Hongkong Diary

AFA . AsiaDHRRA. APHD in Hongkong, December 11-18, 2005 (A full documentation of our activities will be provided later. Below is a summary of our organizations’ involvement in the civil society’s parallel activities to WTO MC6)

Sunday, December 11

Lany and Esther arrived in Hongkong late morning as advanced party. After check in at Caritas Lodge, we immediately went to Victoria Park to catch the pre-WTO MC6 Opening Rally. Thousands participated in the march, many were women migrant workers from Philippines and Indonesia (Sunday was their day off from work). The over-all atmosphere was festive and light. The banners, streamers and placards came in different colors, sizes and shapes. Some wore traditional costumes and painted their faces and bodies. The messages were similar: Kong Yee Sai Mau ( Stop the WTO Corporate Agenda); Down WTO; WTO Out; Make Trade Fair; and Protect Rights and Livelihoods. Some slogans were new while some sounded familiar.

We saw our friends from APHD, and we marched along with them. They arrived in Hongkong much earlier, and participated in the Conference on Globalizing Economic Justice and Social Sustainability held 9-10 December.

Monday, December 12

Participants from AFA and AsiaDHRRA started to come in. The kits were distributed, and instructions on how to get to the venue of the first activity were given.

In the evening, some of us, who were accredited NGO representatives by WTO MC6, went to the Hongkong Central Library to get our WTO badges – our pass to the Convention Center.

Tuesday, December 13

Today was the official start of the WTO Ministerial Conference.

We knew everything was abuzz already at both the Hongkong Convention and Exhibition Center and the Victoria Park, sites of the official and civil society meetings/actions, respectively. But we had to consolidate ourselves first. So, we first held an orientation session in the morning. Ours was a 42-person strong delegation from AFA, AsiaDHRRA and APHD. We had a good discussion on what was at stake in Hongkong and the positions of various governments and civil society groups.

At around 11 am, we proceeded to Victoria Park to join the Opening Rally. But first we conducted a banner weaving activity right in the big open space at Victoria Park. Some of us, like Sor Kor Por (Thailand) Aliansi Petani Indonesia, TWADA and Ainokai (Japan) brought banners from home. But some had to make theirs still. So, we wrote our calls and messages in pre-cut jute sacks, and then wove them in a big canvass.

The messages :

Love farmers, No WTO (ThaiDHRRA)
Love Nature, Love Life, Love Agriculture (Ainokai)
The Agriculture Perishes, the Country Perishes ( TWADA)
Farmers’ Rights Must Be Defended (API)
Scrap WTO Agreements that Impoverish Farmers, Fishers and Women! (PAKISAMA)
Right to Water = Right to Life (FOMCA/ Era Consumer Malaysia)
WTO Kills Farmers (KAFF)
No Farmers, No Food, No WTO ( Sor Kor Por)
WTO- The Representative of Capitalism ( Sor Kor Por)

We then joined the 2-hour march led by HKPA; we marched behind the delegation of Korean Advanced Farmers’ Federation (KAFF), AFA’s member in Korea. We proudly carried these banners along with AFA, AsiaDHRRA and APHD flags, as well as flags of Sor Kor Por, Aliansi Petani Indonesia, KAFF, Ainokai, TWADA, and Farmer and Nature Net. Several photographers became interested in our unique jute sack banners. Some of us took turns in leading our signature chant:

Fight! Fight! Fight!
For Farmers’ Rights!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
For Farmers’ Lives!

Although we knew the Hongkong public might not be able to hear distinctly “rights” and “lives”.

We also shouted “Kong Yee Sai Mau!” and “Down, Down, WTO!”

At the end of the march, at Wan Chai bay, we had our first glimpse of the well-orchestrated protest actions of the South Koreans. While about a hundred Koreans in orange life vests jumped into the seas fronting the WTO MC 6 venue, some Korean groups tried to break police barricades; still some held a sit-down strike, singing Korean protest songs with matching hand actions and some were beating their drums as if wanting to send the crowds into a trance. A group with water and medicines was walking to and fro, so was a group with the sound system.

Wednesday, December 14

Today was the first day of our forum “WTO, Food Sovereignty and Alternatives to Globalization”, co–organized with the Asia- Pacific Network on Food Sovereignty (APNFS) and International South Group Network (ISGN). About 300 people filled the auditorium at the Boys and Girls Club, half of them were Koreans from KAFF and their women counterpart, WAFF, as well as representatives from the Korean NGO Coalition for the WTO Round (KNCW).

In the morning, farmer leaders from the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, shared their worsening conditions and concerns about agricultural liberalization. The sharing was capped by a solidarity ritual where the leaders joined hands and then sang a Korean farmers’ protest song, led by a KAFF leader.

In the afternoon, we had a panel session on food sovereignty as an alternative framework to unbridled agricultural liberalization. We also listened to three case study presentations – from the Philippines: PDAP’s Organic Rice Marketing and PhilDHRRA’s Sustainable Integrated Area Development framework as operationalized at a the provincial level; and from Japan: The Seikatsu Club – a unique and direct producer consumer relationship system.

Thursday, December 15

In the morning, we continued inter-active discussions on successful initiatives to globalization of agriculture with case study presentations from Thailand (Green Net’s fair trade of organic products) , India (sustainable agriculture and food security ) and Southeast Asia ( seed banks). The case studies raised our hopes that small farmers can do something to counter ill effects of trade liberalization even through localized efforts. Also, the discussions have inspired us to, in the very near future, look closer into these cases in terms of (i) their replicability to other countries – especially fair trade among south –south and north- south partners and direct producer-consumer marketing; and (ii) policy implications, especially in terms of mainstreaming sustainable agriculture in national policies.

