Riot police used excessive force when dispersing largely peaceful protesters demonstrating against US beef imports. Large numbers of irregular migrants were deported amid reports of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment during arrest. There was heightened concern about freedoms of expression, assembly and association of protesters, unionists and journalists. No executions took place but 58 people remained on death row. The Special Bill to Abolish the Death Penalty lapsed in March.
Excessive use of force
Candlelight protests against the resumption of US beef imports attracted tens of thousands of people and took place almost daily from May to early July. During the largely peaceful protests some police beat protesters with shields and batons, fired water cannons at close range and denied medical care to protesters in detention. Protesters suffered injuries such as broken bones, concussion, temporary blindness and punctured eardrums.
"Police imprisoned at least 408 conscientious objectors, mostly Jehovah’s Witnesses..."
Migrants’ rights
In September, the government announced its intention to deport approximately half of irregular migrant workers, an estimated 220,000 people, by 2012. There was a growing number of cases of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of migrant workers during arrests in the ongoing crackdown.
In November, about 280 immigration officials and police raided factories and dormitories in Maseok, Gyeonggi province, where at least 110 regular and irregular migrant workers were indiscriminately apprehended en masse. One female migrant worker was not permitted to go to the toilet, but was instead forced to urinate in public. One male migrant worker broke his leg when he tried to escape, after which he was handcuffed and made to wait five hours before being allowed to go to hospital.
In May, the government deported Torna Limbu, a Nepalese national, and Abdus Sabur, a Bangladeshi national, president and vice-president respectively of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU), despite a call from the National Human Rights Commission for a stay of deportation until it could investigate allegations of beatings by immigration officials during their arrests. There were concerns that the two men were targeted specifically because of their union activities.
Freedom of expression, assembly and association
Labour movement
According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, irregular employment protests occurred at more than 30 different factories. Security forces used excessive force against striking irregular workers, who were protesting because they received less pay than regular workers for equal work. They also faced losing their jobs after two years so that their employers could avoid regularizing their status in line with the 2007 Contract Based Employment Law.
Media independence
The chief executives and presidents of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Korean Broadcasting Advertising Corporation, Arirang TV, Sky Life and Yonhap Television Network (YTN) were replaced by supporters of the government.
Protests against the appointment of the new YTN president Ku Bon-hong, a former aide to President Lee Myung-bak, resulted in Ku Bon-hong suing 12 trade union journalists and firing six journalists for “interfering with business”.
Conscientious objectors
Police imprisoned at least 408 conscientious objectors, mostly Jehovah’s Witnesses, for refusing compulsory military service. This significant drop in numbers compared to the 733 imprisoned in 2007 was largely because cases were not heard ahead of plans to introduce an alternative to military service in 2009. However, in December the Ministry of Defence put the plans on hold due to lack of public support.
Lee Gil-joon, a conscripted riot police officer was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for failure to return to duty and disobeying orders because he opposed using violence to disperse demonstrators during the candlelight protests.
Arbitrary arrests and detentions – National Security Law
2008 celebration event on the World Day Against DP,10 Oct.© Amnesty International2008 marked 60 years since the National Security Law (NSL) was introduced. As of December, there were at least nine detained individuals charged under the vague provisions of the NSL.
On 26 August, police arrested seven activists from the Socialist Workers League of Korea, including a university professor, Oh Se-chul, for violating article three (forming anti-state groups) and article seven (praising or sympathizing with anti-state groups) of the NSL. Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrants submitted by the prosecutor’s office on grounds of insufficient evidence. On 14 October, police re-submitted the arrest warrant for Professor Oh, but it was again rejected by the court due to lack of evidence.
Refugees and asylum-seekers
A total of 364 applications for refugee status were submitted in 2008. Thirty-six people were granted refugee status and 22 were given humanitarian protection. Seventy-nine applications were rejected. Serious concerns were raised about the lack of resources in immigration offices as the backlog of asylum claims reached over 1,200 cases.
