NGOs reject UN meeting results
NGOs reject UN meeting results
Tantri Yuliandini and A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
More than 500 non-governmental organization (NGO) activists took
the opportunity of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's arrival in
Bali on Wednesday to launch a demonstration denouncing the
results of the UN meeting on sustainable development here.
The protesters marched from the amphitheater in the sprawling
Nusa Dua hotel complex where the meeting is being held toward the
Bali International Convention Center, also in the same complex.
Besides denouncing the ongoing meeting, the activists also
rejected the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD) in Johannesburg, to be held in August through early
September.
Wednesday's rally, the largest to take place during the
ongoing ministerial-level preparatory committee (PrepCom) meeting
for the WSSD, was organized by the Indonesian People's Forum
(IPF) on behalf of groups representing women, children, farmers,
fishermen, indigenous peoples, labor unions, the urban poor and
NGOs.
The demonstrators charged that government delegates lacked
sincerity in accommodating the interests of major civil society
groups during the whole PrepCom process.
The demonstrators claimed that developed countries,
multinational corporations and international financial
institutions had dominated the process.
The demonstrators also called for international civil society
groups to rally under the antitrade liberalization banner at the
global forum for civil society in Johannesburg, and called for
governments to stop their repression and aggression against the
people.
Hundreds of people marched out of the amphitheater carrying
colorful banners and plywood figures depicting fishermen and
farmers. Four men, their bodies painted red, white, blue and
green, performed a dance at the head of the line, each using
props such as a bamboo ladder, a wok and plastic bags to
represent the pollution of the earth.
"Reclaim our earth!" they cried in unison.
Meanwhile, an open-speech forum was led by members of local
and international NGOs, including from the Philippines and
Palestine. About an hour later, the marchers headed toward the
Bali International Convention Center, the main venue of the
ministerial-level meeting, but were blocked by security
personnel.
The demonstration caused traffic jams within the Nusa Dua
complex and outside the resort, prompting the police to block off
some roads to clear the way for the President and her escort to
enter the complex.
The police also were deployed in surrounding areas to prevent
others from joining the rally.
The police were seen cooperating with traditional Bali
security guards, or Pecalang, with their black outfits sporting
the emblems of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), to prevent more people from joining the rally.
They were also seen searching vehicles entering the complex.
Some NGOs claimed their members were unable to reach the IPF
venue, forcing the organization to cancel most of its scheduled
meetings and workshops.
In response, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi),
as well as several other NGOs, are planning to file a lawsuit
against the National Police and the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle's civilian guards for blocking the entrance to the
Nusa Dua complex.
"Our lawyers are now arranging lawsuits against both parties,"
said Emmy Hafild, the national coordinator for the IPF as well as
the Walhi executive director.
Emmy went on to say that the IPF committee suffered a
significant financial loss due to the cancellation of many of its
events.
"The committee was forced to totally cancel at least two
programs from our schedule this morning," Emmy said.
Despite the cancellations, the committee still had to pay
booking fees for function rooms at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
"The booking fee for each function room reaches Rp 6 million,
while the ballroom costs Rp 24 million," she said.