Water justice activists led by members of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) picketed the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Ortigas, Pasig City Wednesday to urge multilateral development banks, and governments attending a three-day conference to stop water privatization in developing countries, especially the Philippines.

Dressed as Na'vi tribesmen from the recent James Cameron film, Avatar, dozens of members of the FDC staged a protest demonstration where the annual three-day conference on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) was being held.

Bearing protest signs such as “Our water is not for sale,” the FDC members spoke against the Banks' continued promotion of policies and projects that awarded control of water resources and services to corporations.

Dianne Roa, FDC advocacy coordinator, said the policy of privatization espoused by the banks has led only to the increased loss of access and control of people from developing countries over their own water services and water resources.

“While corporate profits from potable water distribution and bottled water have multiplied over the past decade, marginalized communities and water-users have effectively been deprived of their human right to water,” Roa said.

“If there is any lesson to be learned from our experience with privatization, it is that such a set-up effectively contradicts and cannot co-exist with our human right to water,” she said, adding that the protest action is part of the celebration of the global World Water Week.

Roa, at the same time, said that the privatization which would allow corporations to control water.

“We know that water is life. But, why are these MDBs and governments letting this vital and sacred element under the control of corporate private sector that is more concerned with profits than delivering public service? We must not allow these corporations to control our water, our lives. Our water is not for sale!” Roa said.

Roa also called on other civil society organizations to remain steadfast and strengthen their opposition to water privatization. Concerned organizations and civil society groups should continue to demand the fulfillment of the Human Right to Water, as confirmed by General Comment no. 15 to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

“The state is bound to fulfill its obligations and we should be vigilant in preventing present and future administrations from denying us this human right,” she said.

Among FDC's member organizations that joined the protest demonstration were Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD), Partido Manggagawa (PM), Kumpas, and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP).