firsthand.

This post is also available in Français.