CINA

본문

Now, "the cat is out of the bag"! Yu Jeong-kwon, head of security of the 'Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit', announced last Friday, “We will use whatever is necessary to prevent any possibilities of protests”.

But Yu's announcement remained not unanswered! More than 500 anti-G-20 activists from 81 civic groups and labour unions (incl. MTU) gathered in downtown Seoul Friday afternoon to denounce the G-20 and the special security law:

사진: 노동과세계
 

Last Thursday's Korea Times published the following report (incl. the "cute" cartoon):

 
'Sound cannon' angers protesters

The latest plan for police to use a state-of-the-art anti-protest device, “the sound cannon,” to more effectively disperse demonstrators ahead of the upcoming G20 summit has riled up controversy, spurring strong resistance from civic groups and opposition parties.

 
Law enforcement authorities insist that the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) has proven safe to use, stressing the need for it and other high-tech devices to deal with violent protesters before and during the G20 summit slated for Nov. 11-12.

A police officer covers his ears during a demonstration of a directed audio device, called an

audio cannon, at the riot squad headquarters of the SMPA on Friday.(source: Hankyoreh, 10.02)

But opposition parties and civic groups claim that the police are using increasingly excessive force to clamp down on citizens opposing policies of the Lee Myung-bak administration, urging the government to scrap the plan to use the LRAD and other drastic anti-protest methods.

 
They also say the police should spend more money to prevent violent crimes rather than purchase such an expensive device, reasoning that the use of excessive force by the police makes protesters more violent.

On Sept. 28, the National Police Agency said it will revise the rules governing the use of police equipment in order to add the controversial acoustic device to the list of useable police gear.
 

The LRAD, a crowd control and hailing device developed by the U.S.-based LRAD Corp., weighs around 20 kilograms and can emit a high-frequency sound of up to 152 decibels.

If a person is exposed to the sound generated by the device for two to three seconds at 100 meters, he or she will likely suffer from a headache and pain in the eardrums...

The police also changed the rules to make it easier for riot police to use tear gas, rubber bullets and so-called “multiple launchers” if the situation arises that the lives of police officers and bystanders are threatened.

Previous regulations permitted use only when national security and public safety were at risk.

However, opposition parties and civic organizations are blasting the introduction of the latest anti-protest devices.

“There is no single reason whatsoever for the police to use such a potentially harmful device against law-abiding demonstrators. The number of violent clashes between the police and protesters here has decreased dramatically over the years. Korea is so much different from other countries in which violent conflicts take place frequently,” said Ahn Jin-geol, a manager at the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.

He argued that the Lee administration is treating the people as a volatile mob of rioters, becoming more lenient toward harsh suppression by the police.
 

“In many cases, excessive use of force by the police turned peaceful demonstrations violent. The government should spend taxpayers’ money to prevent and crack down on crimes rather than to purchase high-tech anti-protest devices,” Ahn said.

On Sept. 29, Rep. Jun Byung-hun of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said the party strongly opposes the planned introduction of the LRAD, demanding President Lee to stop provoking citizens who do not agree with his policies.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/09/117_73795.html

Related article:
☞ Anti-rally law starts, sparks protests (JoongAng Ilbo, 10.02)