CINA

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Possibly you remember my contribution on Rodong Shinmun's article "Jazz and Rock Music Killed Socialism!"...

Well, first of all the "socialism" in the former East Block has been killed first and foremost by the (self-appointed "socialist", but in reality revisionist) ruling class, and not by "jazz and rock music".

But Rodong Shinmun isn't complete wrong! In almost all European "socialist" countries (except Albania) a new youth culture(*) - predominantly represented by unconventional Pop music (Rock'n' Roll, Blues, Rock and since the late 70s Punk) - undermined (successfully!!) almost all efforts of the ruling class to discipline their youngsters.

One of the most famous examples is The Plastic People of the Universe(PPU), a rock band founded 1968 in the ČSSR, the foremost representative of Czechoslovakia's underground culture.

Last month the Guardian (UK) published following very interesting article (MUST READ!!) on the PPU:
☞ 1989 and all that: Plastic People of the Universe and the Velvet Revolution

The "Second Festival of the Second Culture", organised by the PPU

(most of whom are on the far right of the shot) in Bojanovice on 21 February 1976.

Within a month, 27 of the musicians pictured here had been arrested.

* Also the capitalist world, primarily in Europe and the U.S., has been undermined by a new (progressive) movement! At least since the early 1960s the new youth culture - predominantly represented by rock music combined with with some radical left ideas (maoism, anarchism...) - changed almost all parts of the oldfashioned oppressive societies, especially in West Europe.

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Today's Hankyoreh reports following:

Seoul Central District Court finds

Yongsan Tragedy defendants guilty
 
The Seoul Central District Court has found all nine defendants in the Yongsan redevelopment tragedy case guilty for the deaths of six people.

The 27th Criminal Negotiations Division of Seoul Central District Court sentenced two protesters, including Lee Chung-yeon, 36-years-old and a leader of an association of Yongsan residents who were refusing eviction, to six years in prison and another five protesters, including a Mr. Kim, to five years on charges of killing a SWAT officer by tossing a Molotov cocktail at flammable materials. Another defendant was sentenced to three years in prison with a four year suspended sentence, and the last one was sentenced to two years in prison with a three year suspended sentence. Three of the nine defendants, including Mr. Kim, who had been indicted without detention, were remanded into custody upon receiving prison sentences.

The core point of contention between prosecutors and defendants was the cause of the fire that took the lives of the six victims. Prosecutors have said they are unable to name a specific person, but a Molotov cocktail thrown by one of the protesters was the cause of the fire. They charged all of the protesters with joint principal conspiracy to obstruct the SWAT officers. Joint principal conspiracy is an offense that imputes responsibility on all those who planned a crime, and is typically applied in seeking punishment against organized crime rings.

In response, the defendants’ attorney challenged that since the inside of the guard tower was at the time so full of flammable mist from the fuel additive Cenox that even the SWAT officers were in a hallucinatory state, the fire could have been caused by static electricity. He said that not one SWAT officer witnessed a Molotov cocktail at the time of the fire, and to impute responsibility for the fire on the defendants was excessive.　

The Seoul Central District Court, however, was satisfied with all of the material presented to ground all of the prosecutors’ charges, including the description of how one of the protesters threw Molotov cocktails inside the guard tower when the first SWAT team attempted to enter the building, prior to the blaze, and video footage showing a spark, seemingly from a Molotov cocktail, dropping from the third floor to the first. The court also accepted photographs from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) showing that electrical switches were off at the time, and results from an on-sight inspection that states slivers of glass melted into the guard tower stairs and substantiates singling out a Molotov cocktail as the cause of the fire.

The court also gave police officers a pass on their operation to quell the protest. The defendants’ attorney argued that for the SWAT officers to raid the site the morning after the protest started without even a single round of negotiations was unjust, but the court reiterated the logic of prosecutors and police, and said that the actions to quell the situation that was unraveling in the middle of the city were justified. The court also imputed responsibility for the lack of negotiations on the residents by saying they put forth unacceptable conditions such as a police withdrawal while the police offered to negotiate.

