The following statement was to be presented during action by the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) at the Hotel Shangri-La in Jakarta on March 29 to protest a meeting on the Millenium Development Goals and the newly passed Foreign Investment Law.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – Concerned about their livelihoods that are being ground down by the advanced countries, though policies being driven by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), farmers, workers and fisherpeople are urging the minister of trade, Mari Elka Pengestu, to struggle for and to protect their welfare.

Intania Nur Kusuma, Jakarta – The World Trade Organisation (WTO) will hold its 6th ministerial level meeting in Hong Kong on 13-18 December. The meeting will face opposition with around 2,000 farmers planning to hold a demonstration – including 50 farmers from Indonesia.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – The importation of rice from Vietnam which is being done by Bulog (the State Logistics Agency) with the permission of trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu, has been opposed unconditionally by hundreds of farmers.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Law Number 7/2004 on Water Resources continues to encounter opposition. Actions against the law were once again organised by hundreds of farmers, students and non-government organisations in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Saturday June 4.

[The following is a translation of a statement released by the Committee for the Formation of a United Opposition Party (Komite Pembentukan Partai Persatuan Oposisi, KP3O) following a bomb attack on the national parliament building in Jakarta.]