Southern CSOs gear up for more action as Indonesian government continues silencing attempts
10 October 2018
With very little room for meaningful engagement with the IMF-WBG Annual Meetings 2018 and the continuing attempts to stifle people’s critical dissent, Southern CSOs heighten resolve to hold the People’s Global Conference (PGC) Against the IMF-WB. The Conference from Oct 11-14 is themed “Reclaim our Rights and Future: Fight Corporate Takeover of Development” and is collectively organized to enable CSOs and people’s movements to freely air their concerns.
As the IMF-WBG convenes to tackle official business that only they know, civil society organizations that came all the way from around the world to engage the institutions are kept busy with side events. If lucky, they have, at the most, a representative from the IMF-WBG to get updates or responses.
“We come year after year discussing our issues and recommendations, but these fall on deaf ears,” said Nabil Abdo of the Arab Network of NGOs for Development.
Asked about how the IMF ensures inclusivity and people’s democratic participation, the IMF representative responded that they take into account concerns of all stakeholders but that at the end of the day, the governments have to ensure they consult with their people.
With many critical concerns brought about by IMF-WBG policies and projects, the townhall meeting with the WBG Executive Directors, a one-and-a-half hour question-and-answer session, hardly gave CSOs substantive responses and meaningful engagement.
“The WBG has the responsibility to respect human rights. The Bank's safeguard policies should ensure that it's investments and projects do not cause harm or violate people's rights. However, the narrative has not changed despite the Bank's objectives of eradicating poverty and shared prosperity,” said CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness Co-Chair Beverly Longid, whose question, along with various issues other CSOs wanted to raise, did not make it to the floor.
Meanwhile, the PGC is continuously being threatened. After a Bali-wide ban on public events and an attempt to curb the holding of the peoples’ conference, state authorities resort to various forms of black propaganda. Hoax banners inviting the public to the PGC carry logos of terror-tagged groups; text messages threatening to stop the PGC are being circulated; and establishments are being prohibited from extending their supplies and services to the PGC organizers and participants. The national police is also unreasonably asking for passport copies of the international delegates planning to join the PGC, despite lack of any legal basis of such requirements.
“The Indonesian government is clearly biased against the people but its attempts only push us to assert our democratic rights. We endure the IMF-WBG’s devastating impact every single day and we cannot let this moment pass without letting the Bank and the world to know this,” said Rahmat, Spokesperson of the Gerakan Rakyat Menentang IMF-WB (Peoples’ Global Movement Against IMF-WB). Southern CSOs will be holding a demonstration inside the Annual Meetings venue according to the policies published on the host government website on October 12.
Reference:
Kurniawan Sabar +62 8112011868
As the IMF-WBG convenes to tackle official business that only they know, civil society organizations that came all the way from around the world to engage the institutions are kept busy with side events. If lucky, they have, at the most, a representative from the IMF-WBG to get updates or responses.
“We come year after year discussing our issues and recommendations, but these fall on deaf ears,” said Nabil Abdo of the Arab Network of NGOs for Development.
Asked about how the IMF ensures inclusivity and people’s democratic participation, the IMF representative responded that they take into account concerns of all stakeholders but that at the end of the day, the governments have to ensure they consult with their people.
With many critical concerns brought about by IMF-WBG policies and projects, the townhall meeting with the WBG Executive Directors, a one-and-a-half hour question-and-answer session, hardly gave CSOs substantive responses and meaningful engagement.
“The WBG has the responsibility to respect human rights. The Bank's safeguard policies should ensure that it's investments and projects do not cause harm or violate people's rights. However, the narrative has not changed despite the Bank's objectives of eradicating poverty and shared prosperity,” said CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness Co-Chair Beverly Longid, whose question, along with various issues other CSOs wanted to raise, did not make it to the floor.
Meanwhile, the PGC is continuously being threatened. After a Bali-wide ban on public events and an attempt to curb the holding of the peoples’ conference, state authorities resort to various forms of black propaganda. Hoax banners inviting the public to the PGC carry logos of terror-tagged groups; text messages threatening to stop the PGC are being circulated; and establishments are being prohibited from extending their supplies and services to the PGC organizers and participants. The national police is also unreasonably asking for passport copies of the international delegates planning to join the PGC, despite lack of any legal basis of such requirements.
“The Indonesian government is clearly biased against the people but its attempts only push us to assert our democratic rights. We endure the IMF-WBG’s devastating impact every single day and we cannot let this moment pass without letting the Bank and the world to know this,” said Rahmat, Spokesperson of the Gerakan Rakyat Menentang IMF-WB (Peoples’ Global Movement Against IMF-WB). Southern CSOs will be holding a demonstration inside the Annual Meetings venue according to the policies published on the host government website on October 12.
Reference:
Kurniawan Sabar +62 8112011868