CINA

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Well - in my opinion - it seems that the first 24 hours of the MASS PROTEST MARATHON (for 72 hours, from y'day until Sunday/72시간 릴레이 국민행동) is - until now - a full success!

From y'day evening until today between 70,000 (Tong-il News) and 100,000 (KCTU) took the streets of downtown Seoul (City Hall Plaza, Sejong-no..). According to KCTU yesterday in the late evening around 50,000 people gathered in front of Seoul City Hall. Only two hours later (at about 10 p.m.) 100,000 people crowded there!!

And even today in the morning hours about 10,000 people continued the protest in downtown Seoul!

Here you can read Scott B's impressions from Thursday (night) protest:

"..I was out there at Kwanghwamun again last night (Thursday) and if Korea is going to ever have its "Woodstock" this may be it. There were several large drum circles with like 30 drums, people dancing in the center and hundreds looking on; several other folk-type bands playing Crying Nut or Deli Spice songs (with the odd anti-ChoJoongDong ditty thrown in which was kind of incongruous but whatever); and another band with an accordian player and even a foreign drummer, along with a violinist and guitar player..

..The mood was much more festive and there was a sense of joy or juissance as the French say: All the college kids were out in force and mostly in their own circles, either drinking around a fire or even more funny, the girls from women's schools doing their sort of cute little cheerleader synchronized dancing ("Bring it!"). So there was a variety of people and styles (even quite a few red devils in their glowing red horns) but the dominant mood was much more festive despite the highly decentered assemblage of people, and since they are going through the weekend we'll see if this turns into a full-scale Woodstock-like cultural event that really flips this society upsidedown (it was also notable that the police did nothing to break things up even though about 10,000 people were still occupying Kwanghwamun when I left at 5am). I did meet a cool (Korean) activist/NGO guy who came up to me because he had read my last book and recognized me and we had a good long talk: I asked him if this was a movement (undong) or revolution (hyongmyong) and he said he had no idea what to make of this thing yet but he seemed rather ambivalent about its future or long-lasting potential as am I (at one point he pointed to people putting anti-gov't stickers on the police buses and said "They're just playing, they're just having fun."). Oh, and he also said a lot of people he knows on the left are attacking Hankyoreh these days. Anyway, the big day is next Tuesday where they're hoping for 1 million people; alas, given the dearth of drugs here and seriously crowd rocking bands, any comparisons to Woodstock or true cultural revolution may only be superficial at best. The jury's still out on this thing." 

☞ 시민들의 '난장'이 시작됐다 (통일뉴스, 6.05)

☞ 반2MB 72시간 릴레이 국민촛불 현장 (KCTU, 6.06)

Yeah, and right now (KST23:00), according to some KCTU comrades, about 200,000 people are gathering near Gwanghwamun..

李정부 박살내자!

자본주의 박살내자!

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Two days ago (6.03) the German leading (bourgeois) magazine Der Spiegel published following interview with Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), the chairman of the CPN(M), commander of the PLA and Nepal's possible future PM:

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While yesterday and today once again tens of thousands of people took the streets in downtown Seoul...

...but also in Busan and several other S.K. cities, to demonstrate against the LMB administration, a broad coalition of 1,700 civic groups, (left) political parties, solidarity/resistance organizations and labour unions prepared the next highlight:

 THE PROTEST MARATHON

The coalition will hold a protest for 72 hours (72시간 릴레이 국민행동) from tomorrow evening until coming Sunday without any break! In the reality it means that there will be rallies, demonstration (and street battles???) during the daytime besides the usual nightly "candlelight vigils".

But that could be just a "warm-up" period for coming Tuesday's (6.10)

1,000,000 People Candlelight Mass Action

 100만 촛불대행진

Related articles/reports:

☞ SNU Students to Boycott Classes.. (Korea Times..)

☞ One Rainy Day, a Glimpse Into Candlelit Vigil (..6.04)

☞ 민주노총 촛불 '네티즌·시민과 함께' (KCTU, 6.04)

李정부 박살내자!

자본주의 박살내자!

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1.) KCTU y'day predictad that there's "No More Hope for Lee Myung-bak Government!" (1)

2.) After the (last) weekend of STATE TERROR, executed by thousands of riot

cops in the streets of Seoul, even the bourgeois S.K. media had to report about

the POLICE TERROR against tens of thousands of demonstrators. And there are

some evidence that the attacks by the riot cops (they even used SWAT units) were

(likely) well-planned to "terminate" the increasing street protests against the "ruling"

Lee Myung-bak administration.

