[Reader-list] Fish workers protest against agreement with ASEAN

[T Peter]

*Fish workers protest against agreement with ASEAN *

*Date:15/08/2009* *URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/15/stories/2009081554600500.htm*
Special Correspondent

   *Call for mass mobilisation against the agreement *

  Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation
(KSMTF) has called for a mass mobilisation to stop the ASEAN-India Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) from being implemented in the country.

President of the federation T. Peter said the signing of the FTA at the
Bangkok meeting of the ASEAN on Thursday was “an attack on the federal
structure of the Indian Constitution.” A press note quoting Mr. Peter said,
“It is ironic that this affront to federalism comes a day before the country
celebrates its 62nd Independence Day tomorrow. It exposes the
anti-democratic mindset of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government.”

Mr. Peter said Kerala had voiced its opposition to the FTA quite clearly.
“Last month UPA Cabinet Ministers from Kerala A.K. Antony and Vayalar Ravi
had cautioned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but their concerns were ignored
with the carrot of the so called ‘sensitive list’ which apparently excluded
some products of concern to Kerala.”

Mr. Peter said that the Kerala government was still in the dark on the
actual contents of the deal signed in Bangkok despite an assurance that a
thorough scrutiny of the FTA would be done and copies of the text would be
made public.

“The trade in goods agreement will enable the dumping of upto177 species of
fish in the Indian market,” said Mr. Peter. “The ‘sensitive list’ is just a
smokescreen,” he added. Malaysia has aggressive interests in palm oil,
Indonesia in rice and rubber and Thailand in fish. If the Government of
India puts all of these in a negative list, it is unlikely that these ASEAN
members will play ball on the FTA, he pointed out.