여수 출입국관리소..

2.11: THE LETHAL END

OF THE "KOREAN DREAM"

S.K. policy of crackdown, human hunting, mass detention and deportation is killing migrant workers!

Today in the early morning in Yeosu Immigration Detention Center a fire broke out and killed at least 9 migrant workers.

When I was detained in Mok-dong immigration detention center I already worried about such an incident, because there - also - is complete nothing to prevent such incidents or even to save lives! If something like in Yeosu would be happen in Mok-dong, I'm sure that dozens or more migrant workers would/will be killed!

S.K. bourgeois daily newspaper Korea Times in its tomorrow's edition is reporting following:

Fire Kills 9 Detained Foreigners
18 Others Injured at Immigration Detention Center

A predawn fire at an immigration detention center in South Cholla Province on Sunday killed nine foreigners and injured 18 others, police said.

This is the largest number of foreign victims ever in a fire in South Korea. The deceased were eight Chinese nationals and one Uzbek. The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are in critical condition.

The fire started at around 4 a.m. and most of the victims are believed to have suffocated from the fumes. About 55 foreigners were detained in the facility, including 42 Chinese, four Uzbeks, two from Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka, and one each from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, India, Vietnam and Iran.

About 120 firemen and 27 fire trucks rushed to the scene but failed to put out the fire early because each detention room was blocked with iron bars to prevent detainees from fleeing. It is believed that the high number of deaths was due in large part to the detention center's floors, a fireman said. The floors, which were said to have contained urethane, emitted toxic gases when on fire.

The Chinese Embassy, which saw the most victims, and the Uzbekistan Embassy are investigating the exact cause of the incident.

``We cannot comment on our position now. We need to further investigate the case and then we will respond to the Korean government officially with the result,'' said Chen Junle, a secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Korea.

Civic groups have criticized the government for their lukewarm efforts in protecting the rights of detained foreigners. Last year the immigration center was criticized for housing 18 foreigners in a room designed to accommodate only 10. But a Justice Ministry official said due to a tight budget and a sudden influx of illegal foreigners, the government has been unable to expand facilities for housing those detained.

The victims were taken to three nearby hospitals _ five to Songshim Hospital in Yosu, three to Chonnam Hospital in Yochon and one to Chonnam Hospital in Yosu.

Most of the foreigners in the detention center had been arrested for having entered into South Korea illegally for work.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the cause of the fire. If it was caused by arson, the government will pay out minimum compensation to survivors and family members. However, if the fire was caused by negligence of the center's staff, the compensation awarded will be significantly higher.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200702/kt2007021117284311990.htm