 
One video piece is showing a chief of one riot cop unit adivising his officers: "Do not

get caught (by the protestors' cameras) hitting the elderly, women, children or handicapped

people.  If we get caught then we would get in trouble (it would give people more ammunition to fight back). And in case you got caught, then snatch the cameras from the protestors

right away with help of your colleagues. Get rid of any evidence!"

K. Times (6.02) reported: "In a 5-minute-long clip, a riot police officer grabbed a

female protester's hair and threw her down beside a parked police bus. As she

was attempting to crawl under the bus, the officer relentlessly kicked her in the

head and stood on her neck she managed to get beneath the bus screaming out

in pain. Another police officer at the scene then hurriedly stopped the video

camera from recording." (2) 

(1) ☞ S.K. Gov't Crack Down Peaceful Demonstration! (KCTU statement, 6.02)

(2) ☞ Police Under Fire for Overuse of Force (Korea Times, 6.02)

Y'day's Korea Herald reported following:

Police under fire for violence against.. demonstrators 
 

The government is scrambling to contain the fallout from police violence against

demonstrators protesting U.S. beef imports last weekend.

Video clips have been circulating online showing police kicking a female

protester, hitting demonstrators with metal shields, firing water cannons and

dragging drenched protesters.

One video clip taped Sunday shows Lee Na-rae, 21, a college student at Seoul

National University, being thrust onto the ground following violent scuffles with

authorities and then being kicked by a boot-clad riot policeman.

Lee told local media that she hid beneath a nearby police bus to avoid further

assault. She was beaten again after she emerged.

In another clip, a soaked and half-naked protester on top of a police bus was

shoved onto the ground.

Different footage shows a crowd of protesters being chased by riot squads, who

later caught and beat them with their metal shields.

Reflecting growing public frustration against the government, the slogans chanted

at the initially peaceful candlelight vigils, first held on April 27 against U.S. beef

imports, have changed. Demonstrators who originally called for renegotiation of

the import pact are now demanding the ouster of President Lee Myung-bak...

Since May 24, 545 demonstrators have been detained, according to police. Of

them, 211 were booked without detention while 21 were brought to summary

trials. Fourteen were released with warnings and 299 are still under detention...

More, but independent evidences of the POLICE TERROR:

☞ [6.01] Video Report (by Hong Gil-dong.., 6.02)

☞ [5.31/6.01] Report, incl. pics and video (KCTU, 6.01)

 
Related:

☞ Injured Citizens File Lawsuit Against Police (K. Times, 6.03)

李정부 박살내자!

자본주의 박살내자!

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Since more than 24 hours, almost without any break, tens of thousands people are taking the streets to protest.. AGAINST THE CURRENT S.K. GOV'T!
And since Saturday evening they - school children, university students, labour union/political activists and thousands of "ordinary" citizens - are confronted with excessive POLICE TERROR!

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소부르 부위원장이 강제 퇴거 과정에 대해

방글라데시에서 보내 온 편지

2008년 5월 15일  1시 30분 경, 청주보호소 직원 한명이 나를 밖으로 불러냈다. ‘왜 불렀냐’고 라고 물어보자, 출입국직원은 ‘누군가를 만나야 하니 밖으로 나와달라’고 했다. 그들은 나를 다른 방으로 데리고 갔다. 그들에게 무슨 일인지 물어보자, 그 중의 한 사람이 ‘나는 지난 12월달에 마숨을 방글라데시까지 데리고 간 적이 있다. 내가 당신을 방글라데시까지 데리고 갈 것이다’라고 대답했다. 그때 나는 ‘지금 몸이 너무 안 좋다. 또 현재 국가인권위원회와 법원에 진정서를 제출한 상태이기 때문에, 건강 상태가 회복되고 국가인권위원회와 법원에 제출한 진정서의 결과가 나올 때까지 나는 방글라데시로 귀국할 수 없다. 이런 상태에서 나를 강제출국 시키는 것은 국가위원회 규정위반이며, 현재 상태에서 방글라데시로 돌아가면 문제가 발생할 수 있다’고 말했다. 그러자 출입국사무소의 책임자는 ‘법무부 장관의 강제퇴거 명령이 내려와 있는 상태이다. 어쨌든 당신을 방글라데시로 돌려보낼 것이다. 모든 책임은 장관과 지위가 높은 사람들이 질 것이다. 우리는 더 이상의 어떠한 말도 할 수 없다’. 그리고 나서는 나에게 더 이상 질문하지 말라고 했다.

