We, from the Freedom from Debt Coalition-Philippines, express our solidarity to the people of South Korea who firmly opposes privatization of water services
Ela Mariano(Freedom from Debt Coalition-Philippines)
One of the oldest and largest water systems in the Philippines, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, was privatized way back 1997, which was dubbed by the World Bank as the "biggest water privatization scheme in the world."The Philippine government has declared itself merely unable to operate in improving the water system in the Philippines, specifically in MWSS, because it was ridden into its $800-million debt from international financing institutions (IFIs), and claimed that a water crisis was in the offing. These were used to promote and eventually implement participation of private sector in the management and operations of MWSS.
Thus, with the help of the Philippine Congress, an enabling law to make the water privatization scheme legally acceptable was implemented in the face of the National Water Crisis Act.
We do understand that right now, in South Korea, a law to justify and legalize privatization which is said is aimed at "fostering water supply"is now pending for approval by the South Korean parliament. This law can be deceiving, for this could justify water privatization in unimaginable extents. Furthermore, this could be private companies’ chance to rake business opportunities to cultivate their profit-driven interests, just like what happened in the Philippines and in other countries.
We are now seeing the consequences of having the water services in the Philippines privatizes. We are suffering from very high rates, which have increased for up to almost 800 percent since it was privatized. The private companies, in terms of expanding their coverage and establishing direct piped connections to households, only prioritize communities which they deem "profitable" and which they feel they could ammass a big return on their investments. Worse, these private companies are shielded from their accountability to the public because they have been declared by the government as "mere agents and contractors."
We here in the Philippines will always be one with the advocates of South Korea and all other parts of the world in the campaign to oppose and stop water privatization. Water privatization violates the notion that water should be a public service, not a source of private profit. We believe that water is life –and aiming to ammass big profits in something that is vital to human survival is unjust and violates human right to water.
Oppose water privatization!
Water should be a public service, not a private profit!
Water privatization violates human right to water!
Our best wishes are with the people of Korea and the comrades leading the struggles agaisnt the anti people policies of the Korean government, starting on 21st of March 2008, on the occasion of World Water Day
arba Raj Khadka(Rural Reconstruction Nepal)
Dear Comrades,
It is really frustrating to know that your government is trying to privatize the water resource, the very basic right of the people, ignoring its obligations and commitments to the people of Korea. In this context, we support the just struggles of the people of Korea in their struggles for asserting their rights. We also like to urge the Korean government to comply with her international commitments and national obligations to respect the rights of the people, and do not be influenced by the mere market players of the private sectors operating under the influence of neo-liberal economic policies. History is the witness that the Governments and leaders that fail to respect the aspirations of the people they represent vanish sooner or later. We, the people of Nepal are also struggling agaisnt the anti-people policies of privatizing the essential services including water and power, with some successes. We believe people united will be the winners. This is what we have been able to show the world during our popular movement, known as People's Movement II, in April 2006. We, the people of Nepal, have knelled down the autocratic king, and now are already in the process of building peace through the election of constituent assembly, state restructuring and setting up a democratic republican government. Our best wishes are with the people of Korea and the comrades leading the struggles agaisnt the anti people policies of the Korean government, starting on 21st of March 2008, on the occasion of World Water Day.
With very warm regards and strong solidarity,
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