5112개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Create one, two, three new "progressive" parties!! (following Che's : "Create two, three, many Vietnams!"^^)
Well, when you read the following reports likely you'll come to the conclusion that - still - the most effective enemy of the political "left" is... the political "left"! (hmm, in my opinion..)
A new progressive party.. (newscham, 2.17/22)
On February 17th, the Democratic Labor Party’s lawmaker Shim Sang-jung officially declared her defection from the party and proposed the formation of a new progressive political party, vowing “to pursue a new path of a truly progressive party.”
Shim held a press conference at the National Assembly and said “I have to confess the dismal fact that the DLP has hit the ceiling that makes it hard to pursue a truly progressive political party and to make the future of progressive politics hopeful.”
About the schedule of the new party, she commented “At first, I suggest a coalition named ‘Solidarity for Building a New Progressive Party’ as a base camp against the Lee Government.” and “It is to be registered before the general election, and the substantial steps towards the formation of the party might be taken after the election.”
In a meeting with key figures of the Equality faction including lawmaker Noh Hoi-chan held on February 13th, a definite timetable of promoting the new party was set up; temporary formation before the general election, then official inauguration. With the timetable, the efforts towards new party would shift into high gear.
“The DLP is not one to defeat, we should reflect on ourselves”
Shim told the reporters “All we need is not a hut. Of course, that might be for the present a shelter from rain and wind but we need a firm house that may takes time and can endure test of the time,” and “this is the only steps we should take, for not repeating the mistakes committed before by the DLP.”
And she added “I’m not scrapping the core of the progressive party, outcomes of the past and passion for the new world, I’m scrapping the old structure of the DLP,” and “I’m not concerned with confrontation against and defeating the DLP.” She seems to want the formation of new party to avoid being seen as a factional scandal.
Shim also leaves open the possibility of coalition with Movement to New Progressive Party led by former DLP lawmaker Cho Seung-soo, saying “We’re ready to be with everyone who seceded from DLP and wants to join a new movement.” But she also added “The failure of the DLP is not committed exclusively by the NL faction. Those who are leaving the party now might not feel free form the failure of DLP. In that sense Equality faction should take their responsibility in not repeating the mistakes by reflecting on the DLP’s experiences.”
She stressed “New party we are to make should overcome the era of DLP and be responsible and accountable for the vision of lone term. Pragmatic approach to the general election cannot be allowed,” and “we have to have discussion with civic movement groups and progressive political groups over such subjects as the value, subjects and practices of progressive politics for equipping us with wider reflections than the DLP.” These might be some of the new party’s foundation statement, which has the new one distinctive from the old one.
Shim also said “I will run as a candidate of the Solidarity for Building a New Progressive Party in general election in April. Principles and directions guiding the party’s nomination for proportional representative will be what I should have applied to the DLP as the chairwoman of the emergency committee.” That is, the new party would woo well-known figures outside the party. She negated the possibility of being nominated for proportional representative herself, pointing out “I consider running as a candidate in my district as the first option.”
Shim plans to determine the party’s frameworks in detail with lawmaker Noh and announce it on February 20th, and officially propose the formation in an open forum.
If the party gets less than 2% of votes and is deregistered, it might suffer a severe political blow. “I have no idea about what result the party will get. Time is not on our side. All I can do is doing my best. That’s what I can say.” said Shim.
The split prompting the KCTU to divide
On February 16, Jun-jin (means ‘forward’), the biggest group in Equality faction, held a general meeting and decided ‘to defect from the DLP and make a new progressive party before April election through building regional committees.’ Defector group Movement to New Progressive is also known to join the Shim’s party, if Shim and Noh agree on founding a new party before the general election.
As Shim has revealed her plan of establishing the new party before the election, the leftist groups would be rapidly reorganized. Since the Jun-jin group has many union members in KCTU, which is so-called Centralists, the conflicts in KCTU between NL faction-inclined group and the Centralists inclined to Equality faction will be fuelled. Former and present leaders of KCTU including vice president Kim Eun-joo, who is known to be Centralist, are reported to declare secession from the DLP. If the KCTU divides, KCTU’s political directive of exclusive support for the DLP loses its substantial meaning.
Responding to that, Shim said “The KCTU’s line of exclusive support for the DLP has already been practically denied by union members in the last election. DLP got only about 3% of all votes,” and “withdrawal of the unilateral political line doesn’t mean negation of progressive labor politics, but that workers should participate in labor politics by themselves.”