In a press conference, Jo Hee-ju, the joint chairperson of the association of Yongsan residents refusing eviction, said the Seoul Central District Court’s acceptance of not just the charge of obstructing SWAT officers, but all of the prosecutors’ charges was an abandonment of legal justice, and that they would immediately appeal and do their best to reveal the facts of the case in a court room once again.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/384689.html

The court adds fuel to Yongsan inferno (Hankyoreh cartoon)

The banner on the building reads “Secure redevelopment profits”

The S.K. bourgeois press writes following:

☞ Protesters found guilty in Yongsan fire incident (JoongAng Ilbo)

☞ Yongsan protesters guilty: court (Korea Herald)

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Today's Hankyoreh published following incredible piece:

MFAFF enlists NIS and police to suppress farmers’ protests

 
Document from MFAFF shows plans to use harsh techniques to suppress protesting farmers, which observers say will be equated with past authoritarian period

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MFAFF) has put together a plan to take countermeasure against farmers who have taken part in demonstrations to address the plummeting price of rice. These countermeasures include a request to National Intelligence Service (NIS) and police officers to use harsh treatment against farmers who participate in demonstrations.

According a document entitled “Countermeasures for the Current Situation with Farmers Associations Regarding Rice Prices,” MFAFF plans to divide a progressive and moderate farming associations, and plans to isolate progressive one with the help of the NIS and police officers. The MFAFF designated Korean Peasant League (KPL) as a progressive farming association. MFAFF plans to ask Nonghyup, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, to cut off funding for KPL. The writing on the document also indicated that the document’s contents had already been reported to the Cheong Wa Dae (presidential office in South Korea or Blue House).

If the contents of the document prove to be true, the Lee administration will face criticism in the future for using suppression similar to crackdowns during South Korea’s authoritarian period.

An MFAFF official addressed KPL demonstrations in saying, “The demonstration led by KPL had little to do with the price of rice.” The official added, “KPL’s aim was to make humanitarian aid to North Korea an issue and to secure funding for an anti-government struggle.” Regarding the special request made to the police, another official said, “We will treat the participants in violent demonstrations without mercy with the help of the police.”

In response, a senior member of KPL said, “This is first time the government has requested NIS assistance regarding farmers’ demonstrations.” The KPL member continued, “We think that the government is trying to suppress our preparation for the national farmer demonstration planned to be held on Nov. 17.” The KLP member added, “We should be prepared for a huge amount of suppression from the government.”

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/384414.html

For more info please check out:

☞ 전국농민회총연맹

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Current MTU/KCTU campaign:

STOP CRACKDOWN!
LEGALIZE UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANT WORKERS!

These times are indeed one of the darkest times in the migrant workers history in South Korea. S.K. boasting of it's efforts to promote a multi-cultural society tends to be very selective in their target communities and at most times the policies that they establish are contradictory to S.K.'s program of multi-culturalism. The Anti-Foreigner/ Anti-Migrant Task Force that they are using to criminalize foreigners especially migrant workers is their propaganda to raise anti-migrant sentiments in the society. They merely wish to justify the crackdown by depicting migrants as criminals and low-lifes. Through their press release, the Immigration tries to depict undocumented workers who act in self defense as dangerous criminals.

Since the establishment of the CRACKDOWN, how many migrant workers lives has been lost? How many of us have been injured? How many of us have experienced violence? THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS!

Help us stop this VIOLENCE! Help us stop this Human Rights abuse!

STOP CRACKDOWN!
ACHIEVE LABOR RIGHTS!

*Please call KCTU office hotline at 1577-2260 or MTU office at 02-2285-6068 or send sms at 010-8402-2853 if you witness a crackdown. If possible take videos and/or pictures and email it to: migrant@jinbo.net

강제 단속추방 중단하라!
미등록 이주노동자 합법화하라!

