Activists belonging to the Hong Kong People's Alliance (HKPA) led the march to the convention center but were prevented by police and two tanks from proceeding further from the vicinity of the Hong Kong stadium.

In her turn in the pre-march program at Victoria Park, Dr. Carol Araullo of the International League of People's Struggle (ILPS) and Bayan-Philippines burned a US flag amid wide applause and cheers of the protesters.

Araullo praised the militancy of the Korean farmers and workers, and condemned the Hong Kong government for unleashing violence on their protests.

Today's rally at Victoria Park coincides with International Migrants Day. Expectedly, thousands of migrant workers under the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) joined the Victoria Park rally, bearing placards against the proposed General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

The HKPA mounted another rally as soon as the march reached the Wanchai demonstration area.

At the end of the program, the ILPS and Bayan leaders burned down a US flag and destroyed an effigy depicting US imperialism using flag poles.

Earlier in the day, several members of the ILPS and the Asia-Wide Campaign staged a silent picket near the HKPA center where the HKPA leaders were holding a press conference. The picket condemned the violence of the Hong Kong government, and demanded the release of all detained anti-WTO protesters.

As of presstime, some Korean organizations remain at the Wanchai demonstration area.

HONG KONG (Dec. 17, 5:00 pm) -- With news circulating that no new agreement may be signed in the ongoing 6th Ministerial Conference of the world's largest trade body, members of the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) are now preparing for a "celebratory mass action" tomorrow.

According to the People's Media Center of the ILPS, a collapse will be welcomed by many nations because any new deal would surely benefit only the big capitalist countries like the US and EU members.

Earlier today, about 200 members of the ILPS staged a colorful protest from Victoria Park to the Hong Kong Convention Center. At the frontlines were five Cordillerans (indigenous people from Northern Philippines) banging their gongs.

Closely following them were Filipino cultural activists depicting the effects of the WTO on agriculture, jobs, education and other social services. Three activists wearing Chinese devil masks portrayed the role of the WTO, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Members of the Japan-based Asia-Wide Campaign (AWC) and activists from Taiwan, India, the US and Belgium.

The ILPS protesters staged a five-minute sit-down upon reaching Paterson Street, and a die in at the foot of the bridge leading to the convention center.

Crispin Beltran, a member of the Philippine Congress under the Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) and chair emeritus of the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement Labor Center), marched along with other activists leaders.

Upon reaching the convention center perimeter, Beltran led the burning of a US flag to shouts of "Junk, junk WTO!" and "US imperialists, Number One terrorists!"

In the afternoon, the participants in the International Youth and Student Conference on Education also staged a separate march to the convention center, with demands the exclusion of education and services from the WTO and the scrapping of the entire WTO

The youth marchers come from various countries and involve the Asian Students Association, the International Movement of Catholic Students, the ILPS-Youth and the Hong Kong University Student Government.

Yesterday, Dec. 16, the following activities were held:

* Bayan-led march to the convention center.

* Women's Tribunal on the WTO

* Women's March against the WTO

On Dec. 15, a rural people's tribunal found the WTO guilty of killing the agriculture in Third World countries and detrimental to farmers' livelihoods. Participants later marched to the convention center where they burned a US flag.

Founded in 2001, the ILPS is a global anti-imperialist alliance of more than 400 mass organizations from more than 40 countries worldwide.

Also during the week, separate or coordinated protests were staged by organizations from South Korea, Japan and Bangladesh.

The protests by Filipinos and other nationalities defied standard law in Hong Kong that requires permits before the staging of rallies.

Under the aegis of the Hong Kong People's Alliance (HKPA), the protesters have held round-the-clock protests, fora, workshops, tribunals and other activities collectively dubbed People's Action Week. Main venue is the sprawling Victoria Park where the HKPA set up several colored pavillions for use by the various organizations.

On Dec. 13, the HKPA led a rally at the main stage of the Victoria Park. The protesters later marched to Wanchai but were prevented by the Hong Kong police from approaching the immediate perimeter of the official venue of the global trade talks.

