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Mary Ann

Mary Ann Benitez

Norma Connolly

Protesters from far and near find a host of ways to unwind in Victoria Park

If the WTO has the rich-poor divide, the protesters have a divide of their own: Either you want to 'Sink WTO' or 'Junk WTO'.

Member organisations of the moderate 'Sink WTO' camp are based on Victoria Park's central lawn. At the nearby soccer pitches is the more radical 'Junk WTO' camp. Both fall under the umbrella of the main organiser - the Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO.

The 'Sink WTO' camp, led by the Asian Migrant Centre, has among its 21 Hong Kong and international partners the Korean Peasants' League, whose 200 members jumped into Victoria Harbour on Tuesday in a symbolic gesture to 'sink WTO'. This group wants major amendments made to World Trade Organisation agreements to favour poorer nations.

In  the 'Junk WTO' camp, the message is: 'Enough is enough - junk the WTO now and put an end to globalisation'.

They want the WTO to be abandoned entirely.

Straddling the two camps are the Korean farmers and unionists, who enter the park each day with military precision - wearing 'uniforms' of identical jackets, scarves and hats.

When they are not marching through Wan Chai, trying to batter their way through police shields or taking a  hit from  pepper spray, they are  entertaining  themselves and fellow protesters at Victoria Park.

Drums play an important role in the Korean contingent, and there's rarely a moment during the day when you cannot hear them beating.

They also need to keep themselves fit  for the long marches through Hong Kong's streets and the confrontations with riot police, so stretching is important: a mass stretching exercise was carried out at the park yesterday, much to the amusement of less-seasoned demonstrators nearby.

A women's village was set up in the park yesterday by 15 representatives of a variety of peasant, indigenous, herder and fisherfolk organisations. The women plan to use the village to discuss the negative impact the WTO has had on their lives.

Throughout the park, a festive atmosphere reigns, with groups chanting in  their respective languages. On Tuesday 'WTO, out, out, out' seemed to be a more popular refrain, although a more vulgar version was also audible.   By yesterday, the activists seemed to have settled for the  catchy 'Down, down, WTO'.

Diverse groups from far-flung countries, who seemingly have nothing in common, sit just  metres from each others, chanting the same slogans.

Women from the Tamil Nadu Women's Collective sit cross-legged in saris on the grass, while nearby Cambodian farmers shout slogans, and the strong smell of clove cigarettes hung in the air near a group supporting Indonesian migrant workers.

The activists range from the thousands-strong Korean Peasants League and La Via Campesina, to smaller groups with no less serious demands, like the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, who say the WTO's initiatives support human trafficking and enforced prostitution, and six members from the Peace Boat, which travels around the world promoting peace and understanding.



At full stretch away from the heat of battle