The International Organization of Meditation of the Suprime Master Ching Hai has just chosen Costa Rica and its President Oscar Arias, as winners of the “Shinning World Leadership Award”.

The reasons offered by the taiwanese
Master are the abolition of the Costa Rican army and the effort the country makes against militarism. Also base in the writing called “No militarism in Costa Rica”, published by Costa Rican members of this taiwanese organization.

We most remind the reader that the abolition of our army was done by president Figueres Ferrer in 1948 though this historic event is frecuently used by Arias in his image creating propaganda of his position as a pacifist, while he acts against pacifism as will be soon.

In the first place there is his whole hearted support of the U.S.A. Central American trade agreement which contains the free trade of war weapons in Costa Rica itself; a subjet that totally contradicts the character of a Nobel Peace Prize Arias received some 20 years ago, and of the article on “No Militarism in Costa Rica” and representatives of Master Ching Hai here.

This free trade of war weapons in Costa Rica creates grave local dissention for its damage to our democratic and pacifist traditions which defends this National Coordination of the Fight against CAFTA of the social movement against the trade agreement with the U.S.A. An instrument of the Bush administration which president Arias is trying to push thru our National Asambly, based on a claimed mayority which gave him a slight margin in an election where only a 50% of the electorate participated, though he has made on alliance with other rightist parties.

Sheet N° 1052 of the trade treatment includes: “war tanks and other armored vehicles with its armaments and parts”. Sheet N° 1055 includes: “telescopic sights for weapons and periscopes”. Sheet N° 1056 includes: “gas masks”. Sheet N 1059 and 1060 includes: “revolvers and pistols”, “canons”, “shells”, “swords”, “bayonets”, etc.

It is a pity that Master Ching Hai and her representatives who visited our country, have not realized the seriousness of president Arias activities pro free trade in flagrant contradiction of his non military position and his criticisms of the Pentagone.

The truth is that his position in favor of the trade agreement opens the way for the establishment here of the arms industry of the U.S.A.

The international public opinion must know of the impossibility to modify the text of the trade agreement and that this treaty would be above all our laws, and that it demands a modification of our laws against arms trade.

At least a 25% of the voters who supported Arias in the last election are now in the organizations of patriotic resistence lead by this National Coordination against the free trade agreement with its design to increase the weapons trade.

International Press Commission
NCF against CAFTA
Costa Rica