A farmer tied himself to the cross of rice stems with his mouth
gagged shut. This powerful image - seen at the anti-WTO
demonstration in Bangkok - is a potent symbol that farmers are
going to be effected by the trade deal without their voice being
heard.

A week of Action on the WTO starts today, 9th September 2003 in
Thailand and 3,000 Thai poor from every sector of the grassroots
movement, - farmers, laborers, urban poor, students, environmental
activists - are on the streets demonstrating their concern and
opposition over the WTO Cancun Meeting. Posters and banners declare
"Stop the WTO". "Stop US power in the WTO". "People before
Profits."

Somsak Kosaisuk, the president of the State Enterprise Federation,
stated that we have to stop the WTO from implementing the GATS and
pushing for privatization of public enterprises. He said: "There is
a big gap between the poor and the powerful in Thailand. State
enterprise services are meant to fill this gap and provide a
subsidy so that the poor can afford basic commodities. If we undergo
privatization, the production of these commodities will be in the
hands of the corporations which are only concerned with making a
profit. Prices will rise and the poor will no longer be able to
afford commodity goods."

Bamrung Kayotha, an advisor of the Assembly of the Poor, said
"Before I was a small pig farmer, but I cannot compete with the big
corporations which monopolise the chain of production of every
commodity. Small scale farmers can never compete with the
corporations under the free trade agreement which is why we have to
fight to stop it"

Kingkorn Narintornkul, coordinator of the Thai Action on
Globalisation stated: " Thailand's poor and farmers from many parts
of the country traveled all night to come to participate in this
demonstration - more than we expected. This is because Thai
farmers are now starting to face the effects of unfair trade
agreements and feel the need to raise their voices in opposition to
the global trade policy. They said that if we are not coming to join
the protest we will have nothing left to eat"

During the demonstration, representatives of the people's movement
handed over letters to the EU and the US Embassy. These letters
demanded the end to unfair trade practices that masquerade as free
trade.

The week of actions will end on the 14th September with a one day
public conference on the impacts of the WTO on the poor. Five
hundred people have confirmed their participation - including
representatives from most of Thailand's popular movements. Anti- WTO
actions are planned for the end of the conference.

* Lek, Thai Labour Campaign. Pablo Kala, People Global Actino.