Shim is reportedly going to bolt after extraordinary session of the National Assembly in February to deal with the immediate issues like ratification of FTA and special legislation for Tae-an residents. Shim added “Noh would keep steps with me.”
http://www.newscham.net/news/view.php?board=news_E&nid=46468
Related articles:
☞ Division of Democratic Labor Party (Hankyoreh, 2.18)
☞ DLP Destruction is Fault of Pro-N.Korea Faction (Chosun Ilbo, 2.19)
☞ Labor party moderates set to create a new party (Yonhap, 2.21)
☞ 진보신당, 3월 16일 창당대회 개최 (VoP, 2.24)
Since 79 days, if my "counter" is correct, MTU's leading activists are in sit-in strike!
The sit-in collective's daily "struggle plan"
More impressions(pics) you can see here:
As you - likely - know, since the end of last year MTU activists and their supporters are protesting against the ongoing crackdown/manhunt against "un-documented" migrant workers in general and the former and present leadership of MTU in particular (among other forms of protest) with weekly candle light rallies ("culture festivals") in the center of the S.K. capital Seoul (every Thursday evening, 6:30pm, in front of Kyobo Building).
Last week's rally was a memorial "festival" for the 1st anniversary of
the fire disaster in Yeosu Deportation Center.
[The video, produced by MWTV, gives you a few impressions about the event.]
*****
2월 14일, 광화문 교보문고 앞에서 여수 외국인보호소 화재 참사 1주년 기념 촛불집회가 열렸다.
10명의 이주노동자들의 목숨을 앗아간 여수보호소화재사건은 이주노동자를 필요에 따라 쓰고 버리는 소모품쯤으로 생각하는 정부의 태도가 만들어낸 참사였다. 그러나 이주 노동자를 대하는 한국 정부의 태도는 참사 이후 1여년의 시간이 지났음에도 변함이 없다.
이에 여수 화재 참사가 단지 지나간 사건만이 아님을 확인하고, 더 이상의 차별과 죽음을 끊어내기 위해 투쟁 결의를 모아내는 자리를 가졌다. 이 날 토르나 이주노조 위원장 직무대행은 노조지도부 표적단속, 출입국 관리법 개악 등과 같이 주노동자를 벼랑 끝으로 내모는 억압과 폭력에 맞서 더 힘차게 싸워나가겠다는 의지를 보였다.
이후 집회에 모인 이주 노동자, 한국 노동자, 노동․인권단체, 학생들은 비인간적인 단속추방의 현장을 담은 영상과 문화노동자들의 공연을 통해 추모와 결의의 장을 가져나갔다.
제작: 이주노동자의 방송국/MWTV
Related:
☞ [2.14]여수화재참사 1주기 추모문화제의 불을 밝히다!! (MTU)
If you want to copy/print the poster please check out (here you'll find also a version in Bangla): ☞ 224결의대회 poster (중국,방글라)
Since y'day, until the end of Feb., all N.K. citizens are celebrating(*) the birthday of the "Sun of the 21st Century", a.k.a. Kim Jong-il, well known as the "Dear Leader". (Oops~ before I forget it: of course the entire world population is doing the same!! What else??)
While the "ordinary" N.K. citizens are celebrating the birthday with mass rallies, mass dances etc, the N.K. security forces are performing mass executions - if we want to believe (..well, we don't have to do..) following strange story by today's Yonhap:
22 N. Korean drifters executed after return home
A group of 22 North Koreans who had been returned home after their boats drifted into South Korean waters were all immediately executed by North Korean authorities, a source here said Sunday.
Two fishing boats carrying the North Koreans -- 14 women and eight men including three teenagers -- drifted into the western waters off South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island on Feb. 8 and were sent back home after South Korean interrogators found they had no intention of defecting, the National Intelligence Service said in a press release on Saturday.
The North Koreans were residents of Kangnyeong County, North Korea's southern coastal province of South Hwanghae, who went to sea to collect clams and oysters without authorization from the North Korean maritime agency, the intelligence service said.
The report of their return by South Korean authorities came after the mass circulation Chosun Ilbo broke the report in its weekend edition.
A source well-versed in North Korea told Yonhap News Agency, however, that the drifters were all executed immediately after returning home early last week. The provincial branch of North Korea's National Security Agency shot and killed them secretly, the source said.
