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CALD resolution regretting
the Singapore government’s decision to bar civil society representatives
from attending the World Bank-IMF Summit; appealing to the Singaporean
government for greater tolerance and transparency; and reaffirming its
belief in the democratic principles of transparency, accountability, right
to information and the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Concerned that Dr.
Walden Bello, executive director of the Focus of the Global South, and Ms.
Ana Maria Nemenzo, Freedom from Debt Coalition president, are among the 28
activists from the Philippines who were banned from entering Singapore to
attend the International Monetary Fund-World Bank (IMF-WB) Summit;
Noting that Dr. Bello and Ms. Nemenzo are two of the 600 civil
society representatives from 68 countries accredited by the IMF-WB to attend
its summit on governance, transparency and corruption only to be barred by
the Singaporean authorities from entering the city-state;
Saddened that two more Filipino activists, Mr. Bobby Diciembre and
Ms. Chona Leah Ramos, who were on their way to Indonesia’s Batam Island to
attend the International People’s Forum, an alternate caucus of the IMF-WB
Summit, were both detained overnight at the Changi airport and put on the
next flight back to Manila;
Arguing that even World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz earlier
expressed regrets over the decision of the Singaporean government to block
the entry of civil society representatives, and hoped for Singapore to
reconsider its decision and emphasized that “it is important for the World
Bank and IMF to have a strong dialogue from civil society”;
Mentioning that World Bank Country Director to the Philippines has
stated that “the decision by the Government of Singapore to deny the entry
of several CSO representatives is unfortunate. For many years, we have been
meeting with them inside and outside our office, and we are not aware of the
reasons why these CSO leaders should be denied access to the World Bank-IMF
Annual Meeting”;
Citing that civil society leaders have been active in meetings and
various dialogues with the World Bank and IMF and barring them in this
particular meeting creates a counter-productive precedence;
Noting that during the conference of the Council of Asian Liberals
and Democrats (CALD) on Public Accountability in Official Development
Assistance last April in Siem Reap, Cambodia, CALD noted that, for ODA to
reach its intended beneficiaries and to combat corruption and fund misuse,
there is a need for right to information, greater oversight functions by
parliamentarians and political parties, the active participation of mass
media and civil society, and greater transparency on the part of both donors
and recipients;
Believing that the policies and projects of the WB and IMF affect the
people of the world and therefore the participation of stakeholders like
civil society representatives must not only be allowed but also encouraged;
Trusting that, as expressed by Singaporean oppositionist Dr. Chee
Soon Juan, “for the free market system to serve the masses and not just the
elite, there must be transparency, openness and democracy. Economic progress
and political openness are two sides of the same coin”;
Convinced that barring legitimate stakeholders from such important
meetings runs counter to the principles of constructive dialogue, democracy
in decision making processes, right to information, transparency and
accountability, and equity;
Now therefore, the Council
of Asian Liberals and Democrats regret the Singapore government’s decision
to bar civil society representatives from attending the World Bank-IMF
Summit; appeal to the Singaporean government for greater tolerance and
transparency; and reaffirm its belief in the democratic principles of
transparency, accountability, right to information and the freedom of
expression and peaceful assembly.
For
the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats:
(sgd)
Senator
Franklin M. Drilon
Chairman of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
September 15
, 2006 |
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