BY NED DMYTRYSHYN
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - "We denounce the denial as an affront to our universal rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly," declared Maita Santiago of the No! to APEC Coalition in an October 31 press release. This was in protest against the Canadian government denial of visas to Iswari Prasad Pandey, a student activist from Nepal, and Nathanael Santiago, the secretary-general of BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance) in the Philippines.

Both have been invited to speak at the second People's Conference Against Imperialist Globalization - Continuing the Resistance. The November 21 - 24 conference is organized by the No! to APEC Coalition, made up of more than 50 organizations. The first People's Conference was held in Manila, Philippines, last November.

Organizations involving unionists, students, and other activists are planning a series of parallel conferences, workshops, and demonstrations protesting the meeting of government and business leaders from the 18 member countries of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to be held here November 19 - 24. APEC is a trading bloc dominated by the imperialist regimes in the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The governments of Brunei, Chile, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand are also APEC members.

The Peoples Summit on APEC is also organizing activities against the trade conference, starting with a Women's Forum November 17 - 18, as well as issue forums November 21 - 22 on topics such as Opposing Corporate Rule, Workers' Rights and Democratic Development, Education, Youth, and Human Rights. Organizers say they expect more than 3,000 participants. A march and rally is planned for 11:30 a.m. on November 23, which will leave from the Plaza of Nations. A partial list of organizations in the Peoples' Summit includes the Canadian Labor Congress, the Canadian Federation of Students, National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, and the Anglican Church of Canada.

"The authorities will be turning this city into an armed camp, with probably the biggest RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] operation in history," said Jesse Scott a member of APEC Alert. This group of students and teachers at the University of British Columbia has been organizing rallies, marches, and other actions protesting the decision by the university administration to hold the APEC conference on campus November 24 - 25. On September 22, two UBC students, Mark Luchow and Shiraz Dindar, were arrested by the RCMP while painting a circle around the "Goddess of Democracy" statue near the student union building, designating it an anti-APEC free zone. The statue was erected several years ago in honor of the students killed by authorities in Tiananmen Square Bejing, China. "On October 31, three more students were arrested for drawing `Say Boo To APEC' in water-soluble paint on UBC President Martha Piper's house," Scott told the Militant.

According to APEC Alert, university authorities will be spending $400,000 to renovate Piper's residence so that the APEC officials can have lunch there. "To me it seems that by having this meeting on campus the administration's top priorities are the leaders of these countries, their body guards, their riot police and snipers. While students who dare to object are seen as obstacles and nuisances and are being arrested," wrote UBC student Chantal Gittens in the October 17 issue of the Langara College student newspaper, the Gleaner.

Cecilia Diocson, of the Philippine Women's Center, told the Militant October 30 that the RCMP has been phoning the center every day for the last week asking about anti-APEC activities being planned. "This is an attack on our democratic rights. It's wrong for the RCMP to harass us like this," she said. "The Canadian government is presenting itself as a democratic model by hosting the APEC conference, yet denying democratic rights and inviting dictators with terrible records on human rights."

The No! to APEC Coalition is organizing a march and Rally for November 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Art Gallery with feeder marches coming from UBC and Oppenheimer Park.

For further information, contact No! to APEC Coalition at 604-215-9190 or e-mail notoapec@vcn.bc.ca.

The People's Summit at 604-682-1952 or e-mail popsum97@bc.sympatico.ca or APEC Alert at 604-251-9914 or e- mail alert@netinfo.ubc.ca

Ned Dmytryshyn is a member of International Association of Machinists Lodge 764 in Vancouver, British Columbia.  
 
 
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