Palestinian Prisoners Hunger Strike Enters 13th Day

The Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike enters its 13th day with more solidarity tents established in different parts of the West Bank and the Palestinian cities and towns in Israel. In Baqa Al-Gharbyeh, solidarity tent has been erected on Saturday were hundreds of people meet there and sit in solidarity.

A one day hunger strike has also been organized in Nazareth near St. Mary's church in the town. Additionally, around 17 Syrians in the occupied GolanHeights declared a hunger strike in the town of Majdal Shams on Thursday.

Besides, almost all cities and refugee camps of the West Bank and Gaza strip have erected solidarity tents where families, friends and prisoners support committees stay there and in many places join the hunger strike as well. Solidarity with the prisoners has not been limited to Palestinians only, but internationals as well. Several International peace activists joined the hunger strike in different locations in the West Bank.

Please send the protest letter to the Israeli Embassy or Consulate nerby your respective country. Also send the letter the the Prime Minister Arial Sharon.

Are you interested to host 16th ASA General Conference?

We are pleased to inform all of you that we are holding the 16th ASA General Conference end of June next year. The proposed date is June 26-30.This is the decision came out after the Exco Meeting in the World Youth Festival, Barcelona. In this regard, we wish to open the floor for the possible venue of the said conference. If you are interested in hosting this, please send us a proposal or a letter expressing your intent. Please include here a proposed budget which we in the ExCo could look into and deliberate upon.

Few consideration that you might notice are as follow:

1. Capacity and manpower of the local host organization.
2. Political impact
3. Recent history
4. Affordability and convenience
5. Visa access and affordability
6. A place for exposure

Please send us your reply to this humble letter on or before September 15, 2004. More information you can reach the ASA Secretariat through asasec@netvigator.com

Anyone Interested to be a researcher in Burma?

Anyone interested to be researcher at Burma, you can have more information from here.

Indonesian Election Update: Analysis From NSF

Indonesia has finished first round of president general election. It open a way for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, which gain 39.838.184 voices (33.574 % from all voters), and Megawati Soekarnoputri-Hasyim Muzadi, which gain 31.569.104 voices (26,60% from all voters), to second round of president general election. We think these two couple won't bring better condition for democratic transition process in Indonesia. They will not finish Indonesian people's problem. The essence of general election in Indonesia is a procedural mechanism, which use by the politic elite to voter mobilization for their interest. In Indonesia, the party doesn do their function to execute people's politic education. This makes a politic, for Indonesian, is once ritual for five year. It is very clear if we looked general election campaign which the party gives people a promise sale like free for education fee, give money and shirt etc. This showed how the floating mass politic is still stronghold in Indonesia.

In 2004 president general election, people has an opportunity to direct election but in an essence it didn't reflect the democratization. Voice deceit case in first round president general election in Al Zaytun Muslim Boarding School, Indramayu, VCD case in Banjarnegara (that show how Indonesian military take side), and the result of NDI, LSI and LP3ES survey that take side to one of couple of president candidate (Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono-M. Jusuf Kalla) has show there is no democratization. There is only a party with strong infrastructure, strong financial and military support will dominate politic in Indonesia.

The Indonesian general election is never apart with interest of imperialist. The imperialist has interest to make a oll government?in third country to gain much profit. They need a government who guaranteed their interest for modal flow, invest, to exploitation their natural resource etc. Because of that, the politicians are only think about their-self how get allows from imperialist. They always make majority people in poor condition, can get good education etc. Imperialist need good boy?to implement deregulation, privatization, get foreign debt, anti-terrorism campaign etc. Both of president candidates in a much time, at their campaign, say that they can guarantee foreign investment in Indonesia.

Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla is a same. They will not fight for Indonesian Democratization, have military support, and have a support from imperialist. Because of that in second round president general election, on September 5th 2004, we exclamation for all the member of National Student Front not to give their voice in general election.

Notice: Back to Office

Dear friends of ASA,

Three ASA secretariat members were out of the Hong Kong office from August 4 to 23.

The ASA was attended the World Youth Festival in Barcelona. More reports will come after this.

Then, the secretariat also took the opprtunity to visit different institution in Amsterdam and Utrecth. It was a fruitful trip and benefit the ASA organization as well. We managed to promote the ASA and build up some partnership with the institution there.

When funding come from the Conflict of Interest..

Here are some of the interesting discussion about the Bayer donates money to the UNEP Youth and Environment Program in the egroup WSSD-Youth Caucus:

"Yet another shocking display of coperate "power-tricks". And is the UN agency indeed prepared to go so low to the level of engaging in such unethical deal? No matter the good intentions and objectives or how badly the agency needs cash, there cant be any excuse for such a thing since I don’t think the UN environmental agency can claim to be unaware of Bayer’s record." said by Mavuli

"What does the UENP Youth Advisory council say about this? Where they informed about it? Did they "advise" on this being a good move...? Maybe they can shed more light on this and provide us with greater clarity! asked by Dumisani Nyoni

The whole deal between the Bayer with the UNEP was published in press released that put on the official website of the UNEP. The whole process really raise up a lot of issues that need to be clarify.

Regarding the dispute, the UNEP Youth Advisory for the Asia and the Pacific, Alan Wu clearly stated that: So while Bayer has a questionable environmental record, and I doubt that young people had any say in UNEP's engagement with it, it's money is being put to good use in funding activities that, in their subject matter at least, are free from corporate interference."

This is always the excuse of the people who benefit from the funding allocation. They always forget that those money really came from the exploitation, violation of justice and damages they did.

Just like the ASA condemns the World Bank and always been critical to the projects that carried out by the World Bank with the Youth organization in the world. They have to be very clear that those organization are getting the advantages from the people who suffering by the bad debts of the World Bank.

This is just a peak of the iceberg. There are still a lot of this collaboration going on in the world. We shall always bear in mind and check all those deals.

6th WTO Ministerial Meeting on Dec 2005 in Hong Kong

After the long process of the WTO General Council meeting. Finally they adopted the decision.

Let's us be prepared to give the coming WTO a good fight in Hong Kong.

See you in Hong Kong in December next year!