Posted
22nd June 2001
Korean Tiger A Cannibal
Linked to below is an urgent appeal for help from one of the
largest labour unions in South Korea. The appeal has been posted
to the LabourStart website:
The Korean government has issued warrants for the arrest of
DAN Byung-Ho, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade
Unions (KCTU). They have been hunting him down for several days
but have so far failed to apprehend him. Meanwhile a large number
of other trade union leaders have either been arrested or are
facing imminent arrest. These include leaders of hospital workers,
pilots, and others.
The document received from the Korean trade unionists includes
a sample letter appealing for help by sending this or a similar
message to the Prosecutor General and to the President, and
to send copies to the KCTU. All the email addresses and the
full text of a sample letter can be found here: The arrest
of trade union leaders whose only 'crime' is to lead a strike
would be in itself the crime, not in South Korea, such arrests
are, unfortunately, a fact of everyday life.
As
the statement of the Korean unionists points out, since coming
to power, the Kim Dae Jung government has arrested 552 trade
unionists -- and this from a leader hailed by Western media
as the "Nelson Mandela of Asia". It is extremely urgent that
we act on this appeal and spread the word throughout our media
-- labour, alternative and mainstream -- about the crisis in
South Korea.
Let us use the Internet for what is best at -- not selling trinkets
to consumers, but allowing the speedy and uncensored exchange
of information around the world. For continuing coverage of
the crisis in Korea, point your browsers to: www.labourstart.org/korea/"
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