그 후 보호소 직원 두 명과 함께 물건을 챙기라면서 방으로 돌려보냈다. 타월 하나, 러닝셔츠 두 개, 팬티 두 개를 챙기자, 보호소 직원은 나를 다시 조사실로 데리고 갔다. 그때 나는 병원에서 제대로 된 치료를 받게 해달라는 요구를 가지고 3일째 단식을 하고 있는 중이었다. 조사실에 돌아와서 보니, 출입국에서는 토르너 위원장에게도 자기 짐을 챙겨서 오라고 얘기하고 있는 중이었다. 우리가 옷을 갈아입자, 보호소 직원들이 여러 가지 서류를 내밀며 서명을 하라고 했다. 하지만 우리는 사인을 거부했다. 그 후 우리를 사무실 밖으로 데리고 나와 차에 싣고 어디론가 가길래, ‘어디로 가는 것이냐? 우리의 변호인과 다른 사람들에게 전화를 해야하니 전화를 걸어달라’라고 요청했다. 하지만 12∼13명가량 정도 되는 법무부와 보호소직원들은 우리의 요구를 묵살하고, 지금은 말할 수 없으니 비행기를 탄 후에 어디에 가는지 알려주겠다고 했다. 그들은 우리에게 수갑을 채운 채 차에 실어 청주보호소의 정문을 피해 작은 골목길을 통해 보호소 밖으로 나왔다.

그 후 차에서 내려 논밭을 가로질러 한참 걸어가자 인적이 드문 곳에 세워둔 차가 있어 그 차로 갈아탔다. 비행기 시간이 많이 남았던지 그 근처를 뱅뱅 돌며 시간을 보낸 후 5시10분에서 30분 사이에 인천공항에 도착했다. 공항에 도착해보니 이미 출입국직원과 법무부 직원이 대기하고 있었다. 우리는 그들의 안내를 따라 일반인 출입이 통제된 곳으로 들어가 출국수속을 마쳤다. 인천공항에는 추방을 기다리는 외국인의 대기실이 있었지만 우리는 따로 마련된 대기실 들어가게 되었다. 그곳에는 4-5개월 쯤 되어 보이는 아기를 안고 있는 필리핀 사람이 있었다. 그곳에서 다시  한번 전화통화를 요청했으나 묵살되었다. 그곳에서 저녁 8시 30분까지 대기하고 있었다.

법무부와 출입국직원들은 8시 30 이후 우리를 방에서 데리고 나와 출국심사대로 데리고 가 출국수속을 밟았다. 그때 나와 토르너 림부, 우리 두 사람은 약간의 한국 돈을 소지하고 있는 상태여서 환전을 요청했다. 토르너 림부 위원장은 대략 45만 원 정도가 있었고 나는 166,000원을 가지고 있었다. 그곳에 있던 법무부 책임자는 한 직원에게 환전을 해오라고 했다. 그 환전 영수증에는 환전을 했던 직원의 이름, 은행명, 시간 등이 기록되어있다. 대략 9시 정도에 그 직원이 달러가 들어있는 국민은행 봉투, 환전영수증, 잔돈 등을 건네주었다. 몇 분 후에 나와 토르너 림부는 비행기에 탑승했다. 비행기에 탑승한 후, 비행기에 타고 있는 한국인과 외국인 승객들에게 핸드폰을 좀 빌려달라고 부탁을 했고, 한 한국여성이 핸드폰을 빌려줘서 이주노조 에 전화를 걸 수 있었다.  ‘우리는 지금 강제로 출국당하는 중이며 현재 비행기에 탑승해 있는 상태’라고 이야기하였다. 그때 우리가 탄 타이항공의 이륙시간이 지연되어 승객들이 승무원들에게 항의를 하자, 비행기에서는 ‘비행기 안에 두 명의 범죄자가 탑승하고 있어서 이륙이 지연되고 있으니 잠시만 더 기다려달라’는 내용의 안내방송을 내 보냈다. 그때 타이항공 승무원이 나와 토르너 림부에게 ‘당신들이 비행기에 내리게 될 가능성이 있다’라고 이야기 하길래, ‘우리를 당장 이 비행기에서 내려주었으면 좋겠다’라고 답변했다. 그러자 그 승무원은 대답하지 않고 그냥 나가버렸다.

