Join Korean Americans Against War and Neoliberalism (KAWAN)* and
the Korean Alliance Against the Korus FTA (KoA)

In Waging a Global Hunger Strike Against the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KorUS FTA) and the Bush Free Trade Agenda

TO SIGN-ON GO TO:  http://www.gopetition.com/online/11558.html

The United States and South Korean governments are frantically working around the clock to sign the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KorUS FTA) by April 2, when it must be submitted to Congress for a vote by July 1. If signed, the KorUS FTA will be the second largest trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

In South Korea, tens of thousands of farmers, workers, and students are organizing for a massive demonstration on March 25, 2007. Since Monday, March 19, over 100 people have been waging a hunger strike in Seoul and other cities across the country.  On Monday March 26^th, the number of hunger strikers will grow to 1000.

We ask for your solidarity in stopping the KorUS FTA and all Bush FTAs.

The March 25 massive demonstration is organized by the Korean Alliance against Korea-US FTA (KoA), a coalition of over 300 organizations representing millions of trade unionists, peasants, students, environmental and public health advocates.  March  25 is the day of international action to stop the KorUS FTA, all Bush FTAs, and the spread of corporate-led globalization. The U.S. is now negotiating free trade deals with several countries, including Peru, Colombia, Panama, South Korea, and Malaysia.

In solidarity allies in the United States and around the world will wage a 36 hour global hunger strike to oppose the KorUS FTA and the free trade regime that is destroying our livelihoods, our communities, our human rights and our environment.  The hunger strike will be timed with South Korea?셲 3 pm, March 25 (the start of the mass mobilization) through 3 am, March 27 (just after the end of first day of the 1000 person hunger strike.)  For the reference of those in the U.S., this is 2 am, March 25 through 2 pm March 26 Eastern Standard Time and 11 pm, March 24 through 11 am March 26 Pacific Daylight Time.

March is the critical month in the fight to stop all pending U.S. FTAs from conclusion. Unfettered free trade has been directly responsible for the massive loss of jobs and erosion of hard-won benefits and rights for workers, farmers, and laws protecting our public health and environment. Wholly undemocratic, the only voices heard behind closed negotiation doors are that of corporate interests.

Join us for this 36-hour global hunger strike! We will send Korea the solidarity list by Saturday, March 24 for KoA to read at the March 25 mass demonstration. To sign-on go to:  http://www.gopetition.com/online/11558.html.  For more information, call: 718.335.0419 or email: yul-san@nodutdol.org.

*Founded in April 2006, KAWAN is a national coalition of progressive U.S.-based Korean organizations endorsed by hundreds of immigrant, people of color, LGBT, farmers?? workers?? women?셲, national liberation, anti-war and anti-globalization groups. For each of the eight rounds of negotiations between the U.S. and Korea, we have waged protests and resistance with our Korean allies. We have held forums, held direct action and civil disobedience and engaged in lobbying and advocacy efforts.

Korean Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA

150-982 Daeyoung Building 3F, 139 Youngdeungpo-dong 2-ga, Youngdeungpo-gu Seoul, Republic of Korea

Tel: 82-2-775-2501  nofta@hanmail.net  www.nofta.or.kr

Declaration Opposing the Korea-U.S. FTA

March 2007

We, the undersigned, express our opposition to the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which poses a serious threat to public interest in both South Korea and the United States. The Korea-U.S. FTA is based on a model of trade agreement that is designed to profit of transnational capital and big business at the expense of workers, farmers, and common people and has been negotiated through a secretive and undemocratic process. Such a trade agreement must not be implemented.

We are opposed to the secretive and undemocratic nature through which the Korea-U.S. FTA has been negotiated.

FTA talks have been held in remote places away from public view or outside of the official negotiations. The South Korean government has routinely withheld relevant information and documents from stakeholders, the National Assembly, and the general public. It has also closed off public debate through insufficient hearings and media censorship. Worse, it has severely suppressed anti-FTA sentiment, banning peaceful protests and arresting protest participants.

We are opposed to a trade agreement that will destroy the livelihood of South Korean farmers and harm the environment.

The Korea-U.S. FTA calls for unconditional opening of the South Korean agricultural market to cheap overproduced American-grown products. The consequent deterioration of Korean agriculture will have devastating social, cultural, and environmental effects: Statistics show that roughly half of South Korea?셲 farmers will be unable to maintain their farms and be forced to join the ranks of the urban poor. The resultant destruction of rural communities will mean the break-up of rural traditions that are the basis of Korean culture, and the deterioration of the rural environment. The Korea-U.S. FTA also threatens the environment by introducing mechanisms that can potentially lower environmental standards such as the Investor-State Claim Clause. 

We are opposed to a trade agreement that directly threatens vital public services such as health-care, energy provision, and education.

The Korea-U.S. FTA calls for higher pricing of pharmaceuticals?봟enefiting transnational pharmaceutical companies at the expense of access for common people. The FTA will also limit the Korean government?셲 ability to ensure equitable access to energy and water supply by fostering privatization in these sectors and diminish the validity of public education through the introduction of private U.S.-based testing services, which will increase the demand on students to seek private education programs

We are opposed to a trade agreement that threatens cultural diversity by allowing harmful infringement on South Korea?셲 cultural industry.

