World Bank criticized on birthday

World Bank criticized on birthday

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Pekanbaru/Yogyakarta

Hundreds of activists in three cities commemorated the 60th World
Bank anniversary on Thursday by staging rallies to protest the
bank's capital-driven policies and its economic interference in
developing countries, including Indonesia.

In Jakarta about 500 activists, as well as residents from
Bojong and Garut in West Java started their rally at the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle before marching three kilometers to the
World Bank Center where more speeches were made.

The long march, which started in the lunch hour, caused a
traffic jam along Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.

The protesters carried the effigy of a giant red octopus. They
said its tentacles symbolized developing countries' huge debts to
the World Bank, which were keeping their people in poverty.

"We can see through all of its 60 years of operation, the
World Bank's policies have only worsened poverty and the
environment in these countries," Longgena Ginting, the executive
director of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), said.

Longgena also criticized the Indonesian government. The
already poverty-stricken people here now had to pay the price for
the government's imprudent borrowing from the bank and corrupt
use of the money through the high cost of education, health, and
other public services, she said.

The demonstrators demanded the world financial institution
write off the debts of all poor countries, and end its support of
oil, gas and mining industries as was recommended by the
Extractive Industries Review (EIR).

The EIR is an independent study initiated by World Bank
President James Wolfensohn in 2000 to review whether oil, gas,
and mining projects funded by the bank had significantly
contributed to poverty eradication and created sustainable
governance in debtor countries.

Longgena said the anniversary week was a good time for the
bank to decide whether it would adopt the EIR's recommendations.

Other non-governmental organizations joining the rally on
Thursday were the Indonesian Corruption Watch, the Federation of
Indonesian Farmers, the Students League for Democracy, the
Association of Islamic Students and the Coalition Against Debt.

In Pekanbaru Riau, about 30 activists from Walhi Riau also
commemorated the World Bank's 60th birthday by marching from the
Sudirman traffic circle to the Pekanbaru mayor's office, which
also disrupted traffic.

In written statements, the activists demanded the World Bank
erase all of Indonesia's debts and stop its intervention in the
country.

In Yogyakarta, dozens of college students grouped in the
Indonesian Youth Struggle Front (FPPI), gave speeches in front of
the city's central post office to express their disappointment
over the World Bank's 60 years of operations.

FPPI general secretary Andi Ruspriyanto said in his speech the
World Bank's debt mountain had effectively robbed Indonesia of
its sovereignty by turning it into a passive player open to
foreign control.

"The World Bank must be disbanded; we must regain our
sovereignty," Andi said.