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.