한국 이주노동자 역사에 있어서 지금은 정말로 어두운 시기입니다. 다문화주의 사회를 촉진한다는 노력을 자랑하는 한국은 그 정책 대상을 매우 제한적으로 설정하고 있고 대부분의 경우에 정부 정책은 한국의 다문화주의 프로그램에 어긋납니다. 외국인 특히 이주노동자들을 범죄화하려고 이용하는 정부의 반외국인/반이주민 전담팀은 한국사회에서 반이주민 정서를 조장하려는 그들의 술책입니다. 이주민을 범죄자, 하층민으로 묘사함으로써 그들은 단속추방을 정당화하고 싶을 따름입니다. 보도자료를 보면 출입국관리소는 스스로를 보호하려고 행동한 미등록 이주노동자들을 위험한 범죄자로 묘사하려고 하고 있습니다.

강제 단속추방이 실시된 이래 얼마나 많은 이주노동자들이 생명을 잃었습니까? 얼마나 많은 이들이 부상을 당했습니까? 또 얼마나 많은 사람들이 폭행을 경험했습니까? 수천 명이 훨씬 넘습니다.

이러한 폭력을 중단시키도록 도와주십시오! 이러한 인권 침해를 중단시키도록 도와주십시오!
 

단속추방 중단하라!
노동권리 쟁취하자!

*단속현장을 목격하면 민주노총 전화 1577-2260 또는 이주노조 02-2285-6068로 전화해주시거나 010-8402-2853으로 문자 메시지를 보내주세요. 만약 가능하면 비디오나 사진을 찍어서 migrant@jinbo.net으로 보내주세요.

停止管制驱逐！

韩国移工的历史上，现在是真正的黑暗的时期。韩国政府自己说，韩国在努力为了做个促进“多文化主义社会”不过它们设定了很限制的。大部分的情况下，它们的政策不像“多文化主义“
韩国政府做个专门”反外国人/反移工“的组，用它们把移工当犯罪人。它们把移工描写犯罪人或者底层人，然后振振有词管制驱逐。未登记的移工为了保护自己的生存做的事，出入国管理所的资料上描写移工当犯罪人。开始管制驱逐后，有多少无辜惨遭杀戮。有多少个移工经验了暴行？已经超过几千个。

请帮忙停止这样的暴力！ 请帮忙停止这样的侵害人权！

停止管制驱逐！
争取劳动权利！

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Impressions from last Saturday(10.24). In the afternoon, in front of Seoul (Railway)Stn., the annual struggle/protest rally by irregular workers took place and was followed by the Memorial Rally for the Victims of the Yongsan Massacre.

More impressions you can see here!

Related:

☞ KCTU report (10.24)

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MINU DEPORTED!

The South Korean government deported Minu (Minod Moktan) to Nepal at 5pm, Friday, October 23. Minu lived in South Korea for 18 years while working in factories, singing songs and working as a media activist at Migrant Worker's Television. Many friends, comrades and supporters of Minu wrote a petition for his release, held press conferences and demonstrations in order to prevent his deportation.

The Lee Myung Bak administration began a targeted crackdown on undocumented migrant workers during October and November.

The government seems to be working in a frenzy to deport migrant worker activists like Minu. Minu's deportation is very upsetting to many people in South Korea.

No person should be illegal, especially not someone who has lived in South Korea for almost 20 years and has contributed so much to the development of multiculuralism in a nation that hides behind a mask of fabricated ideaology of cultural/racial homogeniety.

source: IMC S.K. (10.24)

But eventually today's (bourgeois) Korea Times "explains" us - in rare frankness - the real reason why Minu has been deported: "The ministry(of 'Justice') said he had attended numerous political events on issues such as the free trade agreement, U.S. beef imports and the crackdown on illegal alien protests. 'His deportation was to set an example of principle: abide by the rules,' the ministry said in a press release." (☞ Nepalese Activist Deported)

Related:
☞ 미누 씨 강제출국 규탄 성명 (MTU, 10.23)

☞ 미누와 함께 연행된 '한국인권' (MWTV, 10.25)

Protest against Minu's deportation and the ongoing Crackdown Terror!