Filipinos who flew from Manila are led by the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), Resist WTO Network and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan). Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casino and Bayan chair Dr. Carolina Araullo are at the head of the Manila contingent.

Last week, Araullo and two other activists were held at the airport upon arrival of their flight from Manila They were later released without charges but only after a six-hour wait and after every piece of baggage was hand-checked. Peasant leader Danilo Ramos was also stopped at the airport on Monday.

Prof. Jose Maria Sison, twice tagged a "terrorist" by the US, EU, Canada and Australia governments, keynoted an outdoor forum on trade and war sponsored by the ILPS. Sison is chair of the ILPS and chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

In a speech delivered during the ILPS forum, NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni pushed for international solidarity against imperialism, including support for the armed revolutionary movements that seek to replace pro-imperialist regimes and political and economic systems across the globe.

Today, Dec. 15, farmers belonging to the Pesticide Action Network-Asia Pacific and the Asian Peasant Council will try the WTO in a rural peoples' tribunal.

Meanwhile, the Asian Students Association together with several other regional youth groups will start a three-day conference on education and globalization.

Also today, Philippine environmental organizations convene a whole-day forum-workshop on how imperialist mining companies destroy the environment in Third World countries.

Tomorrow, Asian women's groups from various countries will convene their own women's tribunal.

Philippine mobile activist group TXTPower will sponsor a meeting on uses of mobile phones and other technologies in social activism also tomorrow at the ILPS pavillion.

Related: Arkibong Bayan Photos of Nov. 27 HK People's Mardi Gras vs. WTO

In Cancun, the poor countries were able to stand their ground knowing that no deal was better than a bad deal. During the negotiations in Geneva, they agreed to a deal in order to avert more harm and to stall the forceful moves of the EU and US to impose more disadvantageous deals upon them.

NGOs monitoring the negotiations and some delegates of poor countries criticized the agreement for betraying the poor and stressed that the rich countries were able to get what they wanted through bullying and intimidation of the delegations from the south. [Full story]

"With the increases in prices of basic goods, fare hikes and impending increases in electricity and water rates, Filipino consumers could not bear to be oppressed further by new taxes," the petition says. TXTPower challenges the Macapagal-Arroyo government to curb corruption, stop unproductive spending, improve revenue collection, prosecute tax evaders, seize properties of tax evaders, impose taxes on luxury purchases of the elite and cut down billions of pesos worth of tax perks offered to big companies. Moreover, the group urges the IMF, a strong advocate of the tax, to refrain from meddling in our internal affairs.

Related articles:
> Fight the Text Tax!
> Students Sign Up vs Text Tax
> TXTers, Revolt!
> Texters to Join Taxpayers' Revolt over New Revenue Measures

The cause-oriented Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), together with other cause-oriented groups and Mr. Genaro Lualhati, through the Public Interest Law Center, filed a petition with the CA last year questioning the approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission of the unbundling of rates which among others caused an increase in Meralco rates.

In its decision CA-GR SP No. 77559 signed by Associate Justice Martin Villarama, Jr., the Court of Appeals said that the ERC decisions on March 20, 2003 and May 30, 2003 in ERC case Nos. 2001-646 and 2001-900 are both “annulled and set aside." The CA further said that the case is “remanded to the ERC for further proceedings, and the ERC is further ordered to direct the Commission on Audit to audit the books, records and accounts of Meralco” pursuant to the Administrative Code of 1987.

Bayan spokesperson Renato Reyes, Jr. hailed the CA decision as a major legal victory for consumers. Meanwhile, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran said that the Commission on Audit should go through Meralco's financial books with a fine-toothed comb.

The survey results reveal that a majority of its respondents believe that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo didn't really win in the May election.

The survey also shows that Filipinos, considering that less than three months have passed since the polls, are not as upbeat about the economy as they may be expected to be. For President Arroyo's first 100 days in her new term, Filipinos want decent wages and reasonable prices of prime commodities, the survey further shows.

IBON also found that most Filipinos are still not in favor of moves to amend the Constitution.