May 5, 2000
We, members of 38 networks of Thai people who have been and are being directly affected by the ADB’s loan projects meet here to declare the following:

We urge the ADB to stop all loans and funds for all projects in Thailand because
ADB’s loans benefit imperialist super powers and multinational corporations who
exploit the Thai people.

We urge the ADB to abolish all conditions set forth in the Social Sector Program Loan.
These conditions will have impacts on us. The reform of the education sector will lead
to the commercialization of education and place education in the hands of the private
sector. In addition, we will have to bear higher cost of access to education. The
corporatisation of seven public hospitals, even as a pilot project, will also deeply affect
people as they will have to pay higher costs for health services.

We, the people in the labor sector will also face serious impacts since the ADB’s
conditions do not allow an increase in the minimum wage for a three year period, while
at the same time they mandate a decrease in social welfare benefits.

We demand the termination of the Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project
because it will negatively impact our communities. Moreover, the project will destroy
our environment, especially the wealth and richness of the marine resources in the Gulf
of Thailand.

We demand that the Agricultural Sector Program Loan be terminated since $ 300
million dollars of the loan will lead to the collection of water tax from farmers. This will
make water, which is critical for our way of life and agricultural production, a
commodity of the capitalist system. The loan conditions will compel the Thai
Government to freely provide land titles to multinational corporations. The Thai
Government will have to also pass a law, which would allow foreign corporations to
exploit our forests for forestry industry, tourism, resorts and golf courses. And finally,
the Thai Government will have to pass a law accepting the conditions laid down in
agricultural agreements with all multinational corporations, which will enable them to
freely exploit small-scale farmers.

Therefore, we urge the ADB’s Board of Governors to put all our above demands in
their agenda of their 33 rd. Annual General Meeting in Chiang Mai. We also urge that
the ADB send their representative to meet with us on May 6 and listen to our demands
before the inauguration of the Annual Meeting. We will wait for the ADB’s response to
our demands on May 7, by noon.

To protect our rights to our ways of life and to protect future generations in Thailand
from becoming slaves of the ADB, we declare here our unity to fight, and endlessly
oppose the ADB. As a symbol, we will hoist the peoples’ flag here to declare the
independence of the Thai people from the ADB.

Chiang Mai
May 5, 2000

Endorsed by

Northern Farmers Network; Kanchanaburi Conservation Group; Bor Nog
Conservation Group; Ban Krud Natural and Conservation Group; Klong Dan
Local Community Protection Group; Isaan Farmers Cooperative Federation;
Committee for the Solution of Farmer’s Problems, Chiang Rai; Committee for
the Solution of Farmer’s Problems, Payao; Local Theatre Project; Four Regional
Alternative Agricultural Network; Northern Farmer Colleagues; Kok-Ing-Nan
River Network; Mae Thod River Network, Lampang; Mae Mog River Network,
Lampang; Mae Soi River Network, Lampang; Isaan Forest and Land Network;
Thai Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS; Isaan River Basin Network;
Chiang Mai Consumer Network; Women Rights Network; Chiang Rai-Payao
Rural Woman Network; Labor Network; Four Regional Slum Network; Chiang
Mai Community Network; Media Center for People; Eastern Farmer Network;
Southern Local Fisherman Federation; Student Federation of Thailand;
Committee for Natural and Environmental Conservation 16 Educational
Institute; Assembly of Isaan Farmers; Assembly of Cassava Planter Thailand;
Assembly of Indigenous People; Assembly of the Poor; Assembly of Moon River
Basin; Group for Save Wang River; Nam Ping River Community Forest
Network; Love Muang Nan Group; Assembly of Northern Community Forest.