December 18, Hong Kong: A City Under Siege?
by Anuradha Mittal
"Hong Kong: A City Under Siege," was the headline of a newspaper this morning, describing mass mobilization in the streets of Hong Kong yesterday which forced the lock down of the Convention Center. Jane Kelsey of the Our World is Not for Sale Network described it as "The parallel worlds of people protesting that the WTO is destroying lives of people in North and South and of trade ministers desperately seeking a cosmetic deal that can keep the WTO alive finally met last night."
The protests against the WTO are not about the siege of a city, but to challenge the siege of our democracy, sovereignty, human rights, and dignity. For too long trade negotiators have managed to hide in the Green Rooms of bunkered Convention Centers, making decisions that affect daily lives of millions of people. Last night, that changed as mass mobilization made it obvious to all what democracy really looks and sounds like.
Yesterday afternoon, thousands of representatives from farmers, fishers, workers, migrants, women's students and other civil society organizations started their march from Victoria Park amid chants of "Down With WTO." They were headed to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center to protest the destructive policies of the WTO. Leading the march were members of the Korea Peasant League, UNAC (Peasants' Organization of Mozambique) and other members of Via Campesina along with representatives of other international organizations from Canada, India, Thailand, United States, Australia, Germany and other parts of the world.
At around 5:00 pm, we were stopped by the police. But the determination of the people to have their voices heard overcame all barriers. Creating diversions, battling the police lines, jumping over the barricades, we managed to get very close to the Convention Center. The people of Hong Kong lined the streets and many cheered us on...applauding, their fists raised in the sky.
As we got close to the Convention Center the police emptied pepper spray and tear gas and used water hoses to disperse us.
Holding each others hands we stood firm. Many were injured and some were hospitalized. After this, at least 900 demonstrators sat peacefully on Gloucester Road, singing songs and dancing, but were surrounded on all side by the police in full riot gear for over ten hours. By 3:30 this morning, the police started to arrest the demonstrators and the arrests are continuing into today. Reports from the legal support group and those arrested reveal that those kept on Gloucester Road were not allowed food, water and bathroom facilities while many were constrained in extremely painful handcuffs and some were even strip-searched. Among those arrested include the General Secretary of Via Campesina from Africa and the General Secretary of Via Campesina from the Basques.
A spokesperson for the Korean Council of Trade Unions has said the police would not provide information on the number of people being detailed, but they believed that 71 unionists were arrested, including the chair and vice chair of the KCTU. He had just visited the police station and was told that police took some people from the hospital to detention center before they had been fully treated and people had been denied medical treatment at the police station. All those arrested were handcuffed by plastic ties; those who broke the cuffs were beaten with hands and sticks. An appeal is being made to the Korean consulate to act as mediator on behalf of its citizens.
Social movements, trade unions and networks from across the world including Via Campesina and OWINFS are demanding the release of those arrested. A statement released by these groups states, "We stand in complete solidarity with the demonstrators, who have been so deeply and desperately impacted by the systemic violence of the WTO policies and are asking all members and delegates of the WTO in calling for the immediate release of these political prisoners."
Jose Bove, the French farmer, speaking at a press conference this morning said, "We are not terrorists or criminals. We are farmers and workers who are fighting for our rights. That's why we came here to this building, to open the doors and say to the delegates come and listen to what we have to tell you, what the farmers are saying, what the workers are saying. This is our lives we are fighting for. That's why we wanted to get as close as we could."
"This was a legitimate resistance against what we call the institutional violence of WTO. WTO is killing farmers, causing suicides in many countries, with many farmers being forced off their farms. This week we have been listening about the problems of cotton and bananas in Africa, We could talk the same way about rice, about everything. That's why we are so angry and that's why we decided to resist globalisation. The police said we didn't respect the road that was given for the demonstration, but when the WTO is destroying our lives how can we respect the road given for a demonstration? We were arrested less than 100 meters from this building. That is why we made this demonstration. The fight is inside and outside. But the problem is that the WTO is making this place a bunker. There are 30,000 police surrounding this building. How can we have democracy when that is happening and delegates refuse to speak to the people? The WTO is completely delegitimised and if in the end they have an agreement it will be an agreement against the people. Do any of the delegates here ask their people if they agree with that? They will never do so because they know the answer already. So who are these delegates representing? Only the business interests of their country. This institution has no legitimacy."
"This is not only a fight of one day, but every day, in our farms, our factories and our lives. That is why we are here. We have just been told that the closing ceremony is closed to the NGOs. Why? Are they afraid to speak in front of the people from civil society and social movements? This is the first time they have made such a decision. This is incredible. What do they have to hide?"
Last nights protests have been sensationalised by the media as a riot by 5000 Korean rice farmers when there were people from all walks of life from all countries of the world.
And last night Hong Kong was not a city under siege by protestors. The people of Hong Kong actually had an opportunity to witness the courage of our human rights, workers and immigrant rights and farmers rights defenders who are the keepers of humanity and everything rich and true in life .
