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Asem NGO conference statement
- Subject: Asem NGO conference statement
- From: caroline@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 01 Mar 1996 00:28:00
Press Release of Asia-Europe NGOs Meeting
Asia- Europe NGOs Conclude Historic Conference on Citizens' Links
between Two Continents
Over 350 women and men representing 100 peoples' organization and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in the first Joint
Asia-Europe NGO conference with the theme "beyond Geopolitics and
Geoeconomics: Towards a New Relationship Between Asia and Europe" between
Feb 27-29 in
Bangkok. This conference was held as a parallel to the Asia-Europe
Meeting (ASEM) scheduled to be held between March 1-2 between 10
Southeast Asian and 15 European heads of State.
The conference called on the Asian governments to reject the Multilateal
Investment Agreement promoted by the European Union and the World Trade
Organization. The NGO meeting also unanimously endorsed the parallel
withdrawal of France from French Polynesia and New Caledonia
supervised by the European Union (EU) and of Indonesia from East Timor
under the auspices of ASEAN. The conference also demanded that Asem
governments to end repression and harassment of NGOs and end the climate
of fear in which they currently operate in.
At the same time, the conference recognized the challenges confronting
Asia and Europe and decided to work towards creating a shared vision and
a common programme of action between the two continents based that goes
beyond a narrow obsession with economic growth.
The participants were of the views that centering relations on mere
geopolitical and geoeconomic consideration, Asem is primarily serving the
narrow interests of dominant elite in the two regions.
It is in the context that the participants sought to put forwards an
alternative vision that would be people-centered,. socially just,
economically equitable, ecologically sustainable and politically
participatory. Such a vision would embody respect for human rights and
human dignity and nurture the
spiritual, moral, intellectual and cultural lives of all individuals and
communities in both the regions.
Towards this end, the conference urged for transparency and
accountability in the Asem process. The participation of citizens in the
decision-making process of governments in both continents should not be
just limited to parliamentarians an business people.
Participants agreed that organizations of workers, women, indigenous and
tribal communities, popular organizations and NGOs have to be also
included. In this regard, the conference declaration expressed the desire
to look forward to a continuing dialogue and to the establishment of the
mechanisms that
would facilitate this. This demands social commitment and political will
on the part of governments of Asia And Europe.
As part of this process, the 25 governments should ensure that women's
human rights are respected and promoted and that the benefits of economic
development are shared more equitably.
The conference endorsed that respect for human rights should be central
to Asia-Europe relations and emphasized that participating countries in
Asem are all signatories to UN summit declarations (Rio 1992, Vienna
1993, Cairo 1994, Copenhagen and Beijing 1995). As of suchconference
participants reminded
Asem governments to remember their obligations and responsibilities under
these convenants and given utmost respect to the protection of human rights.
The conference condemned violations of human rights of the people of
Northern Ireland as well as those of East Timor and Burma.
On Northern Ireland, the conference condemned the inaction of the British
government over the last 18 months in relations to the ongoing conflict.
The conference also urged the British government to immediately establish
inclusive all party negotiations which should lead to a comprehensive
political
settlement and include burning issues such as policing, release of
political prisoners, demilitarization of all parties in the conflict and
adherence to international human rights standards.
The first Asia-Europe NGO conference strongly condemned what it
characterized as the shameless efforts of the Indonesian government to
prevent any discussion of East Timor at Asem, and strongly criticized
governments such as the Philippines and Thailand for bowing to Indonesian
pressure. It
vigorously protested against the decision of the Thai government not to
allow the East Timorese resistance leader Jose Ramos-Horta to visit
Thailand in order to attend this NGO conference.
The conference went on record as being deeply concerned about the ongoing
gross violations of human rights in East Timor and called for the
nconditionally released of Xanana Gusmao and all East Timorese political
leaders. Also the conference firmly endorsed East Timor's demand for
self-determination and welcomed the growing movement of solidarity with
East Timor in the countries of Southeast Asia and Europe.
On Burma, the conference urged the Asia and Europe governments to suspend
political and economic relations with Slorc until the latter entered into
dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and released all political prisoners. The
confrence also called on the Slorc to recognized the results of the 1990
election won by the National Lague for Democracy.
Among the other recommendations to the Asem delegates were the following:
1. The Asian leaders should demand that the EU radically revise the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) so as to end the heavy subsidization of
European agriculture that has encouraged the EU to dump agricultural
products in Asian and other developing countries, thus causing tremendous
hardship for
Asian farmers and threatening food security.
2. The Asem governments should ratify and implement the provisions of the
UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and cease violating their
political and economic rights.
3. The European Union governments must phase out conventional arms sales
to Asia that have triggered an arms race in the region.
4. Asem governments must be serious about the commitments to conclude the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and are urged to negotiate a treaty
specifying a rigid timetable for nuclear disarmament that would serve as
a necessary companion to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
5. Asian leaders must resist EU demands via the WTO to open up their
telecommunications, maritime, and other sectors, or risk the bankruptcy
of local industries and greater exploitation of the work force by
multinational companies.
The First Asia-Europe NGO Conference has paved the way for people in the
two continents to create new relationship that transcends geopolitics
and geoeconomics.
Contact: Dr. Gothom Aya, Asia-Europe Organizing Committee, tel: 218-7364,
Fax; 255-9976