I refer to your editorial 'Dirty business' (South China Morning Post, July 11) in which you say that the developing world is 'groaning under the weight of the industrialised countries' rubbish'.
Readers may be interested to read the words of Lawrence Summers, Chief Executive of the World Bank from 1990 to 1993, who then became Under-Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration. Mr Summers said: 'Shouldn't the World Bank be encouraging more migration of the dirty industries to the less developed countries?' On the matter of health costs and deaths due to pollution, Mr Summers said: 'A given amount of health-impairing pollution should be done in the country with the lowest cost, which will be the country with the lowest wages . . . I've always thought that underpopulated countries like Africa are vastly under-polluted [his emphasis] . . .' My question is: is this the advice Mr Summers is giving to President Clinton now that he is a member of his cabinet? Those of Mr Summers' ilk see nothing wrong or undemocratic about exploiting the resources of the Third World to provide luxuries for their own nation, and throwing their garbage back into the countries they have exploited.
It is time for the developing countries to say NO to exploitation and to the importation of other countries' garbage. Only arrogant racists would consider such conduct.
ELSIE TU Kowloon
