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Famers protest wealth nation policies { December 13 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/12/13/wto.protests.ap/http://edition.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/12/13/wto.protests.ap/
Protests kick off WTO summit
Farmers, celebrities chastise wealthy nations' agricultural policies
Tuesday, December 13, 2005 Posted: 0535 GMT (1335 HKT)
HONG KONG, China (AP) -- South Korean farmers wearing red bandanas punched their fists in the air and Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal kicked out world leaders dumping corn, rice and other farm goods on developing countries in a skit as activists launched protests against the WTO meeting in Hong Kong Tuesday.
The protests are being closely watched because demonstrations at past World Trade Organization meetings have turned violent and skeptics worry that Hong Kong police, accustomed to peaceful rallies, are ill-equipped to handle more physical disruptions.
Hours before the formal opening of the WTO summit Tuesday, at least 1,000 people -- mostly South Korean farmers -- gathered at a downtown park, chanting slogans and beating drums and gongs.
The farmers, also hailing from Japan, India, the Philippines and Brazil, held banners that said "drastic market opening kills farmers" and "World Threatening Organization."
The Korean farmers displayed a coffin decorated with pink, yellow and white paper that said "RIP WTO."
Many farm workers fear they won't be able to compete with imports if their countries fully open up their domestic markets to international competition.
"In Brazil, millions of small farmers have been forced to move from the rural areas because of this (open markets)," Brazilian farmer Jose Valdir Minerovsk said.
The six-day WTO meeting in Hong Kong aims to lay the groundwork for a treaty by the end of 2006 that would cut trade barriers across a wide array of sectors, from agriculture to services, wrapping up the so-called Doha round of talks.
Agriculture has been a major stumbling block, with developing nations accusing the U.S., EU and other rich economies of not cutting agricultural tariffs and farm subsidies enough, blocking access to their markets.
The farmers were to later march toward the convention center.
Meanwhile, activists dressed up as leaders of developed nations, including U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair symbolically dumped heaps of corn, cotton and rice on a map of Asia and Africa in a skit staged by the aid group Oxfam.
Bernal stepped in to shoo them away, shouting "Out," while fellow celebrity Benin singer Angelique Kidjo chanted, "stop dumping!"
Oxfam claims that rich nations oversubsidize their farmers, leading them to overproduce and send cheap exports to developing countries, crowding out local producers.
In Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, dozens of fisherman, some waving banners, protested in two vessels. One banner said "Don't mess with our rights."
Four of the demonstrators jumped into the harbor but later returned aboard.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.
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