Chaos in Cancun

With some 10,000 indigenous Mexicans streaming into Cancun, and witnesses from around the world gathered, the WTO conference there is off to a queasy start: prominent antiglobalization activists have been under surveillance by the Mexican government (including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Jose Bove), and others on the list, reports Leif Utne, "ran into a raft of logistical headaches in the weeks leading up to the WTO summit, including cancelled hotel reservations, new visa requirements, and delays processing their visas. Several were even blocked from entering the country, including Evo Morales, a Bolivian indigenous leader and recent presidential runner-up." In sad news, Kun Hai Lee, a South Korean farmer, committed ritual suicide during the WTO's opening day to protest the organization's agricultural policies. Standing in front of police lines, he said, "the WTO kills farmers," and then slashed himself to death with a blade.