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Press
Release (1st Dec. 2014)
PROTESTS BY FARMERS AND TRADE UNIONS AGAINST THE MEGA FTA RCEP
December 1: As negotiators from 16 nations met today in
New Delhi for 5 day consultations on the Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership
(RCEP), Farmers, Trade unions, retailers groups, and civil society
organisations protested outside the India Expo Mart in Greater
Noida. Amidst a large police presence, protestors, raised slogans such as 'Protect
Indian Agriculture: Say No to RCEP FTA', 'Stop Undemocratic RCEP FTA' , '
Protect Indian Dairy Sector' , 'If FTAs benefits people why are texts kept
secret' , ' No secrecy - We Want Transparency'. Later, adelegation
submitted a memorandum (attached letter) to the Government officials negotiating
the RCEP.
The RCEP is a complex North South
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that India is negotiating with the 10 member ASEAN
block plus Japan, China, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)said
that the RCEP FTA will seriously affect Indian agriculture. ' Indian
agriculture is in deep crisis and a large number of farmers continue to commit
suicide. The Government's free trade strategy is flawed. If RCEP is concluded,
it will intensify the crisis in agriculture. The Government has not
conducted any impact assessment of already concluded FTAs. We do not want the
government to go ahead with RCEP agreement even without knowing what
implications it will have on Indian agriculture', said Tikait.
Vijoo Krishnan of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said that the India
ASEAN FTA has seriously affected South Indian farmers. Now the RCEP with 15
other countries, will affect farmers across India. Countries like Australia,
New Zealand want to export their dairy products to India. If the negotiations
go through, it will have a disastrous impact. We demand that the
government stop its engagement on RCEP.
Yudhvir Singh, Convener of Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement
said, 'farmers' organisations in India oppose the RCEP FTA. We are
concerned that RCEP will increase imports of agricultural products into India.
We are also worried that farmers' access to affordable medicines may also be
affected. The Government of India has not consulted farmers' organisations
before going ahead with RCEP negotiations. This kind of secrecy is in the 21st
century is not acceptable'.
Afsar Jafri from the NGO Focus on the Global South said
that, the NDA government is merely following the free trade path laid out by
the UPA regime. He argued that the Commerce Minister had said that the
Government will conduct a review of all FTAs. 'But it has not come out with any
socio economic impact assessment of FTAs. All negotiations are kept secret,
away from public scrutiny. Every decision taken at these secret negotiations
will affect peoples' lives. We want transparency in trade negotiations, he
added.
Dharmendra Kumar of India FDI watch expressed concern that RCEP
negotiations may change India's position on FDI in retail policy. Further India
ASEAN FTA had adverse impact on India's manufacturing sector. The promises to
create manufacturing sector and provide jobs through Spcial Economic Zones (SEZs)
has also failed and the new Indian Government fail to learn lessons from
adverse impact of already concluded FTAs and now aggressively pursuing the free
trade policy and signing mega FTAs like RCEP.
Protestors demanded the government to make pubic all RCEP documents and
negotiating texts. They called on the government to hold public
consultations with all who will be directly affected by RCEP including farmers’
organizations, trade unions, patient groups, generic medicine manufacturing
companies, SMEs and civil society organisations. As many subjects discussed
under RCEP fall under state subjects, protestors demanded that the government
must hold consultations with state governments and evolve consensus.
