On Monday, November 15, some twenty activists occupied an ancient ship in the harbour of Amsterdam, in a symbolic protest against the WTO. The ship is a replica of "The Amsterdam", which belonged to the company VOC (United East Indian Company). The VOC was a dutch trading company in the 17th century and made huge profits from trade with Asian countries. It can be considered as the first multinational. Most of the beautiful canal-houses tourists love in Amsterdam were financed with VOC-profits. The activists wanted to make a symbolic comparison between the VOC and the WTO.
This is the press release (sorry for the imperfect translation...)
WTO opponents board VOC-ship
Today, November 15, activists from different organisations, united in the actiongroup MAYDAY, hung a huge banner with the text "Stop the WTO" between the masts of the VOC ship which lies in the harbour of Amsterdam. It is a protest against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its upcoming conference in Seattle. The action is a prelude to larger actions which will take place on November 30, when the third ministerial conference of the WTO takes place.
The activists reject the "free" trading system which is propagated by the WTO. This system is supposed to increase prosperity in all countries of the world. In reality, it is a system of winners and losers. The rich countries and their multinational corporations reap the fruits of "free"trade, and it leads to increasing differences in wealth within countries and between countries. Just like in the days of the United East Indian Trading Company (VOC), everything is aimed at making bigger profits from trade and investment.
The activists reject a new negotiating round in the WTO, the so-called Millennium Round. They demand at least a moratorium on the proposed extension of WTO power. They also want a comprehensive evaluation of the functioning of the WTO. This point of view is shared by countries like India, Pakistan, Egypt and more than a thousand organisations in the world.
The WTO claims to be a democratic organisation. In fact, poor countries and civil organisations have no real influence on WTO policy whatsoever. The final negotiating results are prepared behind closed doors by politicians, civil servants and representatives of multinational corporations.
In trading conflicts, economic interests always prevail. Because of this, food security, the environment, public health and working conditions remain threatened. For example, it is doubtful if in the Netherlands we will still have the possibility in the future to ban the import of hormone meat or genetically modified "frankenstein" food. Or if it is still possible to "lable" wood which is produced in an environmentally sound way.
The activists of MAYDAY will also participate in the worldwide actionday against the WTO on November 30. In Seattle and tens of other cities in the world there will be direct actions in protest agains the WTO and the unfair "free" trading system it promotes.
End of press release.
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This page last updated November 19, 1999
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