"Our mission is to end the WTO because what it offers is against the poors interests," Action Coordinator Muamar Kaddafi said.
The demonstrators taking part in the protest were not only from Indonesia, but had gathered from various other countries, such as Thailand, South Korea, Bolivia, Japan, Australia, the United States, Bangladesh and Canada.
Besides spouting anti-WTO slogans, demonstrators wearing their respective national costumes also raised banners showing their rejection of the WTO.
Their actions marked the opening of the 9th WTO negotiations, which were scheduled to be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at 2 p.m.
"We wish to convey to the countries taking part in the meeting that the WTO is an organization that threatens marginal communities, such as farmers, laborers, fishermen and other poor communities," Nyoman Mardika from the Manikaya Kauci NGO said.
He added that the trade organization had been set up in 1995 and had no function but to spread global liberalism and capitalism.
The stalled discussions, as well as debates between advanced and developing countries, are also a cause of concern for the activists, who demanded that the WTO leave agriculture alone.
"We wish WTO to leave the agriculture sector," Manikaya said.
His call was in line with developing countries demand for increased subsidies that has been repeatedly rejected by advanced countries, resulting in the discussions around the "Bali Package" never concluding.
"The Bali Package is a bad agreement for developing countries. We have been forced to accept the deal, which is binding WTO trade, even as farmers are not be subsidized," he said.
Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to secure the area where the demonstration is taking place.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
