‘WTO destroys the lives of Indonesian peasant and fisher communities’: Anti-WTO protests spreads around the world.

13 December: Just as the Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is underway in Buenos Aires, Argentina, social movements around the world are protesting the devastating effects of WTO on world’s people.

Extending solidarity to protesters in Buenos Aires, the Indonesian Peasants Union (SPI) organised demonstrations in Jakarta and Medan yesterday, demanding the WTO to stay out of agriculture. SPI is a member of La Via Campesina.

Members of the peasants’ union gathered in front of the Ministry of Trade in Jakarta. Agus Ruli Ardiansyah, General Secretary of SPI said that in this action SPI urges the Indonesian government to withdraw its membership in the WTO, because WTO doesn’t provide sovereignty protection to Indonesian peasants and fisher communities. “SPI also urges the government to implement a genuine agrarian reform,” said Agus Ruli.

Zainal, from the Department of International Affairs of SPI adds, “SPI also urges the Indonesian government to achieve food sovereignty, whereby every nation and people have the right to determine their own agricultural and food policies; to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and trade; to achieve sustainable development goals, fulfilled, itself and protect the local market from dumping products.”

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In Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia, college students from SYFM (Sumateran Youth Food Movement) and youth peasants of SPI held an action in North Sumatera University. “We are college students and youth peasants of SPI say no to WTO. WTO out of agriculture. WTO kills peasants,” said Erick Sitohang, the coordinator of action.

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