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Asem NGO conference statement




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