그 후 15분에서 20분 후, 법무부와 출입국 직원 4명이 우리 옆자리 앉았고 잠시 후 비행기가 이륙하였다. 우리는 다시 어떤 여성승객에게 핸드폰을 빌려서 비행기가 이륙하였다는 사실을 이주노조에 전달하였다. 그때 시간은 밤 9시 30분이었다. 비행기는 방콕에 대략 자정 즈음에 도착했고, 방콕 공항에는 이미 출입국(혹은 법무부)직원 한 명이 우리를 기다리고 있었다. 그리고 한국에서 온 네 명의 출입국 직원들과 타이항공 출입관련 직원이 우리를 타이공항의 보호실로 데리고 갔다. 그곳에서 다른 외국인들과 함께 밤을 보냈다. 다음날 아침, 나는 바게 되었다. 그 사람이 나에게 다가와서 자기소개를 하면서 말하기를 ‘나는 당신들이 여기 오기 일주일 전부터 방콕에 미리 와서 기다라고 있었다. 당신들을 강제 출국시킬 때 문제가 발생하지 않게 하기 위해서 미리 와 있었던 것이다’라고 했다. 그는 나에게 사탕을 선물로 주면서 이런 상황에 대해서 미안하다는 얘기와 법무부 장관이 출입국의 모든 권한을 가지고 있다는 얘기, 그리고 서울출입국사무소 소장이 토르너 림부의 강제퇴거를 결정했다는 얘기를 했다.

그날 10시 30분, 타이 공항 출입국을 통과하여 방글라데시로 가는 비행기에 탑승했고, 타이 시간으로 10시 55분에 비행기가 이륙했다. 그리고 정. 한국의 국가인권위원회에서 조사가 끝나기 전까지는 강제퇴거중지하라는 결정을 내렸음에도 불구하고, 법무부와 출입국에서는 법을 위반하면서까지 나를 강제출국 시킨 것이다. 나는 적법한 절차를 위반하고 국가인권위원회의 정당한 조치를 무시한 법무부 장관과 서울출입국관리소장의 처벌을 원하며, 또한 정신적 신체적 고통을 당한 바 이에 합당한 배상을 요구한다. 내가 청주보호소에 수감되어 있는 동안, 청주보호소 의사와 청주보호소 소장은 내가 적절한 치료를 받도록 해야함에도 불구하고 치료조차 받지 못하게 했기 때문에, 나는 몸과 마음의 고통을 받았다. 보호소에 있는 동안 건강이 악화되었기 때문에 수백 번 진료를 요청했으나 적절한 치료를 받지 못하게 한 것은, 법과 인권을 무시한 처사라고 생각한다. 그래서 나는 청주외국인보호소의 담당 의사와 청주보호소 소장의 처벌과 적절한 배상을 원한다.

2008. 5. 25.
MD ABDUS SOBUR
이주노동조합 부위원장
방글라데시

본문

Really? Is such a ("logical") development possible??(*):

Is 'Made in USA' Backlash Next? (Korea Times, 5.30)

The ongoing protest against American beef may develop into an anti-"Made in the USA'' product campaign.

"Let's boycott U.S.-made products,'' read one posting Friday on a popular Korean Internet portal. "It's not just the Korean government that's pushing this import deal on Korean consumers. The American government is in on it. Let's boycott U.S. products,'' it continued. Such postings urging a boycott appeared following the government's announcement of the official resumption of beef imports, Thursday.

"Let's begin a campaign to boycott U.S. products. Boycott Hollywood movies! Don't wear Nike! Don't drink Starbucks coffee and stop going to McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC,'' read another Internet post.

U.S. companies with a business presence in Korea could suffer losses from the beef controversy if the campaign gains traction.

Choi In-ki, a top policymaker for the main opposition United Democratic Party, said last week during a National Assembly meeting that the U.S. government has nothing to gain if public resentment against its beef exports continues to build. The public backlash could expand to become an anti-U.S. products campaign, Choi told reporters...

 
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/116_25062.html

* But actually everything can be possible:

Yesterday K.T. reported that "armored vehicles with teargas launchers were dispatched" (against the ongoing "anti-US-beef" protests in the center of Seoul).

