Text Fwd: PSNA Letter In Today's "Philippine Daily Inqurer" On Free Trade As Fuel For War [필리핀 연대, 뉴질랜드활동가 씀]전쟁의 발화요인이 될 자유 뮤역 협정

* Text sent from CAFCA through NoUS bases on Nov. 22, 2010

Inquirer Opinion / Letters To The Editor
Free trade fuels war
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: November 22, 2010

PRESIDENT AQUINO’S call for peaceful sharing of Spratly Islands resources is important, but we believe the issue of the unwanted presence of US military troops and facilities in the Asia-Pacific must also be raised by Mr. Aquino and other heads of state. The hundreds of US troops in the Philippines under the unconstitutional US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the US military bases and its 47,000 troops in Okinawa, thousands of troops in Korea and the Waihopai spy base on New Zealand soil are equally important issues affecting territorial sovereignty, peace and security in the region; they must be challenged.

The rape and prostitution of women, death of civilians and destruction of environment where US war games and exercises are being held must be stopped.

At the US-ASEAN leaders meeting last Sept. 24, US President Barack Obama said: “Through the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), we’re pursuing trade relationships that benefit all our countries. The United States also wants to focus on deepening its political and security cooperation with the region.”

From all indications, the United States is poised to strengthen its military presence in the Asia-Pacific to protect its economic interests in the name of “free trade” which ensures massive profits for giant US corporations and the local elite.

In our view, “free trade” fuels war. The United States, which benefits from unrestricted trade in labor and capital investment in the Asia-Pacific, is actually causing massive social inequities which are the root causes of armed conflicts in the Philippines.

We are aware that Mr. Aquino courted US support for the Philippines’ bid to become a member of the TPP during his meeting with Obama. Just like APEC, GATT-WTO and other US-designed trade deals, TPP spells more profits for big business and nothing but losses for ordinary people in the Philippines, New Zealand and other countries.

Filipinos and New Zealanders have had enough of the unrestrained trade liberalization that has destroyed local agriculture and industries. Thus the TPP issue is a common ground for us to oppose what is essentially a back door to another free trade agreement that will mainly benefit the United States.

We support the demand of Filipinos that national sovereignty must be upheld to achieve lasting peace in the Philippines. Foreign troops and bases must not be allowed on Philippine soil just as the Waihopai spy base in New Zealand and the US bases in Okinawa must be closed down.

Waihopai does not operate in the interest of New Zealanders or our neighbors. Basically it is a foreign spy base on NZ soil and directly involves us in US wars. Although officially a “New Zealand” facility, Waihopai is an American spy base in everything but name.

—MURRAY HORTON,
secretary, Philippines Solidarity
Network of Aotearoa (PSNA),
cafca@chch.planet.org.nz