Jakarta, Aktual.com – Visit of the President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to the European Union in the week yesterday turned out to be closed with an agreement of free trade agreements or the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
FTA called Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was considered is not beneficial for Indonesia, it just became huge EU market.
To that end, members of the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus of Indonesia (KPP-RI), Forward Women Indonesia (MPI), Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), and Indonesian Solidarity Economy Movement (GESOLIN) explicitly rejects the FTA.
“Because under of Jokowi more massive to liberalize the economy of Indonesia. Whereas the negative impact of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to farmers, fishermen, workers, women, and the micro, not answered concretely by the Government of Indonesia,” said Indonesian Coordinator for Global Justice (IGJ), Rachmi Hertanti in a press release on Monday (25/4).
For that it is need to criticize, among others, there is no protection strategies for farmers, fishermen, workers, women, and micro businesses in the face of the free market.
Indonesia-EU CEPA is one of the FTA to be negotiated by the Government of Indonesia after the MEA and various bilateral FTA such as the Indonesia-China, Indonesia, Japan, Indonesia and Australia, and so on.
“However, until now as if the Indonesian people are forced to face the free market agenda alone without any protection from the state policies are arranged in concrete and can address the needs of the people,” he said.
Lulu Hamidah of Advance Women Indonesia (MPI) added during this FTA has also threatened the country’s sovereignty. Due to the prohibition of monopoly of state-owned enterprises in the Indonesia-EU CEPA and TPP agreement has the potential for the loss of state sovereignty over strategic economic sectors of the countries that control the lives of many people.
“This is certainly contrary to Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution,” he said.
Moreover, he continued, the provisions of dispute resolution mechanism between Investor with the State, have an impact on Space Policy which is owned by the State.
So, he said, the function of the state in creating a policy to protect the public interest and protect the rights of people to be “held hostage”.
“So country’s sovereignty has been lost over the interests of foreign investment,” he stated.
Of potential threats and not maximal of Indonesian government in providing protection against the potential adverse effects of the FTA on the public, the KPP-RI, MPI, IGJ and GESOLIN view that the FTA negotiation process must provide space wider public involvement, particularly the involvement of Parliament.
“So that the democratic process in the country’s political decision making related to international economic diplomacy will be maintained,” he said.
To that end, the government should first draw up preventive measures against the adverse effects of the FTA with the lives of the people entering or carry clauses which provide protection to the public.
During this time, he continued, the FTA negotiations were never accompanied by an assessment process of the constitution or the assessment of the potential human rights violations.
Though this assessment is important because it will give a clear picture of a protection strategy that should be taken by the Government in the process of FTA negotiations.
“By doing that, the concentration of FTA negotiations not only for business purposes only, but also includes the fulfillment of the agenda of social and economic rights of the people in the negotiations,” he added.
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