CINA

본문

Today in front of Seoul's Myeong-dong Cathedral: A coalition of organized migrant workers, street vendors and homeless people held a press conference to protest against the planned/already ongoing pre-G20 crackdown campaign by the LMB administration.

A call to join the struggle against the pre-G20 crackdown campaign is supported by many civil/human rights organisations, trade unions, ('left') political parties and resistance groups, e.g. the Buddhist Solidarity to Protect Human rights, KCTU, DLP, National Alliance of Evictees etc. (*)

Today's (bourgeois) Korea Times reported the following about the press conference:

Migrant workers decry crackdown

Michel, the chief of the Migrants’ Trade Union, speaks during a press conference

condemning the government’s crackdown on migrant workers, street vendors

and the homeless in front of Myeongdong Cathedral

Black balloons bearing messages against the G20 summit scheduled in November were popped in protest by migrant workers, street vendors and homeless people, showing their objection to the government’s recent clampdown before the big international event.

Civic groups against the government’s oppression of human rights of social minorities held a press conference Tuesday in front of Myeongdong Cathedral.

The government said it would clamp down on unregistered foreigners until August as part of its efforts to boost security ahead of the G20 summit. However, migrant workers organizations refuted the idea as it condemned all unregistered international residents as possible terrorists.

Michel from the Philippines, the chief of the Migrants’ Trade Union, said the government should protect minorities such as migrant workers, street vendors and the homeless.

“The Korean government is using the G20 summit as an excuse to attack minorities,” he said. “We want the government to end their oppression. Stop the crackdown!”

Lee Young, executive secretary of the Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea, said the government considers these socially weak people as potential criminals and wants to expel them under the name of the G20 summit.

“If Korea wants to be a real multicultural society, it should provide stronger social safety nets and promote social integration. However, the government encourages social conflict, not unification,” Lee said.

The Homeless Action and the Korea Street Vendors Confederation also opposed the government’s plan.

Afterward, they started campaigning on the streets of Myeong-dong against the crackdown.

A passing citizen who read their brochure said he was too ignorant regarding the G20 summit.

“I didn’t know the government was driving these people out of the country due to the sake of hosting the G20,” he said. “I couldn’t understand why people protested against the G20 in Pittsburgh, PA., last year. But now I understand that the G20 summit has some dark sides as well.”

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/07/117_69827.html

Related reports:
☞ 부자 살리는 ‘G20’ 때문에 없는 사람들 내쫓아 (NewsCham, 7.20)

☞ “‘이주노동자, 노점상, 노숙인’ 단속 중단하라” (KCTU, 7.20)

☞ "G-20이 뭐라고 우리를 몰아내나요?" (OMN, 7.20)

☞ G20을 빌미로 한 단속추방 반대 농성 두번째 소식 (MTU)

* 주최 : 이주노동자권리지킴이, 한국불교종단협의회인권위원회, 공익변호사그룹공감, 구속노동자후원회, 노동자의힘, 다함께, 문화연대, 민주노동당, 민주노동당서울시당, 민주사회를위한변호사모임노동위원회, 민주주의법학연구회, 민주화를위한교수협의회, 불안정노동철폐연대, 건강권실현을위한보건의료단체연합, 사회진보연대, 서울경기인천이주노동자노동조합, 이주노동자인권연대, 이주노동자운동후원회, 전국민주노동조합총연맹, 전국철거민연합, 학생행동연대, 한국비정규노동센터, 전국비정규노조연대회의, 인권단체연석회의, 노동사회과학연구소, 노동전선, 노동해방학생연대, 대학생사람연대, 성동광진이주노동자인권지킴이, 전국빈민연합, 전국학생행진, 전국해고노동자자복직위원회, 진보신당, 이주노동자의방송(MWTV), 외국인이주 노동운동협의회)

빈곤사회연대(공공노조 사회복지지부, 관악주민연대, 광진주민연대, 금융피해자연대 해오름, 노들장애인야간학교, 노숙당사자모임한울타리회, 대학생사람연대, 동자동사랑방, 민주노동당, 민주노동자연대, 민주노총, 민주화를위한전국교수협의회, 반빈곤네트워크(대구), 반빈곤센터(부산), 사회당, 사회주의노동자정당건설준비위원회, 사회진보연대, 서울복지시민연대, 성공회나눔의집협의회, 성동장애인자립생활센터, 성북장애인자립생활센터, 장애여성공감, 전국공무원노동조합, 전국불안정노동철폐연대, 전국빈민연합(빈민해방철거민연합‧전국노점상총연합), 전국장애인차별철폐연대, 전국학생행진, 전국철거민연합, 정태수열사추모사업회, 주거권실현을위한국민연합, 주거권실현을위한비닐하우스주민연합, 중랑장애인자립생활센터, 진보신당, 천주교빈민사목위원회, 천주교인권위원회, 최옥란열사추모사업회, 한국백혈병환우회, 한국빈곤문제연구소, 향린교회, 현장실천사회변혁노동자전선, 홈리스행동)

노점노동연대 / 민주노점상전국연합 / 전국노점상총연합 / 인권운동사랑방 / 진보신당 서울시당