Reduction of South Korea?셲 screen quota, which protects the nation?셲 film industry, was made a prerequisite for beginning FTA negotiations. Further, the current Korea-U.S. FTA will require the removal of similar protections for Korea?셲 broadcasting industry. These measures endanger the public function of the broadcasting industry and the uniqueness of South Korea?셲 audio-video language. The provisions of the Korea-U.S. FTA are inconsistent with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity Cultural Expressions, which affirms the right of each member nation to formulate and implement regulations aimed at promoting domestic cultural expression.

We are opposed to a trade agreement that grants undue powers to investors at the expense of domestic development and public interest.

The unconditional investor-state claims clause included in the Korea-U.S. FTA affords greater privileges to foreign investors than those granted by domestic law, providing a mechanism through which investors??claims can place enormous monetary penalties on taxpayers and pressure the government to adopt lower environmental and labor standards to avoid future claims. The Korea-U.S. FTA also calls for a reduction in government procurement contracts in order to open these markets to foreign capital. In South Korea, procurement policy promotes the growth of thousands of small businesses in various regions, providing entrepreneurial opportunities to businesses that are conscious about environmental and labor issues. As such, they are vital to keeping public interest alive and maintaining community-government cooperation.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the Korean people. We call for abrogation of the Korea-U.S. FTA negotiations to date and cancellation of all future talks and legislative processes.

Signed:

Sunday, September 10, 2006 - 12:00 AM

PHOTOS BY ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Demonstrators march through downtown carrying a cardboard coffin in what they called a "funeral procession" to symbolize the harm they say is caused by trade policies.

Do Hwa Lee, of the Korean Women's Organization Against U.S. Occupation, was one of 15 people arrested Saturday morning outside the Washington State Convention & Trade Center.

By Marc Ramirez and Jonathan Martin
Seattle Times staff reporters

U.S. and South Korean negotiators concluded a challenging third round of trade talks in Seattle Saturday, with some progress but much ground to cover toward a proposed free-trade agreement between the two nations.

Wendy Cutler, chief U.S. negotiator, had predicted earlier last week that discussions, held at Seattle's Washington State Convention & Trade Center, would be intense and require concessions. "I'm here to report that that accurately reflected this week," she said. "... Frankly, I would have hoped to have made more progress."

The most notable movement, she said, involved labor and environmental protections as well as two offers improved upon by her delegation regarding textiles and industrial goods, two of the more contested issues.

Another sticking point, pharmaceuticals, saw "no concrete progress" but rumors of the U.S. delegation walking out on the second day of discussions were only half correct, Cutler said, in one of the event's lighter moments.

"Our delegation did leave the room in the middle of the session, but the Korean delegation left with us," she said. The reason: a ventilation system that was too noisy.

Among other things, the U.S. is seeking greater access to South Korea's cable and satellite-television markets as well as its automotive markets. Agricultural issues ??and the effect that importing U.S. products would have on South Korean farmers ??remain sensitive and were the focus of protests throughout the week around Seattle.

More rounds of trade talks are scheduled. If the two sides eventually reach accord, it would be the biggest trade pact since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994.

Cutler deflected questions about what's being done to help assuage Korean farmers' worries to her counterpart, South Korean Ambassador Kim, who was set to hold a press conference ??in Korean only ??later Saturday night.

"Trade agreements by nature create concerns and anxiety," Cutler said, adding that the U.S. supports safeguards and transition periods to help ease implementation. "We both have proposals. Now it's a matter of trying to bridge our differences."

The trade talks engendered days of protest in Seattle.

On Saturday morning at a rally outside the convention center, 15 protesters from Korea and U.S. labor groups hoped to be arrested to draw attention to their complaints. They succeeded.

The protesters ??nine from Korea and six from the U.S. ??first tried to get arrested by blocking doors at the convention center while chanting, "Free trade is a lie."

When police declined to intervene, the protesters confronted a line of police blocking an alley and were arrested.

Three Americans, all women, who broke through the police line most aggressively, were booked into King County jail on suspicion of misdemeanor assault, said police spokesman Rich Pruitt. The women were in their 20s and 30s, from Washington, D.C.; Brookline, Mass.; and New York City.

The other protesters, including those from South Korea, were later released, Pruitt said.

The arrests did not disrupt the negotiations taking place behind locked doors, Pruitt said.

Seattle Police Capt. Steve Brown said his officers, including a Korean-speaking officer, tried to dissuade the protesters from confronting or injuring police.

Shortly after noon Saturday, a multicultural crowd of about 100 ??including the 12 protesters who had been arrested and released, local union leaders and members of social-justice organizations ??marched through downtown.

Carrying a festive cardboard coffin and calling the march a "funeral procession," to symbolize the harm they believe is caused by trade policies, protesters chanted and rang bells from Federal Plaza to Victor Steinbrueck Park, where a rally capped days of demonstrations and cultural events organized in opposition to the trade talks.

Protesters decried what they called the secrecy of the negotiations, the erosion of Korean sovereignty and trade policies they believe are harmful to farmers in both nations.

"If the free-trade agreement is ratified, the Korean farmers would be completely destroyed, the rice farmers completely gone," said Lee Changgeun, a labor organizer from Seoul, at the morning protest.

Robby Stern of the Washington State Labor Council was among the protesters arrested and released. He said the secret trade talks were being negotiated solely with business interests in mind.

"It's not about being anti-globalization; globalization is a reality," Stern said. "It's a matter of globalization closing out the future interests of people and workers and the environment, and not just the interests of multinational corporations."

Marc Ramirez: 206-464-8102 or mramirez@seattltimes.com. Jonathan Martin: 206-464-2605 or jmartin@seattletimes.com

Copyright 짤 2006 The Seattle Times Company