Support to RI delegates in WTO

The formal assembly of the World Trade Organization (WTO), held from Feb. 24 until Feb. 28 in Geneva, was a display of organized bullying of the developing countries by the developed. The assembly was nothing more than a forceful effort of the developed countries to broaden their product marketing in third world countries, including Indonesia.

The WTO was established on the foundations of capitalism ideology, creating an unfair international free trade system. The WTO, having just 25 percent of developed countries and 75 percent of third world countries as members, arranges agreements that are obviously impoverishing developing countries.

The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is a major agreement in facing food and agricultural trading issues. The agreement obliges the members of WTO to reduce domestic subsidies and reduce export subsidies. Unfortunately, developed countries, who are economically oriented, cheat others by maintaining most of their subsidies and a high level of protection in the agriculture and food sectors.

Food security in Indonesia has been unstable. An indication of this can be seen from the lack of food available domestically so we have to import the main staple of our diet -- rice. Strangely, the exporting country is the United States. It is ironic that Indonesia, as an agrarian country, has to ask for rice from an industrial country.

Therefore, we give our highest support to the Indonesian delegate to the formal assembly of the WTO who insisted that products, such as rice, corn, soybeans and sugar, be categorized as sensitive products. This opinion is reasonable since the policy is closely linked to food security and has an influence on it. These products really should be excluded from liberalized products so as not to inflict losses on Indonesia's part. Rice, corn, soybeans and sugar have to be produced and managed by Indonesian farmers.

We need to give due attention to this matter because our farmers have fertile land to cultivate the above crops and should be free from the influence of international capitalism.

VERONIKA SINTA S., Advocacy of Society Transformation (ATMA),

Surakarta, Central Java