Subject: [asia-apec 890] Adopted resolutions of APPA
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 13:16:50 +0800
From: "appasec" <appasec@tm.net.my>
Reply-To: asia-apec@jca.ax.apc.org
To: "asia-apec listserve" <asia-apec@jca.ax.apc.org>

ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC PEOPLES’ ASSEMBLY

November 14, 1998

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. Stop military violence on the democratic movement in Indonesia.

The Indonesian military continues the culture of violence to stop the
protest actions by the Indonesia people during the extraordinary session of
the People’s Assembly.

The extraordinary session was to reaffirm President Habibie’s present tenure
as head of state and the general elections in 1999.

The students and people were out on the streets everyday in the last few
months and their protests intensified from 9th to 12th of November, to
demand accountability of former President Suharto and an investigation into
his wealth; the ending of the dual-function of the military; and an
independent Election Commission for the upcoming elections.

However, the peaceful demonstrations by the students and the people were
brutally suppressed by the Indonesian military using sticks, tear gas,
bullets and tanks. The Malaysian newspapers claim nine students died and
over a hundred were injured.

Sources in Indonesia, confirm that another person from Tangerang (district
area border in Jakarta), one police and one student from Bandung Technology
Institute have also died. Three students from Jakarta remain in critical
condition in the hospital and there were three journalists whose legs were
broken.

This latest action by the Indonesian military is a violation of all basic
human rights, particularly the right of peaceful assembly and expression.
This shows that the present regime is no different from the Suharto regime,
but merely a continuation, to repress the people and democratic movement in
this country.

We, the participants of APPA, PROTEST and CONDEMN this use of violence by
the Indonesian military and police. We demand for the Indonesia government
to:

    1.. Immediately and accurately announce the number of victims who have
died or been injured during the protest on November 12, 1998;
    2.. Immediately set up an independent fact-finding mission to
investigate the violence perpetrated by the Indonesian military and to be
transparent in its reporting.
    3.. Immediately stop all violence and security approaches by the
military in handling the demonstrations and rallies by the people who only
want to express their rights through peaceful assembly;
    4.. Immediately ratify the International Convenant on Civil and
Political Rights.
2. Stop the Multilateral Agreement on Investments (MAI) from going into the
World Trade Organisation (WTO)

The Global Coordination Against the MAI Going into the WTO has announced
that November 20 will be a Global Day of Protest Against the MAI.

We, the participants of APPA, endorse and support this Global Day of Protest
Against the MAI.

3. 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -
Ratification of Covenants

On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, which is the principal instrument in the International Bill of
Human Rights, we, the participants of APPA, urge Malaysia, and all other
nations which have not ratified the legal instruments of the International
Bill of Human Rights, to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights and also the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights.

    1.. On Malaysia
    We, the participants of APPA:

    -call on the Malaysian government to immediately free all political
prisoners without condition;

    -to abolish the Internal Security Act and all other repressive laws; and

    -to respect the freedoms of assembly, speech, and association.

    The participants unanimously express our resolute solidarity with the
people’s struggle in Malaysia.

    2.. On the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Mexico
We, the participants of APPA, strongly condemn the violation of the human
rights of the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico, particularly the indigenous
peoples of Chiapas; and we unanimously demand that the Mexican Government
comply with the Human Rights Charter and the commitments within the San
Andres agreements related to peace talks, and also the immediate
implementation of the Pacific resolutions.

We strongly condemn the militarization of the indigenous territory of
Chiapas.

6. On Tibet

We, the participants of APPA;

-condemn China for the persistent violations of human rights and fundamental
freedoms in Chinese-occupied Tibet for the past more than four decades

-deplore the fact that the international community, including the United
Nations, has failed to bring about an end to the suffering of the six
million Tibetan people

-are deeply concerned with the incommunicado detention of Gedhum Choekyi
Nyima, the Eleventh Panchen Lama of Tibet, the world’s youngest political
prisoner;

-support His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his continued stand on the
non-violent approach to resolve human conflicts in the spirit of
reconciliation and compromise;

We earnestly call upon the Chinese leadership to open unconditional
negotiations with the Tibetan government in Exile for the realization of
human rights and fundamental freedoms in Tibet. We agree to contact our
local embassies when we return.

    1.. On Africa
    Capitalist globalisation is taking a heavy toll on the human lives and
environment of Africa. Increasingly people are losing control of their land
and natural resources. Transnational corporations are endangering food
security and weakening the ability of people to even feed themselves.
Internal civil strife and ethnic conflicts are the tragic manifestations of
this situation. Especially damaging are the effects of WTO-led
liberalisation and deregulation of African economies. African governments
are compromised because of structural adjustment programmes and their
psychology of dependence on donors.

    However, the peoples of Africa, especially factory workers, poor
peasants, individual workers, students, and all other progressive sections
of society fighting for a more just, euitable and self-determined future.

    We, the participants of APPA, support the struggle of the peoples of
Africa for the defense of their land, natural resources and cultural
sovereignity. And, we stand in solidarity in their struggle in their
struggle against imperialist globalisation.

    2.. On the United States of America
    We, the participants of APPA, condemn the role of the Government of the
United States of America in violating the human rights of the peoples’ of
the Asia-Pacific by supporting anti-people regimes sympathetic to the
American neoliberal policies.

    3.. On the Mirrar People, Australia
We, the participants of APPA, extend support to the Mirrar people in their
just struggles to prevent the multinational E.R.A. from mining uranium on
Mirrar land at Jabiluka in Kakado National Park. We recognize the justice of
the mirrar peoples claims to self-determination and call on the Australian
government to respect these claims.

10. Stop the World Bank financed dam near Ramancherry, Tamil Nadu

Ramancherry is a village situated in Tamil Nadu State, India where the state
government plans, through an agreement with neighbouring Andara State, to
construct a reservoir on the Krishna River. The project is supported by the
World Bank. Ten villages in Tamil Nadu and three villages in Andra State
will be affected by this reservoir project. The affected villagers were
never consulted.

The government told the people to vacate the villages. They will be uprooted
from their own villages and place of birth. 25,000 people live in these
villages and 4,800 acres will be affected.

We, the participants of APPA, demand that the World Bank withdraw all
support for the project and all other dam schemes, and we pledge our
solidarity with the affected villagers and their struggle for justice.

11. On the Nisga’a People, Canada

The Nisga’a are indigenous people of British Columbia, Canada. For over a
century, they have been fighting for their sovereignty and for the land that
was wrongfully taken from them.

We, the participants of APPA give our full support and solidarity to their
struggle for self-determination.