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dam-l Peoples' Declaration to ADB

DECLARATION OF THIRTY-EIGHT PEOPLES' NETWORKS TO THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
(ADB) No.1

We, members of 38 networks of Thai people who have been and are being
directly affected by the ADB’s loan projects meet here to declare the
following: 

We urge the ADB to stop all loans and funds for all projects in Thailand
because ADB’s loans benefit imperialist super powers and multinational
corporations who exploit the Thai people. 

We urge the ADB to abolish all conditions set forth in the Social Sector
Program Loan. These conditions will have impacts on us. The reform of the
education sector will lead to the commercialization of education and place
education in the hands of the private sector. In addition, we will have to
bear higher cost of access to education. The corporatisation of seven
public hospitals, even as a pilot project, will also deeply affect people
as they will have to pay higher costs for health services.

We, the people in the labor sector will also face serious impacts since the
ADB’s conditions do not allow an increase in the minimum wage for a three
year period, while at the same time they mandate a decrease in social
welfare benefits. 

We demand the termination of the Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management
Project because it will negatively impact our communities. Moreover, the
project will destroy our environment, especially the wealth and richness of
the marine resources in the Gulf of Thailand. 

We demand that the Agricultural Sector Program Loan be terminated since $
300 million dollars of the loan will lead to the collection of water tax
from farmers. This will make water, which is critical for our way of life
and agricultural production, a commodity of the capitalist system. The loan
conditions will compel the Thai Government to freely provide land titles to
multinational corporations. The Thai Government will have to also pass a
law, which would allow foreign corporations to exploit our forests for
forestry industry, tourism, resorts and golf courses. And finally, the Thai
Government will have to pass a law accepting the conditions laid down in
agricultural agreements with all multinational corporations, which will
enable them to freely exploit small-scale farmers. 

Therefore, we urge the ADB’s Board of Governors to put all our above
demands in their agenda of their 33 rd. Annual General Meeting in Chiang
Mai. We also urge that the ADB send their representative to meet with us on
May 6 and listen to our demands before the inauguration of the Annual
Meeting. We will wait for the ADB’s response to our demands on May 7, by noon.

To protect our rights to our ways of life and to protect future generations
in Thailand from becoming slaves of the ADB, we declare here our unity to
fight, and endlessly oppose the ADB. As a symbol, we will hoist the
peoples’ flag here to declare the independence of the Thai people from the
ADB. 

Chiang Mai 

May 5, 2000

Endorsed by

Northern Farmers Network

Kanchanaburi Conservation Group

Bor Nog Conservation Group

Ban Krud Natural and Conservation Group

Klong Dan Local Community Protection Group

Isaan Farmers Cooperative Federation 

Committee for the Solution of Farmer’s Problems, Chiang Rai

Committee for the Solution of Farmer’s Problems, Payao 

Local Theatre Project

Four Regional Alternative Agricultural Network

Northern Farmer Colleagues 

Kok-Ing-Nan River Network

Mae Thod River Network, Lampang

Mae Mog River Network, Lampang

Mae Soi River Network, Lampang

Isaan Forest and Land Network

Thai Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS 

Isaan River Basin Network

Chiang Mai Consumer Network

Women Rights Network

Chiang Rai-Payao Rural Woman Network

Labor Network

Four Regional Slum Network

Chiang Mai Community Network

Media Center for People

Eastern Farmer Network

Southern Local Fisherman Federation

Student Federation of Thailand

Committee for Natural and Environmental Conservation 16 Educational Institute

Assembly of Isaan Farmers 

Assembly of Cassava Planter Thailand

Assembly of Indigenous People

Assembly of the Poor

Assembly of Moon River Basin 

Group for Save Wang River 

Nam Ping River Community Forest Network

Love Muang Nan Group

Assembly of Northern Community Forest 

 

More information about the people movement against ADB visit
http://prachachon.net/english/index.html

***********************************
Southeast Asia Rivers Network (SEARIN)
25/5 Moo 2 
Soi Sukhapiban 27
Changkhien-Jed yod Rd.
Chang Phuek
Muang Chiang Mai 50300
Thailand
Tel&Fax (66) 53-221157
Email: searin@chmai.loxinfo.co.th