CINA

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Now, this is an unexpected pleasure...(^^)

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Today(5.24) in the morning(KST) in front of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul: KCTU activists staged a protest rally to mark the "International day of action in solidarity with workers of the Philippines"...

During a impromptu press conference...

...they declared the following: Today is the International day of action in solidarity with workers of the Philippines. Protesting extrajudicial killing of trade union activists and dissidents, bolder violations of freedom of association, including mass arrests, detention and using armed soldiers to break up strikes, and martial law in Mindanao amid deteriorating democratic rights and reversion to "strongman" rule by Duterte regime. We stand in solidarity with the workers of the Philippines struggling in such difficult circumstances and we denounce the Duterte government anti-democratic repression of workers!

At the end of the protest rally/press conference KCTU's representatives...

...delivered the following statement/protest note to the Philippine Embassy, resp. its staff:

On behalf of the Global South Trade Union Network (SIGTUR), an alliance and movement of democratic unions in the Southern Hemisphere, representing around 32 million workers; as well as on behalf of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU), affiliated with SIGTUR, to express our grave concerns on the human and trade union rights violation by the government of President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines.

Since the inauguration of the Duterte’s government in 2016, the persecution, criminalization and violence against dissidents and critics of his regime has been constant. The policies implemented under the pretext of combating drug trafficking and terrorism in the country have generated the recurrent violation of civil and political rights for the Filipino people. There have been 141 extrajudicial killings, more than a thousand illegal arrests some of whom was detained, the forced evacuation of more than 400,000 Filipinos in the country, the occupation of more than 40,000 public places for military use and the murder of 29 human rights activists and union leaders during their two years in office. The people of the Philippines have been fighting for decades against the neoliberal policies that devastate their rights and put their economic and social liberation at risk. The arrival of President Duterte in 2016 was no exception to this story. Even though he claimed himself left and socialist and promised to push a reforms in favor of the people and the working class, his almost two years in power have not shown changes. On the contrary, Duterte showed himself to be an ironclad follower of neoliberal policies and of curtailing rights for the working class of his predecessors.

The flexibilization of labour has been deepened and it contributed in intensification of the attacks on wages, employment and labor rights. The deregulation of the power of the large multinational companies increased poverty among the people. Fundamental labour rights such as the right to organize, the minimum wage, the right to strike and collective bargaining are curtailed.

In that sense, the KCTU and the SIGTUR condemn and express our denunciation of the abuses of human rights carried out by the Duterte government. The situation is critical and that is why we raise our voice in an international day of action that shows the solidarity of the workers in the global south. We also urge the Filipino government to fully respect the human rights in the country, the immediate cessation of persecution and criminalization of dissidents and critics of the government and we advocate for peace and the end of violence in the country.

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Well, that's just a supplement to my yesterday's contribution, regarding Han Sang-gyun's release from prison...

There're at least 10 domestic media in S. Korea, published in English. But only the (bourgeois-conservative/reactionary)JoongAng Ilbo mentioned the topic...

...and the "progressive"(according to Wikipedia)Hankyoreh reported more detailed ☞ Celebrated labor leader released from prison.

PS. And how about KCTU's (English)media outlet?? Just check it out...(^^)

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Last Friday(5.18) KCTU issued the following statement: "On May 21, our ex-president Han Sang-gyun will be freed on parole, after serving 2 years, 5 months and 12 days in prison on charge stemming from protesting the corrupt Park Geun-hye gov't. The new gov't under President Moon Jae-in, which was elected from the ‘candlelight movement’, spent one year and 12 days before it decided on the parole, at the time when Han has only 6 months and 20 days left to serve. In that sense, it is hard for us to express a simple ‘welcome’ on the news..."

Today at ten o'clock in the morning(KST) comrade Han Sang-gyun was able to leave the prison in Hwaseong(south of Seoul). He was greeted by more than hundred workers and citizens, who joined a welcoming ceremony, organized by KCTU...

Here're just some impressions, photographed(&commented) by Chong Hye-won...

Related, more detailed reports(in Korean) you'll get here, here, here and here.

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Today's Yonhap reported in the early morning(03:54 KST) the following: North Korea said Wednesday it is canceling high-level talks with South Korea planned for later in the day due to ongoing military exercises between the South and the United States. The North's Korean Central News Agency said the Max Thunder drills between the South Korean and U.S. air forces are a rehearsal for invasion of the North and a provocation amid warming inter-Korean ties...

Today's(*) Rodong Sinmun published the KCNA report, mentioned by Yonhap...

Here you'll get the related timeline:

Last Friday(5.11): "Max Thunder drills between the South Korean and U.S. air forces" started..., today's(5.16) KCNA admitted(^^)

5.15, 11:13(KST): (URGENT) N. Korea proposes holding high-level inter-Korean talks on Wednesday: Seoul official (by Yonhap)

5.15, 11.38(KST): 2 Koreas agree to hold high-level talks Wednesday (by Yonhap)

5.16, 03.29(KST): N. Korea cancels high-level talks with S. Korea over military drill (by Yonhap)

* Today's Rodong Sinmun newspaper got into print y'day evening/night! And so decision to cancels high-level talks with S. Korea was made y'day(5.15) afternoon/early evening, just few hours after S. Korea reported that 2 Koreas agree to hold high-level talks Wednesday..

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