TITLE: Send in the Goons

AUTHOR: Robert Rees

PUB: Honolulu Weekly

DATE: February 7, 2001

The Honolulu City Council committees on Transportation and Planning and Public Safety met jointly on Jan. 31 to discuss a single agenda item, the plans to curtail free speech when the Asia Development Bank meets in Hawaii at the Hawaii Convention Center. Attending the May 7-11 ADB meeting will be representatives of 60 owning countries, 1200 investment bankers and as many as 400 journalists. The Hawaii Tourism Authority considers hosting the event a coup, and the HTA's executive director, Bob Fishman, was on hand to tell the Council how important it is that Hawaii "makes a good impression" on these cash-laden and opinion-leading visitors. Fishman warned that the opponents of globalization have learned to utilize international conferences as venues for expressing concerns. Hawaii, hungry for business, was chosen for the ADB conference because it promised an oasis of security. To hold up its end of the deal, Honolulu plans to spend an extra $7 million on crowd control. Rationalized Fishman, "We are training and developing a police force for a higher level of proficiency that makes Hawaii a more attractive place." Assistant Chief of Police Boisse Correa assured the Council that "We're on top of this," but added, "We need more riot equipment." Correa noted also that "the National Guard is working with us," and "all leaves will be canceled." Correa didn't disclose that the HPD has asked the state judiciary to cancel all scheduled court appearances by HPD officers during the conference, and has arranged for alternative sites for arraignment and detention of protesters. Further, as first reported by the Hawaii Chapter of Refuse & Resist, the City Council is rushing to pass new ordinances to make the job of the HPD easier. Says Council Chair Jon Yoshimura, "We are giving the HPD additional tools to deal with protesters. These tools are patterned after what Los Angeles has done."(Among other things, it will be illegal to wear a mask "with the intent to commit a crime," police dogs will be allowed in our parks and campers will be arrested.) Correa did reveal that certain city parks will be shut down. Ostensibly this is to provide staging areas for the HPD in its new role, as an occupying army, but it will have the effect of choking off any opportunity for protesters to legally congregate in our public forums. This, in turn, will force the protesters to the streets. Getting into this spirit of Dr. Strangelove, Transportation director Cheryl Soon noted solemnly that bus routes might have to be altered. Further, intoned Soon, "We will give out [revised bus schedules and routes] only on a need to know basis." Of special concern was Fishman's promise, "We will not tolerate excessive inconvenience?" As a policy, this is an excuse for stifling free speech based on content. In fact, if we applied Fishman's convenience rule to the Martin Luther King Jr. parade financed by the city, or to the Convention Center itself, neither would exist. It's enough to make you want to protest. In fact, with President Bush possibly on hand, the international forum provides a grand opportunity for a highly visible demonstration on behalf of freedom for diversity and dissent. A Global Call To Action From ADBwatch Hawai'i Join the campaign against the Asian Development Bank ADB Annual Meeting * Honolulu May 9-11 Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Events May 5-11 2001 No Aloha for the ADB ! Join the Global Movement for Justice! Expose the Destructive Policies and Projects of the ADB! The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a multilateral sister of the World Bank that funds projects which create poverty and undermine local control and cultural rights throughout Asia and the Pacific. The ADB is holding its Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawai'i from May 9-11. Parallel NGO event opportunities May 5th to May 11th ADBwatch Hawai'i invites you to join in and create non-violent activities and events challenging globalization and the ADB's record of imposing destructive and oppressive policies, projects and programs on communities throughout Asia and the Pacific. ADBwatch is a broad coalition of people working for economic justice in Hawai'i, and includes youth, students, economic and environmental justice and human rights activists, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) cultural rights activists, clergy, academia, and unions. The ADB Annual Meeting was originally scheduled for Seattle but after massive WTO protests in Nov/December of 1999, the venue changed to Honolulu with the expectation of avoiding resistance and scrutiny. At last year's ADB Annual Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 5,000 Thai villagers and farmers protested for 3 days against water usage fees being imposed by the ADB. Keep the pressure on! Help to expose ADB's destructive policies and show the world there is no Aloha for the ADB. Show the World that There is NO ALOHA FOR THE ADB!! ADBwatch challenges financial institutions that perpetuate economic terrorism. Our goals: Educate the public on specific ways that ADB (and globalization) increases the gulf between rich and poor Identify ways that globalization impacts people and resources in Hawai'i Identify the impacts of globalization on cultural and economic rights of indigenous peoples. Help to unravel the corporate myth of Hawai'i as paradise. Hawai'i is occupied by the US military, colonized politically and economically and we face serious pollution problems. The rights of the Kanaka Maoli are under serious increasing attack by the US and state governments and now by organized right and Campaign for a Colorblind America, a conservative racist, anti-affirmative action organization. What Can You Do? - Forward this message to as many people as possible! - Join our Listserv: Stay in the loop on events in Honolulu, learn about ADB's events, plan an event and coordinate with other planned events. - For Information on international organizing around the ADB annual meeting in Honolulu, join the International Listserv - Check out our (evolving) website For ADBwatch Factsheet and links to NGOs working on ADB and globalization issues - Get your organization and its members involved sign a pledge of support - Invite speakers to your workplace, school, group to address globalization and the ddddADB! - Get involved: with publicity, educational info, transportation, legal assistance, and accommodations - Make a donation to the ADBwatch campaign fund! Make checks out to ADBwatch/HIHR. - If you plan to come here, please educate yourselves about the overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation and the current court challenges attempting to disempower and illegitimatize the Kanaka Maoli people - If you plan to come here to protest, you must agree to a non-violent pledge of resistance Give Financial Support To ADBwatch! ADBwatch is small and very low budget. Any support would be greatly appreciated and tax-deductible through The Hawaii Institute for Human Rights. Your support is needed! Access to funding is severely limited in Hawai'i. Please help by sending donations. Funds will be used to help bring people here from Asia and the Pacific and for education about the role and history of the ADB. For more information, contact us: ADBwatch UH-Hawai'i Manoa 2465 Campus Road, RIO Box A-4 Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822 E-mail: adbwatch@lava.net END top