Police said thay had never seen such a determined crowd. Thousands of demonstrators have pushed past police lines in protest against policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is holding its annual meeting in Thailand.Protest leaders have submitted a letter demanding that ADB loans to Thailand be scrapped.
They also want Thailand to resist ADB pressure to charge for water used in farming.
The ADB's representative Craig Steffensen, who met the protesters, told them that the issues need to be discussed. "We promise that we will listen to you and we need to meet more," he said.
Governors of the bank were meeting to discuss poverty alleviation projects and expanding the ADB's soft-loan facility.
Protests against global capitalism have included demonstrations at the World Trade Organisation talks in Seattle last year and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
FYI,
Janet
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_739000/7394 55.stm
Sunday, 7 May, 2000, 10:46 GMT 11:46 UK
Police said thay had never seen such a determined crowd. Thousands of demonstrators have pushed past police lines in protest against policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is holding its annual meeting in Thailand.
Up to 3,000 Thai activists, farmers and students chanted slogans "ADB go to hell" and blocked traffic in the northern town on China Mai.
Many of the protesters claim they have lost their land or livelihoods as a result of ADB-funded projects. They say the bank's policies have worsened poverty and damaged the environment.
Police officials at the demonstration are quoted as saying they have never seen such a large and determined crowd.
However, there was no violence and no serious casualties.
The activists, many wearing brightly coloured headbands and carrying flags and banners, belong to a number of non-governmental and student organisations.
They were joined by poor farmers from around Chiang Mai, the town in the middle of Thailand's agricultural heartland.
Chanting slogans, they marched towards police arm in arm, holding banners critical of the ADB and other global financial institutions.
They pushed through crowd-control barriers, forcing riot police into a hurried retreat to a final line of defence just 10 metres from a hotel where the meeting is held.
Elite Thai Army border troops armed with shields, sticks and tear gas backed up police as bewildered officials looked on from inside the hotel.
The march left a trail of debris with twisted metal barriers dumped on the side of the road and smashed lights at roadside restaurants.
Protest leaders have submitted a letter demanding that ADB loans to Thailand be scrapped.
They also want Thailand to resist ADB pressure to charge for water used in farming.
The ADB's representative Craig Steffensen, who met the protesters, told them that the issues need to be discussed. "We promise that we will listen to you and we need to meet more," he said.
But the protesters refused to leave the venue.
"If the ADB continues to refuse and respond to these issues and demands in a meaningful and sincere way we are concerned it will increase the likelihood of confrontation," their statement said.
"You have a legal and moral responsibility to respond, you have an opportunity to do so now, and we urge you not to miss it."
The ADB's Vice President Myoung-Ho Shin delivered a long and detailed reply to questions asked by non-governmental organisations on Saturday.
The ADB has lent $1.2 billion to Thailand as part of its contributions to help it to recover from the 1997 economic crisis.
Some of its projects deal with irrigation for agriculture, waste water management and the operations of government health care and education.
Governors of the bank were meeting to discuss poverty alleviation projects and expanding the ADB's soft-loan facility.
Today's protest followed clashes between police and demonstrators on Saturday outside a conference centre where opening ceremonies took place.
Protests against global capitalism have included demonstrations at the World Trade Organisation talks in Seattle last year and the World Economic Forum in Davos.