By Jill Hickson
SYDNEY — Political activists and leaders from progressive and socialist parties from the Asia and Pacific will meet at a regional solidarity conference here April 9-13. "This is going to be one of the most exciting and interesting gatherings in the region for a long time", one of the conference organisers, Max Lane, told Green Left Weekly.
"Leaders and activists from the most important progressive parties and political movements in the region have already confirmed their attendance, including from Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea.
"We have also received very positive signals from India and we hope to soon have a positive response from Japan and South Korea."
The conference has been called by the interim council of the newly formed Asia Pacific Institute for Democratisation and Development. The council comprises representatives from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.
"A feature of the gathering will be the participation of major political organisations and movements fighting for change", said Lane, who is a member of the Democratic Socialist Party national executive and its foreign affairs spokesperson.
"It also aims to facilitate dialogue between political parties and movements, and academics and non-government community organisations active in the region. For this reason, most of the conference will comprise talks, panels and workshops.
"This discussion is linked to the challenge of building effective political movements to fight for full democratisation. This is necessary if the neo-liberal austerity programs affecting all the economies of the region, whether developed or so-called developing, are to be pushed back and eventually defeated", said Lane.
Organisations confirmed to attend include: the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) from Indonesia; the Revolutionary Front for Independent East Timer (Fretilin); Union of Socialist Ideas and Action (BISIG) from the Philippines; the Malaysian Peoples Party (PRM); New Socialist Party of Sri Lanka (NSSP); the New Labour Party (NLP) from New Zealand; and the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) in Australia.
Powes Parkop, a central leader of Melanesian Solidarity (MELSOL), the leading progressive political organisation in Papua New Guinea, is also attending. The Communist Party of India (Liberation) has also expressed an interest.
Prominent regional figures, including Nobel laureate and East Timorese resistance leader Jose Ramos Horta and Filipino democrat Renato Constantino Jr, are also attending. Constantino is president of Sanlakas, a Filipino federation of urban poor, student, women's and youth organisations and a founding convener of the Asia Pacific Coalition on East Timor (APCET).
Leading Philippines feminist and women's movement activist Anna Maria Nemenzo will also be attending, and moves are under way to ensure a strong participation by women activists. The PRD has also confirmed a women leader will attend.
"The collusion between the ASEAN governments and the Coalition to back Suharto on East Timor and the lack of democratic rights in Indonesia are a good example of how the regional ruling elites are cooperating", said Lane.
"The formation of APEC is another example of this collusion, this time to ensure that austerity and economic restructuring are enforced throughout the region.
"Political organisations, labour movements, progressive NGOs and intellectuals have to combine our efforts to defeat the anti-people collusion of the region's ruling elites and their international friends. We hope this conference will make a contribution to this goal."
The conference will be open to everyone interested in helping to achieve these aims. Efforts are still under way to seek representation from north Asia and sections of the Pacific. It is hoped that representatives of indigenous Australia will also be involved.
Registration is open and discounts are available for early birds. For registration details, write to Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference, PO Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007, or e-mail [Jill Hickson is a member of the DSP national committee and deputy national coordinator of ASIET — Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor.]