"ASEAN is no WTO"

Yesterday I blogged about the "human-chain" protest in Kerala.  The protest was organized to rally opposition to the India-ASEAN FTA. Not all Indian leftists are comfortable with challenging their brothers in ASEAN. Keralamnow blogged:

"Yesterday there was a human chain in Kerala, from Kasaragode in the north to the gates of the Rajbhavan in Thiruvananthapuram. Some say it was 777 km long. With only some gaps, one at Changanachery where the Nair Service Society is located, a usual ill omen that, another nearby at Thiruvalla. This chain apparaently was to protest against the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) arrived at between the ASEAN nations by the Governmment of India, why the point of end was the Rajbhavan, rekindling the memmories of the British Raj. Deep down it was a desperate attempt to white wash the darkened image of the Communist OParty in the state, which is waiting for the worst in the next elections. The concept of fighting neo-colonialism is fine, but ASEAN is no WTO and this is even a small way of challenging the western hegemony, some how the comrades did not realize that. Good nevertheless, any movement of the people against the vulpine global order is welcome"

The Peninsula (Qatar) notes further support for the agreement:

Opposition leader Oommen Chandy had decried the human chain, saying the crucial trade pact would break duty barriers in the 1.7 billion consumer market in the region and the Central Government had assured of adequate safeguards to protect Kerala’s interests.

The pact on trade in goods under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was signed by Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and ASEAN Economic Ministers after more than six years of intense negotiations.

More from Keralamnow, plus other blogger reactions from Kerala here.  The anti-ASEAN FTA statement issued by the All India Kisan Sabha on August 15 against the FTA is posted here.