ID :
24512
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 19:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/24512
The shortlink copeid
NGOs BLAME WORLD BANK FOR THREE GLOBAL CRISES
Jakarta, Oct. 14 (ANTARA) - A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Coalition against Debt (KAU), the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI), and the Women Solidarity (SP) have blamed the World Bank for three global crises.
The three global crises were climate, financial and food crises, said Dani Setiawan, KAU chairman, in a rally in front of the Indonesian Bourse (BEI) in Central Jakara, on Tuesday.
The World Bank had funded projects worth billions of rupiah to financially support extractive industries such as coal, oil and gas, he said.
The projects included big dams and agrofuel development, he said.
According to Dani Setiawan, the World Bank was the world's largest lender to extractive industries amounting to US$28 billion for 133 program packages since 1992.
The loans encouraged financial liberalization which had now turned into a trigger of the ongoing financial crisis, he said.
The World Bank's economic liberalization which encouraged governments to eliminate subsidies, had caused food crisis marked by food price surges in many countries, he said.
The Indonesian NGOs also urged the World Bank to eliminate illegitimate debt which induced climate crises.
The protesters rejected the World Bank's new loan scheme to adapt and mitigate climate change, and demanded ecological debt be paid by the advanced countries to the developing countries.
The rally was part of a series of events of the Global Action Week Against Debt and International Financial Institutions being observed worldwide from October 13 to 18, 2008.
Earlier in the rally the KAU chairman urged the government to stop depending on the World Bank.
"Now is the right moment for the government not to be trapped in the World Bank's financial shemes which can in fact lead Indonesia to become indebted again ," KAU Chairman Dani Setiawan said at the rally.
The rally of around 40 people was tightly guarded by tens of security officers.
On Thursday (Oct. 16) coinciding with World Food Day, a number of Indonesian NGOs will again stage a rally in Jakarta.
The three global crises were climate, financial and food crises, said Dani Setiawan, KAU chairman, in a rally in front of the Indonesian Bourse (BEI) in Central Jakara, on Tuesday.
The World Bank had funded projects worth billions of rupiah to financially support extractive industries such as coal, oil and gas, he said.
The projects included big dams and agrofuel development, he said.
According to Dani Setiawan, the World Bank was the world's largest lender to extractive industries amounting to US$28 billion for 133 program packages since 1992.
The loans encouraged financial liberalization which had now turned into a trigger of the ongoing financial crisis, he said.
The World Bank's economic liberalization which encouraged governments to eliminate subsidies, had caused food crisis marked by food price surges in many countries, he said.
The Indonesian NGOs also urged the World Bank to eliminate illegitimate debt which induced climate crises.
The protesters rejected the World Bank's new loan scheme to adapt and mitigate climate change, and demanded ecological debt be paid by the advanced countries to the developing countries.
The rally was part of a series of events of the Global Action Week Against Debt and International Financial Institutions being observed worldwide from October 13 to 18, 2008.
Earlier in the rally the KAU chairman urged the government to stop depending on the World Bank.
"Now is the right moment for the government not to be trapped in the World Bank's financial shemes which can in fact lead Indonesia to become indebted again ," KAU Chairman Dani Setiawan said at the rally.
The rally of around 40 people was tightly guarded by tens of security officers.
On Thursday (Oct. 16) coinciding with World Food Day, a number of Indonesian NGOs will again stage a rally in Jakarta.
