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[4.16] MTU 성명..

Last Wednesday (4.16) MTU released following statement:


We commend the Ministry of Justice, which is using the media’s criminalization of migrant workers to justify strengthening its violent crackdown!


(4.16) At the Seongsaeng Industrial Complex in Masok a violent human-hunting crackdown leaves one with fractured bones, another unconscious..

 

 
Recently the media reports about crimes by foreigners in Korea are becoming more and more frequent. It is especially worrisome that some of these reports are coming from major mainstream sources such as MBS and Yonhap News.


These reports attack undocumented migrant workers as a threatening group of ‘illegal residents’. Even worse, some media outlets are making the ridiculous claim that saying that the worsening of Avian Influenza is the fault of migrant workers.
Not only do these reports exaggerate and distort the truth, they are ordering strict control of migrant workers. This is a call for a strengthened crackdown.


The Ministry of Justice’s “2008 Plan of Operations” calls for ‘a continuous crackdown against illegally residing foreigners, activation of a planned investigation and tightened boarder controls procedures in order to maintain a secure control over foreign residents’ and states that joint crackdown of related agencies will go on from April to June. What is more, the media reports that criminalize migrant workers are giving the Ministry of Justice very good justification for its crackdown.
 
The joint crackdown appears to have started from the beginning of April. Crackdowns have been extreme in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon and the whole area around the capital. Due to the excuse provided by a murder incident in Yangju, the crackdown has been especially intense in the Northern Gyeonggi Region. There was even a protest in the area calling for a crackdown against ‘illegal residence’, demonstrating the suffocating atmosphere for migrant workers.


In addition, the crackdown has recently come to Seongsaeng Industrial Complex in Masok. Remember an incident in October of 2005 when residents came forth in protest against the violence of the crackdown resulting in freedom for most of the migrant workers who had been arrested, until recently immigration officers have not dared to enter the area. However, recently immigration officers are entering factors and homes in the Seongsaeng Industrial Complex searching for and arresting migrant workers.


At around 8:30 on April 16, crackdown again took place at the industrial complex. 8 migrant workers were arrested and 3 were severely injured while attempting to escape. One Bangladeshi worker fled to the roof of a building and the fell while trying to cross to the roof of the adjacent building. He fell, severely injuring his back and leg and is currently hospitalized.


Another Bangladeshi migrant worker fell on the top of a building, crashed through the slate roofing and hit the concrete floor below. It is reported that allow the man had fainted on the floor immigration officers did not take him to a hospital and instead left him neglected. This man is currently in a state of unconsciousness.
Immediately after this incident occurred roughly 200 migrant workers gathered at the Shalom House in Masok and carried out a protest rally.

 


This type of crackdown occurs every day now. And all of these crackdowns are illegal. It is routine for immigration officers to enter factories or residences without warrants. It is not only recently that the illegal nature of the crackdown has been pointed out, yet the Ministry of Justice, which is crying for strict application of the law, pays no attention  and is carrying our violent and illegal crackdowns over and over again.


The government and media are criticizing and attacking undocumented migrant workers, calling them illegal. However, the Ministry of Justice and Immigration Authorities who are carrying out this human-hunting crackdown without a moment of thought for the rights of migrant workers are the real ones who are breaking the law.


The majority of the some 200 thousand undocumented migrant workers in South Korea are simply common workers. What is more, they do the worst type of jobs at difficult and dangerous workplaces while their rights  are denied. Most of them, for fear of the crackdown are even careful about going to a nearby corners store and may not go to the hospital even if sick. This is the reality that the media and government, who are making a racket about migrant worker criminals, are ignoring.


Right now the government of Lee Myeong-bak is working like made to produce policies that favor corporations and the rich. It is a government that rushes to meet the demands of arrogant businessmen without hesitation at the same time as it is intent on attacking migrant workers.
For this reason the resentment against the government is currently growing. The government is looking for objects onto which to deflect this resentment. The attack against migrant workers is representative.


Up until now migrant workers have suffered greatly due to the repressive and discriminatory government policy. As if this wasn’t enough migrant workers are now being criminalized and this is being used to justify strengthening the violent crackdown. This horrendous crime buts be stopped immediately.


If this attack does not stop, we will join together with Korean civil society organizations to carry out a determined struggle against the government and the heinous media reporting.


2008. 4. 16.
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union(MTU)

 


Related articles/contributions:

토끼몰이식 단속에 3층에서 뛰어내리는 이주노동자들의 기도 (남양주뉴스, 4.16)

..마석공단에 출입국 직원 들이닥쳐, 폭력단속 과정에서 부상자 속출해 (MWTV, 4.16)

‘사람 잡는 이주노동자 단속’ 또 사람 잡아 (뉴스미션, 4.16)

어제 마석에서 (무나, 4.17)

 

 

 

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