Disguised protectionism

During the opening of the first meeting of the World Trade Organization in Singapore yesterday (Monday), Singapore's prime minister requested that new issues not be brought up as a means to disguise protectionist policies. The industrially advanced countries are trying to have topics such as basic workers' rights, human rights, the environment and investment policies included in the WTO declaration, which is to be issued during this first meeting of the organization. Indonesia and the majority of developing countries oppose this motion, the formal argument being that these issues are already covered on the agendas of other international agencies. Behind this formal argument, however, is the fear and suspicion that the industrially advanced countries will be using those issues as a pretext for taking disguised protectionist actions.

Considering these efforts by the advanced countries to have the above-mentioned topics included, we can discern those countries' fears that they might well be clobbered in the upcoming free trade environment. These countries which, until a decade ago, were still acting as the champions of free trade, are now uneasily witnessing the progress which the developing countries are making. They are feeling the need to protect their own industries. These champions of free trade have now become advocates of protectionism, although they are still wearing the mask of free trade.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta