Statement OF
The Asian Social,
Mass And Peoples' Movements And Organisations
7 January 2003
We, the social, mass and
peoples movements and organizations of Asia and the Pacific from
diverse social, cultural and political backgrounds have gathered together
on 2-7 January 2003 at the Asian Social Forum in Hyderabad, India. We
are gathered in the ASF to exchange our experiences and raise our voice
against neo-liberal globalisation, imperialism, militarism, patriarchy
and fundamentalism.
We are meeting in Hyderabad,
the city that is claimed to be a symbol of cyber-world in India. But
it is also the capital of the state known for tragic suicides by hundreds
of farmers and weavers, besides starvation deaths, due to the impact
of neo-liberal globalisation in recent years. The real history of the
state is one of valiant peoples struggles.
In fact, today the whole
of Asia is yet again the centre of poverty, war and intolerance, with
the mass of people facing starvation, impoverishment, displacement,
indebtedness, and destruction of livelihoods.
Imperialism targets Asia
with its militarist and economic offensives for making strategic gains,
including the greed for oil. The looming threat of war on Iraq by the
United States of America imperils all of us, who have witnessed the
Gulf war, the bombing of Afghanistan, and the continuing occupation
of Palestine. US political and military interventions in Asia under
its so-called war on terror particularly in South, South East
and East Asia have brought us to the brink of nuclear war. Meanwhile,
all over the region, citizens are kept in check by undemocratic and
draconian laws imposed by colluding regimes. This has promoted a false
discourse on terrorism and security while systematically marginalising
the assaulting peoples struggles for survival, livelihoods, rights,
inclusion and self-determination. All these pressures are generating
ever more virulent forms of patriarchy and the oppression of Asian women.
The impact of capitalism
and neo-liberal globalisation continues to be felt across the region
and affects the lives of every woman, man, youth and child. These effects
are leading to widespread increases in levels of poverty and widening
gaps between the rich and the poor. It has also led to the increasing
degradation of the environment and ecology resulting in widespread disease
and death, threatening the very survival of the plant. Attacks on the
economies of all countries in the region have led to total loss of self-reliance,
de-industrialisation, privatisation and destruction of natural resources
of land, water and forests, and the retreat of labour protections. Agriculture,
village and small scale industries are collapsing due to imports and
subsidy cuts. The promotion of capitalist property rights and indiscriminate
mechanisation by governments and transnational corporations are destroying
peoples knowledge, skills and livelihoods. The combined actions
of the World Bank, IMF, ADB export credit agencies, ODAs and WTO are
willfully and deliberately undermining our economic and political sovereignty,
while destroying local and national economies. Debt continues to be
used by the international financial institutions and donor countries
to keep our countries in financial and economic bondage.
Capitalism and neo-liberal
globalisation also jeopardize peoples lives and accentuate multiple
forms of expulsions of the marginalised sections. The worse affected
are women, children, indigenous peoples, dalits, ethnic minorities,
tribals unorganised sector and migrant workers and other socially excluded
groups. These have led to the depression of wages, mass unemployment
and price increases making people more destitute, leading to tragic
consequences like increase in child labour and trafficking in women
and children. Education, child care, health, transport all get privatised
and subsidy cuts result in denial of services and food security for
the poor. Meanwhile, instances of exclusions include the withdrawal
of safety nets and affirmative action, rise in violence and discrimination
against the vulnerable groups, flattening of social diversities that
put greater pressure on the minorities to conform to the dominant view
and greater incidence of contrived conflict that pits these groups against
one another.
There is a shrinking of
democratic space within the nation-states as neo-liberal globalisation,
with the rise of aggressively fundamentalist, intolerant and violent
articulations of identities and an increase in the repressive powers
of the state and the elites, is leading to gross violation of civic
and human rights.
We, therefore, resolve to
carry forward and strengthen the solidarity for resisting imperialist
domination. It will be necessary and we will strive in
the coming days to include many more social movements into this process
of resistance and to evolve democratic and transparent processes for
coordinating activities and actions.
We believe that not only
is Another World Possible but that Another World is Necessary! We affirm
our faith in alternatives based on equity, social justice, human rights
and socialism!
In particular, we resolve
to carry forward the campaigns and struggle and move towards common
actions in the following areas:
- Resist imperialism
the imminent US attack on Iraq, its escalating militarist interventions
in the region, as well as, its possible unilateral declaration of war
against any country. Specially, we will organise a common day of protest
action against the war in Iraq. We demand the total elimination of all
nuclear weapons.
- Resist the policies and
undemocratic structures of neo-liberal globalisation. Specifically,
derail the next WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun.
- Defend democracy, secular
values and peoples security.
- Oppose religious fundamentalism
and communal, ethnic, caste and gender-based violence.
- Assert peoples right
to work, energy, food, water, land, other natural resources, education,
health and public transport.
- Oppose privatisation, disinvestment
and attack on labour rights.
- Move away from development
based on foreign capital and mobilise national resources to support
the sustainable and equitable development of domestic economies and
peoples lifestyles. Demand the unconditional cancellation of debt.