Walhi takes campaign to Bangkok<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi)
\nplans to voice Indonesia's concern with industrial toxins at an
\ninternational non-governmental organization conference in
\nBangkok, which will precede next week's Asia-Europe Summit.<\/p>\n
Arimbi, Walhi's program manager for environmental law, told
\nThe Jakarta Post that she will be presenting a paper on the
\nimpact of the toxic trade during the conference.<\/p>\n
Although the government has banned the import of industrial
\nwaste, she said there are still concerns regarding industrial
\nchemicals and the transfer of obsolete technologies which produce
\ntoxic waste.<\/p>\n
The three-day, Asia-Europe NGO meeting will be held at the
\nAsia Hotel in Bangkok beginning on Friday.<\/p>\n
The meeting, organized by the Bangkok-based Focus on the
\nGlobal South, will bring together some 100 representatives from
\nmore than 30 Asian and European NGOs.<\/p>\n
Leaders from 25 countries are scheduled to attend the
\ninaugural meeting of Asian and European states in Bangkok on
\nMarch 1-2.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's President Soeharto is among the 10 Asian leaders
\nscheduled to attend this historical summit.<\/p>\n
The summit will mainly focus on forging stronger economic and
\npolitical ties between governments from the two continents.<\/p>\n
Organizers of the NGO meeting are also stressing the
\nimportance of people-to-people contact and the need to address
\nthe concerns they face, including the toxic trade which results
\nfrom, among other things, the export of chemicals from Europe to
\nAsia.<\/p>\n
Arimbi said the theme of the NGO meeting is \"to go beyond geo-
\neconomics towards a new relationship between the people of Asia
\nand Europe.\"<\/p>\n
A multitude of concerns will be highlighted at the conference,
\nincluding human rights, labor rights, women's issues, indigenous
\nrights as well as the environment.<\/p>\n
One of the key issues likely to be brought up is the question
\nof East Timor, according to reports from Bangkok.<\/p>\n
During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\nsummit in Bangkok last December, demonstrations over East Timor
\nwere among the many protests which hampered traffic around the
\nsummit site.<\/p>\n
In an apparent attempt to appease Jakarta, the Thai government
\nhas rejected a visa request from Ramos Horta, the exiled East
\nTimor separatist leader, to attend the NGO conference.<\/p>\n
Thai officials during a recent press briefing said the NGO
\nactivists have the right to launch demonstrations and protests as
\nlong as they do not impede the official proceedings of the
\nsummit. (mds)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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