Of the group, 13 were extended family members and nine others were their neighbors, according to the South Korean intelligence agency.
"A rumor spread in South Hwanghae Province that (the security agency) secretly executed the 22 people immediately after they were returned," the source said.
"People in the province are shocked by the fact that all of the 22 people were shot and killed without exception, such being sent to a prison camp," the source said.
South Korean intelligence officials, contacted by Yonhap News Agency, said they were not aware of the rumored execution and would try to verify it.
South Korean intelligence acknowledged there is a possibility that the returnees were executed because of their unauthorized fishing.
"I'm not aware of whether they were executed or not, but that's possible because they went fishing with no authorization from the North Korean maritime authorities," a government official said, requesting anonymity.
Given the large number of North Koreans spotted aboard, suspicions had been raised that they were seeking asylum but were returned. The fact that the majority of the drifters were women -- 14 out of 22 -- and that three students aged between 15 and 17 were aboard contributed to the suspicion of their defection attempt.
They were sent back home through a overland route after being brought to the port city of Incheon for interrogation.
The intelligence authorities denied the speculation.
The drifters "could have been sent back at the site where they were rescued, because they said they were drifting and they had no intention of defecting, but there was a large number of them, including women, so their boats were taken to Incheon for interrogation," another government official said.
Joint interrogation by the police and the National Intelligence Agency found that they were neither asylum seekers nor spies, he said...
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2008/02/17/95/0301000000AEN20080217001500315F.HTML
Marmot's Hole asked today:
☞ Were 22 Returned North Koreans Executed?
☞ What Are People Doing on Kim's Birthday? (DailyNK, 2.17)
* or better said: forced to celebrate.. (likely??!!^^)
"On every Saturday, migrant workers' supporters have a flea market at Strange Fruit Cafe, Hong-dae., Seoul from 2 - 6:30pm.
You can donate and buy some second-hand goods. All proceeds go towards the Migrant Trade Union." (seoulidarity).
Related:
☞ ..고양이시장 (미친꽃, 2.03)
☞ 홍대 이주노동자를 위한 고양이 시장에서 (2.06)
Some days ago one of my readers/visitors (or whatever..) asked - in connection to my latest contributions about the recent developments in and around the DLP - "Who cares?".. Well, at least the S.K. (bourgeois) media:
Labor Party Likely to Split Into Two (K. Times, 2.14)
The progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP) will likely split as some lawmakers leading a major faction in the party have indicated they will soon leave the party.
DLP leaders are trying their utmost to patch up internal feuding over a party revamp plan and stop further desertions.
Reps. Sim Sang-jeong and Roh Hoe-chan had a closed-door meeting Wednesday night with about 40 party officials, who support their plan to deprive pro-North Korea party members of their membership.
As the proposal was rejected at a party convention on Feb. 3, they have agreed to create a separate party.
Most participants at the meeting said they needed to create a new party but argued over when to launch it, party sources said.
Some members claimed that they should form the party after the April 9 National Assembly elections because they need to take some time to consolidate the group.
Other members, however, insisted that the new party may not secure proportional seats if formed after the elections.
Sim and Roh, plan to announce their stance on whether or not to leave the DLP and create a new party by Sunday based on the results of the meeting.
Amid escalating speculation over a breakup, Rep. Chun Young-se, who is temporarily leading the party after Sim resigned, is scheduled to discuss ways to stop this with other party leaders next Wednesday.
However, his efforts will not likely stop further mass desertions.
A group of 145 have already relinquished their party membership, fueling the breakup.
The deserters who belonged to the party's Incheon district, said in a statement, ``The three percent of the vote that the DLP received in December's presidential election shows that the people wanted a radical change and revamping. But the party has refused to accept these calls.''
They also forecast consecutive desertion of party members while stressing that they will help create a new progressive party to protect social minorities.
The party which has nine seats in the 299-member Assembly has suffered from conflicts between two major factions since DLP candidate Kwon Young-gill was defeated in the presidential race last December.
The factional feud reached a climax after mainstreamers vetoed the party reform plan, of which a major bone of contention was whether or not to remove people engaged in pro-Pyongyang activities from party membership.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18940.html
Related stuff:
☞ Massive Collective Defection from the DLP (NewsCham, 1.23/2.11)
☞ Democratic Labor Party's Strategy of Siding with Kim Jong Il (DailyNK, 2.11)
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