MORE PICS – Lop-Sided FTA PROTEST at American EMBASSY 18 Mar 07; by 300 Strong Crowd; Malaysia: No Timeframe - FTA Negotiations Until Issues Resolved
ABOVE: The imposing American Embassy and BELOW: Protesters at the front gate
ABOVE: The huge floor banner "abolish FTA" and BELOW: The placards with the anti-FTA messages in multi languages
The Americans seem to be dictating the terms and the other side either has to “take it or leave it.”
The unidentified spokesman (ABOVE) for the protesters claimed they represented political parties, NGOs, youth associations, factory workers and students.
ABOVE: The crowds marching to the embassy and BELOW: The line-up and displayed of the messages.
For more than two hours they shouted slogans against the
The riot police kept their distance just as they had done in the last protest at the PM office in Putra Jaya on
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Rafidah: On-going with US on FTA can continue;
KUALA LUMPUR, MON:
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KL Not Bound By Timeframe To Decide On M'sia-US FTA – Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is not bound by any timeframe to give a decision on the issues at stake in the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with the United States, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Sunday. The Deputy Prime Minister said
A total of 18 issues are being negotiated including on industrial products, textile, customs procedures, intellectual property rights, financial services, investments and the environment.
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Unctad warns of FTA effects Global Trends: By MARTIN KHOR
FREE trade agreements (FTAs) among developing countries can help them strengthen regional cooperation, but trade treaties between a powerful developed country and developing countries can result in many problems for their consumers, farmers and industries. This emerged at a meeting in Geneva last week on the interface between the multilateral trading system and regional trade agreements (RTAs), organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad). South-South RTAs (like Asean and Mercosur in
Unctad trade director Lakshmi Puri said new North-South RTAs go far beyond trade to include services, investment, competition and intellectual property (IP). However agricultural subsidies (which are a main protection tool in developed countries) are left out. This theme of “cherry picking” of issues was taken up by experts during the meeting. It reflects the lop-sidedness of such agreements. Issues like investment and IP which benefit the developed countries are put in (even if they were rejected at the World Trade Organisation) while measures that can most benefit developing countries (such as removing Northern agricultural subsidies) are left out, at the insistence of the more powerful countries. Ransford Smith, deputy secretary-general of the Commonwealth Secretariat, said that developing countries must be rightly concerned with North-South RTAs such as the treaty being negotiated between the European Union (EU) and the African,
In such RTAs, developing countries should advocate enhancing special treatment for them and facilitating the movement of their workers to developed countries. South Centre director Yash Tandon said there were positive RTAs where solidarity and aid to weaker partners is the main principle. But many RTAs involving developed and developing countries have an “enforced structure” where one side dictates the terms and the other side either has to “take it or leave it.” What Tandon referred to is often called a “template”, or a fixed set of issues and demands that the developed country wants. There is only limited space to vary. If the developing country partner disagrees, the deal is off. I
f the treaty is signed, the developing country accepts a lop-sided bargain and has to implement often harmful policies. The influential development group Oxfam said that FTAs involving the
Oxfam said the
Chaveriat added that developing countries are also being pushed to eliminate their agricultural and manufacturing tariffs while the developed countries refuse to negotiate agricultural subsidies (which have damaging impacts on farmers in developing countries). She cited a study showing that
David Vivas of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development also highlighted how the
= = == =an earlier protest on 14th Mar 07, Wed, PM Office
About 200 in protest over Malaysia-US free trade deal; Posted:
A delegation of six people conveyed their message in a memorandum handed to a government official, Selvam said. Malaysian farmers, activists and opposition parties have been demanding a halt to the talks on an FTA, which they say will damage livelihoods. Demonstrations are rare in
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The faltered FTA Talks with US Over TWO particularly sensitive areas – Government procurement and services policies
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More Added Pics (15) & Story - ANTI TOLL HIKE at
or for some sexcitement = = == or Go H E R E ON
MORE PICS - RM14 Million Fake “Miagra” SEX STIMULANTS Seized from Penang Container; And In
1 Comments:
if negotiation continues..means one day it will be signed! no matter what, WE ARE DOOMED! it's only a matter of time.
obviously pak lah is too weak to represent us. good or bad, Tun Dr Mahathir retirement is a huge lost to Malaysia!
good luck my fellow countrymen. Once i'm able, i'm off to Melbourne.
like one of the BN minister said in the parliament, "Kalau you tak suka, you boleh keluar dari Malaysia."
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