And now imagine that a tear gas grenade is hiiting and killing a middle school girl! And the tear gas grenade was "Made in USA"!!

Or imagine following scenario: The S. Korean army is buying used attack helicolpters AH-64 Apache from the US Army (☞ S. Korea Considers Buying Secondhand U.S. Copters). And one of the copters, a short while later, is crashing... in a middle school in Gyeonggi-do!! Well, just imagine..

Yeah.. of course following report by today's Korea Times is really "helpfull" to support the current "anti-US..":
☞ 'US Ready to Hit N. Korean Targets'

Related articles:

☞ Massive Candlelit Vigil Planned for Saturday (K. Times, 5.30)

☞ Street Protests, Hunger Strikes, Resignation Demands.. (Marmot's Hole, 5.30)

☞ "너희 월급 세금이다. 비켜라" (통일뉴스, 5.30)

☞ 첫불대오 덕수궁앞 대치중 경찰버스 시민 깔아 (KCTU)

*****

Protesters attempt to block distribution of stored beef (K. Herald)
   
Police are tightening security at 12 warehouses in Gyeonggi Province as protests intensify following the resumption of U.S. beef imports yesterday.
Some 1,800 officers will be dispatched to six warehouses in Gwangju, four in Yongin, one in Incheon and one in Hwaseong, where a combined 2,066 tons of U.S. beef is being stored. The beef has remained frozen since Oct. 5 when banned backbone fragments were found.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the nation's biggest labor umbrella group, said yesterday it will launch an all-out struggle against the government to block the planned release of the meat from the warehouses, presaging clashes with police.

"The government completely ignored public demands calling for securing health, and made a decision for the good of the U.S. livestock industry instead. Scrap the notification and renegotiate the import deal," the KCTU said in a press conference held in front of a beef storage house in Yongin.

"The Lee Myung-bak government has crossed a line that it should not have crossed. The formal notification of the import terms is tantamount to waging a war against citizens."...

"A full-fledged struggle will be initiated the moment the shipments of U.S. beef begin. It will be peaceful, but it will be the government's fault if the police crack down on us high-handedly," the KCTU added...

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While thousands of protestors took the streets today/tonight (after the S.K. gov't today announced to resume the beef import from the USA), the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMP) sent thousands of riot cops to make advertisement for its most famous(*) product:

"CHICKEN CAGE CAR TOURS"

"닭장차 투어"

Let's enjoy a free trip, organized by the SMP (from the rally place to the next prison!!)

For more details please check out:

* Well, of course the "Chicken Cage Tours" are wellknown by S.K. resistance movement - since at least 20 years..

But at the end there will be no fun anymore:

"Thousands of riot police and armored vehicles with teargas launchers were dispatched." (K.Times)

Over 100 detained after beef rallies (Korea Herald, 5.29)  
  
Over a hundred demonstrators were detained during protests against U.S. beef imports held between Tuesday night and yesterday morning in central Seoul, officials said yesterday.

Police held 113 protesters for illegal acts, including obstructing traffic. Four high school students were immediately released while the remaining 109 are being questioned in nine separate police stations in Seoul.

It was the highest number of detentions in four successive days of protests. Most of the detainees voluntarily turned themselves in so as to avoid injuries and clashes with riot police.

"Today, the demonstrators voluntarily got into the police cars after they were besieged by police, which jacked up the number of the detained," said a police officer.

Between Sunday and Wednesday, police detained 211 protesters, mostly in their 20s and 30s. Seventy-six have been released while 135 still remain in police custody, according to the police. No serious injuries were reported.

Senior Cheong Wa Dae presidential secretaries, led by presidential chief of staff Yu Woo-ik, yesterday met to draw up measures to rein in the demonstrations, which are turning increasingly violent ahead of the official notification of beef import terms, slated for later this week. The beef agreement takes effect on the date of the formal notification.

During the meeting, they reaffirmed the government's stance that the right to freedom of expression and assembly through peaceful candlelight vigils must be protected, while illegal street rallies must be sternly dealt with so as to strengthen law and order.

They also stressed that law enforcement authorities must focus on dealing with protest leaders who "strategically and collectively" orchestrate the demonstrations, while building a watertight case for their clampdown on illegal protesters.

