SAAPE, the Democratic Budget Movement (DBM), and Oxfam International, in collaboration with their network members, organised a side event on 2 November 2025 at Thammasat University, Bangkok, titled “Fighting Inequality for Justice: Public Hearing on Tax, Trade, and Inequality in the Asia-Pacific” during the Asia Pacific Social Forum 2025. The hearing brought together grassroots representatives, policy advocates, researchers, and affected communities to expose the deepening crisis of inequality in the region.
The opening session featured remarks by Dr. Arjun Karki of SAAPE, who emphasized the importance of exposing systemic drivers of inequality. A Jury composed of Amitabh Behar (Oxfam International), Lidy Nacpil (APMDD), Mwiza Zulu (Fight Inequality Alliance), and Aishwarya Vishu were introduced to synthesize testimonies and deliver the “People’s Verdict.” Three major cases were presented: the Ncell-Axiata tax avoidance case in Nepal, which highlighted corporate profit shifting through tax havens; the impact of U.S. tariffs on Bangladesh’s garment industry, which suppressed wages and disproportionately harmed women workers; and tax injustice in the Philippines, where reforms under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program favored corporations and investors while burdening ordinary citizens through indirect taxes, worsening poverty and public debt.
In its deliberation, the Jury issued a strong call to action: reclaim trade for people, not profit; implement progressive tax reforms and end tax havens; protect workers from trade shocks through social protection mechanisms; democratize global economic governance by reforming institutions like the WTO, IMF, and World Bank; and build South–South solidarity to push for a Global Deal for Justice centered on workers, women, and youth, highlighting the urgent need to transform tax and trade systems to combat inequality and reclaim democratic accountability across the Asia-Pacific.