Soon after a Hong Kong newspaper published an interview with Dr. Carol Araullo that included misquoted portions regarding the Korean farmer-protesters, Walden Bello and his ilk in the Focus of the Global South pounced on the opportunity to yet again malign Bayan in the global anti-globalization circles. Araullo is the chair of Bayan and vice chair of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS).

Araullo had flatly denied saying anything bad about the Korean farmer-protesters — something that is seemingly lost in the minds of Bello and his cohorts in the FGS and beyond.

In fact, on the same night the Koreans were surrounded by police and anti-terrorist troops somewhere in Wanchai, members of Bayan and the ILPS tried their best to march to where the besieged protesters were holed up and sought to give food and drinks.

The following morning, the ILPS led a snake rally around Victoria Park that denounced the arbitrary arrests and violence of the Hong Kong government.

In the final rally at Victoria Park, Araullo’s speech about Korean militancy was welcomed by loud applause from the various organizations then preparing to march to the Wanchai convention center. When the march started, Araullo represented Bayan and the ILPS in the frontlines where she was warmly received by the leaders of the Hong Kong People’s Alliance (HKPA).

The acts and words of solidarity of Araullo, Bayan and the ILPS were shared by the Pesticide Action Network-Asia Pacific, the Women’s Village, the Asian Peasant Coalition, the Asian Students Association, Peace for Life and most of the groups that mobilized under the banner and upon invitation of the HKPA.

Of course, Bello, the FGS and their cohorts would not mention anything about these. They would just focus on their pasttime: maligning Bayan, the ILPS and Filipino activists belonging to the national-democratic movement.

Neither will these anti-Bayan, anti-ILPS elemets admit the fact that they were the ones who twice violated the unities forged within the HKPA: That all groups assemble on Dec. 13 and on Dec. 18 at 11:00 am at the Victoria Park main rally stage. Bello, the FGS and their cohorts instead staged their own rally to the main HKPA rally and only joined the HKPA immediately prior to the start of the march.

Bello, the FGS and their cohorts should apologize to the HKPA and its participating organizations for arrogantly staging their own rallies that sought to steal the thunder from the HKPA rally. I have not heard of such news from the HKPA circles. Perhaps, Bello, the FGS and their cohorts feel that they are the overlords of the anti-globalization movement.

While Bello, the FGS and their cohorts were quick to the draw in discrediting Araullo, Bayan and the ILPS based on a misquoted interview, there was only an eerie silence when Araullo and two other Bayan/ILPS activists were harassed and detained by the Hong Kong immigration authorities upon their arrival at the airport. Bello, the FGS and their cohorts did not issue even a one-sentence statement when peasant leader Danilo Ramos also suffered the same fate upon arriving from Manila.

I just wish that our friends within the Our World Is Not For Sale network would not fall for the false and malicious charges hurled by Bello, the FGS and their cohorts against Araullo, Bayan and the ILPS. The real enemy is inside and behind the WTO: US imperialism.

Photo courtesy of Arkibong Bayan