Since May 2, police have been investigating the leaders of five civic groups that organized the candlelight vigils in protest against the April beef deal with the United States.

Jongno Police Station has ordered 10 leaders of the groups to appear for questioning by June 2 on charges of violating the Law on Assembly and Demonstration. Police are also considering seeking arrest warrants if they refuse to respond. No formal arrest warrants against any of the protesters have been sought yet by the police.

On Tuesday night, about 2,000 citizens took part in a candlelight vigil in Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul, demanding the government either scrap the import deal with the United States or renegotiate it.

About 1,500 started marching onto the streets near Seoul City Hall and other major areas in central Seoul at around 9:15 p.m., causing serious traffic snarl-ups. They chanted slogans, calling for the release of the detained protesters and the nullification of the import deal.

Residents of many other cities also took part in candlelight vigils yesterday, including 900 in Busan and 300 in Ulsan.

Related stuff

☞ 안국역 부근서 5천여명 행진中 (통일뉴스, 2.29)

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Welcome to the "newborn"..

If everything is going well in the coming hours (*), the Nepali CA will proclaim tonight the Pepublic of Nepal!! Already since yesterday afternoon the people in Nepal, especially thousands in Kathmandu are celebrating the end of the 240-years old feudal dictatorship by the Nepali Kingdom.

Well, of course it's (after almost 15 years of fierce struggle, especially by the CPN-M/PLA, against the monarchy) just the beginning of a long, long way toward to a (hopefully) real democratic society with a maximum of justice for the majority of the "ordinary" (i.e. the oppressed and exploited) Nepali people!!

But, in my opinion, without international solidarity... Well, I think you know what I mean!!

* Finally in the late night it became reality, as NepalNews reported:

Nepal becomes a Federal Democratic Republic

The historic first meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has endorsed a proposal to amend the interim constitution implementing the declaration of Nepal as a federal democratic republic.

The officiating chairman of the CA, Kul Bahadur Gurung said that of the 564 CA members who took part in the voting on the proposal, 560 voted in its favour while four members voted against it.

The motion for implementing the republic declaration was introduced by the government.

Home Minister Krishna Sitaula introduced the proposal as per the Article 159 of the Interim Constitution, which was put for voting.

Following the voting result, the CA also approved a proposal stating that the King should vacate the Narayanhity royal palace within 15 days.

The proposal states that the King will lose all perks and privileges except his rights as a common citizen. The Narayanhity royal palace will be turned into a national museum or used in national interest as deemed necessary by the government, the proposal adds.

The CA meeting had started after 9 pm on Wednesday night at Birendra International Convention Center (BICC).

Earlier in the day, the major parties including Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and the Maoists had agreed to introduce a proposal to implement republic at the CA. They also agreed to establish constitutional president and executive prime minister and bring about necessary changes in the interim constitution for this purpose.

“The president will be the commander in chief of the national army. He will act as per the recommendation of the Prime Minister. He will be authorised to declare emergency in accordance with the cabinet decision,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi.

He added that president will be elected by the CA and details about his election process will be worked out and incorporated in another amendment proposal soon.

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Since almost two weeks pogroms against immigrants/migrant workers from countries like Zimbabwe, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, Somalia.. are hitting the townships of several South African cities, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban etc. Until now at least 50 "foreigners" were killed and more than 50,000 had to flee their homes (photos and reports by the int'l media about it, please see below).

But last Saturday - and that's the good news - thousands of anti-capitalist activists took the streets of Johannesburg to protest against pogroms. The demonstration was organized by the Anti Privatisation Forum (APF) together with a large coalition of resistance organisations, while the "progressive" ANC - from the 1950s until the 90s in the struggle against apartheid state, but now the "ruling power" in the RSA - advised their members not to participate on the demo, because "it's organized by left-radical forces".

But here comes the very bad news: In Rustenberg, north-west of J'burg, according to the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung, the next wave of pogroms is likely in preparation. Since few days leaflets are circulating calling on migrant workers, who are employed in the platinum mines there, to "leave the country immediately!"..

