Published by: World Tibet Network News Monday, November 24, 1997

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Nov 24 -- The devil was on stilts and a 12-foot caricature of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien loomed over a flag-toting, costume- wearing sea of protesters.

More than 12,000 people braved chilly winds and occasional rain Sunday for the ``Walk for Global Justice,'' a demonstration organized by the People's Summit on APEC, a five-day gathering backed by labor unions and social-action groups focusing on human rights, the environment, poverty and other issues.

The parade was meant to showcase issues that aren't being raised at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, said Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians.

``The people at the other summit are there for the transnational corporations,'' she said. The march, Ms. Barlow said, helped point out APEC's ``anti-human and anti-Earth'' agenda.

Groups in the walk included activists seeking independence in Tibet, Sri Lanka and East Timor as well as advocates for the environment and women's rights.

``The reason I am here is to be a voice for people who have been suppressed and oppressed,'' said Palden Gyatso, 66, a monk who said he was imprisoned for 33 years for protesting Chinese occupation of Tibet. Human rights must be included in the APEC agenda, Gyatso said through an interpreter.

Hundreds of signs and banners bore slogans such as ``APEC Fiddles While Borneo Burns,'' ``Against Bully China'' and ``Remember Tiananmen's Bloodshed.''

Chants of ``Free Tibet'' and ``Shame on China'' were punctuated by drumbeats and the crash of cymbals as the demonstrators wove through the downtown area during the mile-long march, holding up traffic and attracting the attention of Sunday shoppers.