MWTV and solidarity groups are calling for a protest rally:

When? Monday, 10.26, 11 a.m.
Where? Seoul, Gwanghwamun/gov't complex

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Somehow related report:

☞ Public Workers’ Union Under Siege (K. Times, 10.23)

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Editorial in today's Hankyoreh:

How can prosecutors blame residents

for Yongsan fire tragedy?

During the “Yongsan Tragedy” trial yesterday, prosecutors asked for a heavy sentence of five to eight years against the protesters. Prosecutors argued that protesters spread paint thinner and threw Molotov cocktails, directly causing the fire that hurt police officers and caused the loss of six lives. This claim runs both counter to the facts revealed during the course of the trial and demonstrates sheer stubbornness on the part of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the facts revealed during the course of the trial alone, the prosecutors’ logic which imputes all the blame for Yongsan tragedy on the individuals protesting against eviction no longer holds. In announcing their initial investigation results, prosecutors explained that the fire broke out when the Molotov cocktails thrown by the protesters set alight thinner on the watchtower floor. Yet among the SWAT officers, not one testified that they witnessed Molotov cocktails being thrown while they were entering the building. Moreover, there was testimony from one SWAT officer that the protesters had not spread any thinner, but rather a barrel of thinner got knocked over as the officers took the guard tower. Civilian experts and specialists from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) said they could not conclude where the fire had started and why. In fact, it is said that in a place full of flammable vapors, there is a higher probability that fire was caused by an electric generator or the police’s electric cutting machine. Experts and firefighters agree that if the police had not entered the building, the fire could have been prevented.

It was also revealed during the course of the trial that the police were unaware of these hazards. The police command on the ground at the time testified that they did not know that the guard tower was full of flammable materials. They did not expect the possibility of an explosive fire. It was basically a confession that they launched a operation in haste. There was even police testimony that prior to the operation, that they did not negotiate or meet face-to-face with protesters even once. As a result, it appears the excessive crackdown is the cause of the tragedy which took the lives of five of the residents and one police officer. Prosecutors, however, said this was an instance of exercising official duties, and cleared police officials of misuse of authority. They have in effect shut their eyes in order to not hold the party that should be assuming responsibility for this tragedy accountable.

There are many other reasons for the prosecutors’ argument to be thrown out. One is the fact that prosecutors continued to refuse to reveal some 3,000 pages of investigation notes, despite an order from the court. It makes sense that suspicions are growing that suggest prosecutors are taking the side of the police and trying to cover-up the excessive crackdown and misuse of authority of police officials. This is not just an instance where the defendants’ right to a proper defense has been denied, but also a case where the legal system is failing. We hope for a wise and brave judgment from the court.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/383302.html

Related article:
☞ S.K. President Lee Myung Bak Found Guilty of Murder (IMC S.K., 10.22)

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We're demanding, over and over again:
STOP! CRACKDOWN!!

 

Produced by video activist comrade "Hong Gil-dong.."(10.21)

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Today's Korea Times(K.T.) reported following:

3 Foreigners Killed During Crackdowns 
 

Three foreigners were killed and 24 injured during roundups of illegal aliens over the past five years.

Rep. Roh Chul-rae of the minor opposition Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance said the three deaths and 24 injuries occurred during a crackdown on undocumented expatriates from 2005 to August 2009.
Roh said that the deaths were classified as accidents.
No immigrant officials were punished for the casualties.

In 2005, an official of the Seoul Immigration Office was booked on manslaughter, but escaped conviction. Two employees of the Daejeon Immigration Office were released without being arraigned...

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/117_53815.html

Of course(!!) the bourgeois K.T. did not mention the dozens of migrant workers who were killed in the horrible "accidents" resulted directly or indirectly by the annual waves of CRACKDOWN TERROR! Just remember the Yeosu Massacre (Feb. 2007), where 9 detained migrant workers were burned to death in the Deportation Center there!
☞ 2.11: The Lethal End of the "Korean Dream"

K.T. - of course(!!) - did also not mention the numerous migrant workers who were/are forced - by the  direct threat of CRACKDOWN TERROR - to commit suicide...