International Petition against the Lee Myung-bak Government’s Anti-Democratic Repression

We, the undersigned, strongly demand the Lee Myung-bak government to immediately stop attacking progressive organizations and democratic citizens of South Korea. We also demand that the charges against leading members of the candlelight movement be dropped and the legal prosecutions stopped. We also demand the immediate stop of the man-hunt on Kim Gwang-il (All Together), the last leading member of the candlelight movement on the wanted list, and Kang Min-uk (Union of Korean University Students). We are also deeply concerned upon hearing the news of brutal repression against the organizations that participated in the candlelight movement.

Norma Kang Muico, Amnesty International’s Korea researcher investigating on the reports of police using excessive force against the candlelight protesters, once described the candlelight movement as “the great people’s power.” This movement represents the ordinary people of South Korea who wanted to express their deep concern about the grave violation of democratic rights and food safety.

Nevertheless, we have seen the violent repression against the candlelight movement in 2008 has not receded despite strong protests from the international organizations and movements. In fact, the repression spread to other broader progressive organizations and democratic citizens in 2009.

Without a doubt the tragic death of 5 protesters at the Yongsan protest against eviction is a cold blooded murder committed by the LMB government’s neoliberal policies and repression. People have every right to condemn such act. The LMB government should immediately release the arrested Yongsan eviction protesters and stop arresting additional people.

In addition, we are outraged to hear that the police completely closed off all gatherings and demonstrations that took place from April 30 to May 2 and indiscriminately beat the participants and took 241 persons into custody and arrested 13. To protest and resist against anti-democratic repression and attempts to transfer the burden of economic crisis to the workers is people’s basic rights.

May Day is a day of festival for international workers celebrated worldwide with large rallies and parades of workers. However, we have learned that the LMB government alone has prohibited any rally or demonstration and arrested the people participating in the May Day commemoration rally. This is clearly a repression and a retreat away from protecting people’s political and civil rights.

Furthermore, the fact that the LMB government took the human rights activists participating in a press conference to condemn the repression into custody shows that the LMB government has put a severe restraint on ordinary people’s democratic rights.

Indiscriminate issuing of subpoena to anyone who participated in a gathering or demonstration must immediately stop. We are also aware of the fact that the LMB government is using the National Security Act to muzzle and repress democratic citizens and progressive organizations.

Expression of thoughts and opinions, a fundamental right of democracy, can never be a reason for arrest or repression. We demand the immediate stop of the National Security Act repression against the Socialist Workers’ United, the Solidarity for Realization of the North-South Joint Declaration, the Southern Headquarters of the Pan-National Alliance for Reunification and the immediate release of the arrested.

On June 22, 2009, in order to tame the critical media and press, the LMB government and the Grand National Party railroaded the Media Act that would allow giant corporations to control the media and press. The LMB government is repressing the National Union of Mediaworkers who struck in protest of the legislation of the Media Act. The chairperson and 3 activists in the National Union of Mediaworkers are on trial. We fully support their strike to protect the public service of the media. Any repression against them must be stopped.

In last August, the LMB government again wielded deadly violence to the Ssangyong autoworkers occupying the factory for 77 days against massive layoff and arrested many activists including the chairperson of the trade union. During the occupation, the government threatened the lives of the striking workers by cutting off water, electricity, food, and even emergency medical assistance and spraying pepper spray using helicopters and shooting taser guns. It also brutally repressed civic and social movement activists protesting the human rights violation of Ssangyong autoworkers. We strongly condemn the LMB government for repressing the workers’ resistance against the government and corporations’ attempt to pass on the economic crisis and management failure to the workers.

Once again, we demand the LMB government and police to immediately stop repressing South Korean people’s democratic rights. We strongly demand that all the arrested candlelight organizers and participants be released immediately and any charges dropped. The National Security Act repression against progressive organization must also be stopped.

We strongly warn that the Lee Myung-bak government will confront an immense wave of protests around the world by international progressive organizations and democratic citizens if anti-democratic repression is not stopped.