Antiglobalization movement grows in Indonesia

Antiglobalization movement grows in Indonesia

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A flier displaying a blurry color photo of a pensive farmer and a
bold headline saying "Indonesian farmers cry, developed countries
laugh" immediately grabs the attention of passersby.

On the back page, a more forthright headline declares that
"Indonesia needs to quit the Cairns group", which is a group of
leading agricultural exporting countries.

The flier was spotted among a stack of TV guides in a big
house with a sizable green garden in the upscale district of
Menteng, Central Jakarta. The house is the office of the
Institute for Global Justice, a non-governmental organization
(NGO) whose work focuses on the struggle against globalization.

"The liberalization of the agricultural sector will only cause
serious damage to developing countries as local producers are not
yet fully prepared to compete with overseas producers," said Nur
Hidayat, the program officer of the institute.

Founded on Jan. 15, 2002, the institute campaigns for the
establishment of a new world order that is fairer to developing
countries. It believes that globalization, of which economic
liberalization is an important component, is embedded in the
World Trade Organization (WTO).

Thus, the institute makes the WTO the target of its criticism.
It does not want the WTO be an all-encompassing institution
regulating international economic relations. For example, the
institute does not want the WTO to address agricultural issues in
its round of negotiations.

A stern position against the WTO notwithstanding, the
institute does not question the existence of the organization.

The institute is just one of among many other groups making up
the anti-globalization movement in Indonesia.

Another group in the same camp as the Institute for Global
Justice is the NGO the Coalition on the WTO Watch (KOP WTO).

The coalition comprises a number of high-profile NGOs, such as
the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID),
Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Agrarian Reform
Consortium (KPA) and the National Consortium for Nature and
Forest Conservation (Konphalindo).

The coalition does not oppose the presence of foreign capital
in Indonesia as long as the rules are fair and beneficial to all
parties.

"What we oppose are the excesses and unfair treatment from the
international system," said Syaiful Bahri, an activist from KOP
WTO.

The coalition urged the government to take a firm stance
against rulings by the WTO that were unfavorable to developing
countries, he said.

"We have negotiated certain issues concerning the WTO with the
House of Representatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Industry and Trade," said Syaiful Bahri.

To build credibility, the coalition has established
connections with academicians from some universities.

"Intellectuals from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and Bogor
Institute of Agriculture (IPB) provide us with data, analysis and
critical thinking, which serves as the foundation of our
campaign," he said.

"In the near future, the coalition will expand its membership
to include more members of the general public, such as workers,
farmers and students," he said.

But in the case of the Democratic People's Party (PRD), the
involvement of workers, farmers and students in their struggle
against globalization has long been a reality.

"We try to involve workers and farmers in our struggle against
globalization.

"We campaign against issues that concern them, such as the
rise in fuel prices, and electricity and telephone rates," said
Kelik Ismunanto, the head of international relations at the left-
leaning party.

"Globalization enables institutions, such as the WTO, the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to interfere in
our internal affairs," he said.

He believes that given the inequality of capital and
technology between developed and developing countries, there was
no way globalization would work out for the third world.

"Developing countries simply don't have the power to compete
in the globalization era," he said.

"We are against institutions which stand as the hidden helping
hands of global capitalism," he told The Jakarta Post.

Although the party does not have a formal network with other
non-governmental organizations, it is involved in anti-
globalization issues, such as writing-off debts of developing
countries, he said.

The Network of Popular Cultural Works (JAKER) has also been
campaigning for the same cause.

JAKER concentrates on incorporating political themes into
works of art, such as paintings, street plays and performing
arts, which are used in the campaign against globalization, said
Andrean Romico, the secretary of the performing arts division of
the network.

"Recently we staged a rally against the privatization of state
telecommunications company Indosat," he said.

The rally was an example of the network's political stance
against globalization, said Andre.

"Privatization of some state companies, which is a direct
result of globalization, is harmful to workers, especially white-
collar workers," he said.

Kelik and Andre both believe that globalization is harmful for
developing countries. "Not all problems can be resolved through
market mechanisms," Kelik said.