We ended the forum by offering a moment of silence to remember Lee Kyung Hae and those who died in the struggle against WTO unfair rules and then by singing again the Korean farmers’ protest song . This time, with more feelings … because we understood the meaning of the song. It was a song about enlightened farmers fighting for their rights, and fighting for the truth, and hoping for victory and a brighter future.

We also signed a declaration entitled: “Stop The Doha Round! No To Further Trade Liberalization In Agriculture! Get WTO Out Of Agriculture And Fisheries!”

In the afternoon, AFA leaders gathered for a mid-MC6 reflection session. Each one shared his/her major observations, learnings, and questions. Almost everyone said the AFA Hongkong event, which was their first international mobilization, was a unique and unforgettable experience; and that they felt the combined power and energy of all the farmers and advocates all over the world, fighting for peoples’ rights and well-being.

AsiaDHRRA and APHD participants also gathered for a separate sharing session among NGO leaders. There was a shared feeling of solidarity and hope. The group felt that the campaign was able to maximize creative ways to educate the Hongkong public about the issues on WTO. AsiaDHRRA leaders mentioned that the local civil society groups in Hongkong should find ways to sustain the support of the public in addressing WTO issues particularly of the migrants’ rights and other issues on services. One participant also mentioned that the struggle against neoliberal ideas should be fought not only at the global level but more importantly at the very personal level. For example, personal consumption preferences should be made consistent with the global call to action.

Friday, December 16

In the morning, some of us went to the NGO Center at the HK Convention and Exhibition Center. We placed some AFA and AsiaDHRRA brochures and publications; as well as collected materials and posters.

AsiaDHRRA leaders had another round of reflection session, this time focusing on the organizational tasks beyond WTO MC6. Most of the leaders said that prospects for continued partnership on advocacy to influence governments for food security and fair agricultural trade as well as to continue building and expanding alternative models have been evident and need to be sustained. The challenge is on how to translate this growing solidarity into concrete collaboration both at the country and regional levels.

This afternoon, AFA participants were tasked to distribute leaflets. We accompanied KAFF members in their “leafleteering day” in the busy central area. The Korean farmers were clad in orange rice sacks with “Down WTO” messages. We were fully escorted by the Hongkong police, even facilitating free train rides to Central station. Even with 200 farmers in tow, KAFF was able to take good command; we were amazed at their discipline and alertness.

We shouted “We love Hongkong” as well as “Kong Yee Sai Mau” and “ Fight for Farmers’ Lives” while walking to our designated areas for leaflettering. It was very easy to distribute the leaflets! While the Koreans beat their drums, sang songs and chanted, we handed-out out leaflets to amused passersby, who sometimes stopped to watch the Koreans. The Koreans have caught so much public attention the past few days and the public wanted to know more about their causes. Some high school students clad in uniforms asked for pictures with them!

In the evening, we joined a rally by KAFF in a commercial area near Victoria Park. The rally organizers brought along a handy but good sound system. We all sat down and listened to speeches and songs. Heru , AFA Chairperson, gave a solidarity speech. Hongkongers stopped their shopping for a while and encircled us. The rally was conducted in the Korean language, but they didn’t mind. Like us, they seemed amused, and would like to just feel the fire and passion in the speeches and songs.

Saturday, December 17

In the morning, we attended the Korean farmers’ rally at the grassy lawn in Victoria Park for another round of speeches and songs. By now, we knew by heart its actions and we could hum the song more confidently too. We also gathered at the memorial site of Lee Kyung Hae at Victoria Park, which was set up by KAFF on the first day of WTO protest week. We offered a moment of silence, a message from Heru and then white roses from each one of us.

In the afternoon, we joined the march towards Wan Chai. This time, we wore white headbands with the words “ Fight for Farmers’ Rights!” written in Chinese. Feri, from Indonesia, took off his jacket and t shirt and crawled the streets while leading the chant “Fight! Fight! Fight! For farmers’ rights!” We were all worried for Feri’s health but his Indonesian colleagues said that he would be alright. Feri’s “crawl-march” was powerful, dramatic and attention-catching. It sent some media people to our side, and lots of cameras clicked.

At the rally site, each AFA leader took turns in being the chant leader. “That was good practice,” we all said. KAFF leaders and members tried to break again the police line. This time, not only pepper spray but also water cannons were used by the police . Some of those who were hit by the waters said their bodies itched after that.

Sunday, December 18

We all woke up with a very bad news: hundreds of protesters, many of them Koreans, were detained by the Hongkong police in the wee hours of the morning, after a confrontation near the WTO MC6 venue. TV images depicted the violence on both sides. It was sad to think that the positive image created by the peaceful, yet militant and deeply- moving rallies of the Koreans in the past few days might be overshadowed by this single violent event.

In the morning, we had an AFA Executive Committee meeting.

In the afternoon, we joined the closing rally at Wan Chai; we marched behind the KAFF delegation again. We carried a new call : “Release All Arrested!” Questions about last night’s impact on Hongkongers’ support to anti WTO protest was quickly answered: Many onlookers joined our lines, joined our chants, and joined us in singing! Bottles of water and various kinds of snacks came one after another!

We still stayed at the rally site even after the main closing program organized by HKPA ended. We joined KAFF in its sit-down strike, calling for the immediate release of all those arrested. Food and water, even rice boxes, were still being given by supporters. By 9 pm, AFA participants started to leave; the cold was too much to bear. But KAFF members decided to stay on till the wee hours of the morning.