Following you can read APF's Statement on the "Anti Xenophobia March" in Johannesburg on last Saturday (5.24):

 
The Anti Privatisation Forum with the Social Movements Indaba and a large coalition of organisations marched on Saturday 24 May 2008 against xenophobia and hate, through the inner city of Johannesburg to the Gauteng Legislature to submit a memorandum to government. The public responded to the call from the Coalition Against Xenophobia in a colourful demonstration for the inclusion of foreigners in our communities. Over 5000 people marched despite SMS messages circulated in ANC circles discouraging participation in a march organised by the 'ultra left'. Well, thanks then to the ultra left for mobilising communities and concerned residents of Johannesburg against the insidious hatred bred by poverty, developing links with immigrant communities and being clear about why we are poor.

Fears are patrolling our freedom and already determine with who or what South Africans associate with. It is regrettable that the APF can report that the buses from its affiliates in Atteridgeville and Shoshanguve had to be cancelled for threatened reprisals. Buses and taxis from other townships did otherwise arrive for the march unhindered. For APF comrades, this was a march unlike any other at its start at the Pieter Roos Park below Constitutional Hill, the Minister of Public Service and Administration, assumed the platform to number herself among the 'we Africans united against the scourge of hatred'; one demonstrator at the march held a placard professing ‘Free markets/Free Immigration/Free South Africa’. Nonetheless, the vast majority of the marchers were agreed that the government’s consistent failure to deliver adequate basic services to poor communities, combined with macro-economic policies that have benefited corporate capital/the rich, are a large part of what is behind the explosion of xenophobia and hatred amongst the poor who live in this country. The memorandum addressed to Premier Mbazima Shilowa as well as the Departments of Housing and Home Affairs calls on the "South African government to acknowledge its role in the crisis, and to assume responsibility for providing solutions to the problems that speak to the root causes of the problem." This would include, the memorandum stated, the suspension of "the neo-liberal macro-economic policy approach."

While the government will be hard-headed in its insistence on finding a criminal motivation to the xenophobic attacks, the demands submitted to government are unlikely to be met. What the demonstration did achieve was an affirmation of African working class unity and to break the spell of tension that has been stalking Johannesburg streets for the last two weeks. Residents of Hillbrow and the inner city cheered the march from their balconies as is it proceeded down Claim and Pritchard streets. The loudest cheer en route to the Gauteng legislature came from the predominately Zimbabwean refugees at the Central Methodist Church. Immigrants taking refuge at the church had prepared to come to the march but their busses to the starting point had been delayed. Banners they had prepared the evening before were as critical of government's policies as the Coalition's memorandum: 'Mr Mbeki: is this what you call quiet diplomacy.' Incensed by the xenophobic coverage in the South African press, particularly the Daily Sun tabloid, another wit declared, 'Aliens are what you find on Pluto'.

Amongst the speakers on the march was a representative from the Refugee Fellowship based at the Central Methodist Church. Representatives of the Zimbabwean, Congolese, Cameroonian, Ethiopian, Mozambican, Somali and Nigerian immigrant communities also had opportunities to speak, all welcoming the solidarity demonstration. As government continues to treat the xenophobia as a criminal phenomenon, they have very little faith that the police will do anything to solve the problem. The South African police violently raided the Central Methodist Church in January this year, brutalising the desperate people sleeping on floors there. How can the police be trusted to find a solution to xenophobia when so many of them are confirmed xenophobes, relating to foreigners as cash machines? When the Remmoho Women's Group visited Alexandra police station on Tuesday, 20th May, refugees there spoke of harassment by members of the police force.

The solution to xenophobia is for 'the enemy at home' to be targeted by our organisation and our action. These enemies are not foreign immigrants but the corporate and government elites who commodify our basic resources, retrench workers, casualise employment, profit-gouge on basic necessities most crucial to the poor and engage in double-speak when it comes to treating all who live in South Africa with fairness, equality, and humanness. Treating xenophobic South Africans only as criminals reminds the APF of government's criminalisation of our members who protest for basic services. Both xenophobia and service delivery protests will not go away unless those with political and socio-economic power listen to the poor, unless social development involves people and is not conceived as a benefit trickling down from investments. With the upsurge in violence, the ANC government must, with all urgency, acknowledge that the time to start back-pedalling on its failed policies and arrogant political ‘rule’ is NOW!.

No-one is illegal!

☞ [5.24] Anti Xenophobia Coalition March (pictures/사진)

☞ APF

☞ South Africa IMC

*****

☞ Hunted by gangs, migrants flee the flames (Guardian, 5.24)

☞ Thousands flee South Africa attacks (al-Jazeera, 5.26)

☞ Is this the end of the Rainbow nation? (The Observer, 5.25)