Millions of peasants and supporters protest the World `Foodless' Day

Media Release: October 16, 2008

The Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) is observing October 16 as the World `Foodless' Day as food crisis remain an enormous predicament of countries whose governments act in contrast of the interests of the people and in favor of U.S. imperialism, local big landlords and traders. APC believes as long as government does not centralize on the primary issue of landlessness or the abolition of feudalism, food security would remain an illusion. The observance is the "Global Day of Action" against food crisis, coordinated with countries such as the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mongolia, Hongkong, Uganda and Kenya. This involve about 22 peasant and support organizations in Asia and Africa.

"We at the Philippines, an initial 10,000 peasants nationwide are actively participating with the international activity. Our activities range from holding dialogues with agriculture and agrarian reform offices, to camp-outs and farm strikes, educational discussions and forums, agit-prop (agitate-propaganda ) teams and more," Danilo Ramos APC Secretary-General and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) Secretary-General.

"It is always U.S. imperialism that compels puppet governments to implement anti-peasant and anti-people programs," Ramos added. "Imperialism, through WTO, bilateral or multilateral talks or agreements always keep in mind on how they are going to rake up huge profits, sacrificing local people of subject countries. Its realization in the Philippines, Arroyo's liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies all add up to the exploitation of the people and towards the interests for huge profits of foreign monopoly corporations, " Ramos hinted.

Moreover in India, Chennaiah Poguri of Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union (APVVU), "Our strength is made visible in the number of people who are joining us in the struggle against the crises. We are expecting 25,000 individuals from Andhra Pradesh alone and we are estimating about 574,000 people observing World Foodless Day around the country as we are able to organise with other groups."

Erpan Faryadi of Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA) of Indonesia said, We are mobilising 4,000 people in protest rallies where we will highlight the problems and agricultural conflicts that are affecting the peasants in Indonesia as well as call for implementation of a genuine agrarian reform. We resist International Financial Institutions for creating global issues that trickle down and make us suffer."

"With the millions of peasants and members of support groups from joining countries, the `Global Day of Action' is surely a big start to annually observe WFD, puppet governments to U.S. imperialism would surely reconsider if with our numbers, we are able to raise our actions to higher forms of struggle," Ramos declared.#