Violence against women and girls
In January, President-elect Lee Myung-bak said he would not call on Japan to apologize for its wartime atrocities.
In October, the South Korean parliament passed a resolution calling for justice for the survivors of Japan’s military sexual slavery system during World War II.
Death penalty
South Korea’s unofficial moratorium on executions continued. Fifty-eight prisoners were on death row at the end of the year. The Special Bill to Abolish the Death Penalty lapsed in March. Two new bills on the abolition of the death penalty were introduced in the National Assembly.
See more for the AI Reports on the policing the candlelight protests by the Korean government. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA25/008/2008/en
Amnesty Sees S. Korea’s Human Rights Backpedaling
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
South Korea has been backpedaling on human rights regarding expression of opinion, assembly and association under the Lee Myung-bak administration, Amnesty International said Tuesday.
The world's largest human rights watchdog urged the government to remove all measures restricting such rights to maintain Seoul's leadership in human rights protection in the Asia-Pacific region.
``Some policies and measures restricting human rights have commonly been found in prior administrations. However, our concern over, in particular, the right of expression, assembly and association under the current government is higher than ever before,'' said Go Eun-tae, chairman of Amnesty International's Seoul bureau, at a press conference. ``We reached this conclusion after reviewing our past human rights reports.''
It expressed grave concern over the increasing use of force by police in cracking down on demonstrators.
``In recent rallies, police recklessly assaulted and detained non-violent demonstrators and even innocent civilians. Some were injured. But police have not taken any responsibility for that,'' said Kim Hee-jin, director of the human rights group. ``It seems that police have lost their sense of responsibility.''
Kim denounced the police's recent decision to prohibit civic groups with records of hosting unauthorized rallies from taking any collective action. ``It's an arbitrary decision and apparently infringes upon people's freedom of expression, protected under the Constitution,'' Kim said.
She said South Korea's freedom of the press was also in jeopardy as the government has tried to muzzle media outlets critical of the administration by replacing their chief executives with supporters of President Lee.
Earlier this year, chief executives and presidents of the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), Arirang TV, and Yonhap Television Network (YTN) were replaced by President Lee's supporters.
In replacing YTN's top job, 12 trade union journalists and six YTN journalists were sued or fired for their protests against the appointment of Ku Bon-hong as YTN president.
It added that freedom of expression in cyberspace was also under attack.
``The arrest of blogger Minerva proves it,'' Kim said. ``Even though he was acquitted at trial, we are concerning about similar cases in the future.''
Internet blogger Park Dae-sung, better known as Minerva, was indicted on charges of causing financial loss to the government by spreading unconfirmed information online.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
Professors Demand No Rollback on Democracy
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/06/117_46122.html
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
For the first time in more than five years, professors are moving to issue a statement to press for furthering democracy.
About 100 professors of Seoul National University will issue a joint statement today to denounce the Lee Myung-bak administration for what they call backtracking on democratic rights.
They will urge the Lee administration to change the framework of its policies as ``democracy has reached a point where it cannot become worse.'' They condemned the administration's ``excessive suppression of the media and the oppression of public voices.''
It is the first such announcement in five years since they publicly opposed a lawmakers move to impeach former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004.
It was quite common during the authoritarian Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan administrations in the 1970s and early 1980s for professors, opinion leaders and religious leaders to press for democracy.
The announcement will mainly be a request to the government to ``respect full democracy,'' including permission for public political gatherings and guaranteeing the ``independence of the press from political or chaebol'' influence.
Prof. Lee Joon-ho noted that the Lee administration has been indifferent about pressing the issues necessary for national harmony.
``During the past liberal administrations of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, we enjoyed freedom of expression. But we don't anymore,'' he said. ``Of course it is a bit of a scary situation. The prosecution has even hauled away critical TV program directors. Now we can no longer tolerate the arbitrary questioning,'' Lee said.
Lee says that the present administration needs to make changes to its policies that may run counter to a fuller democracy.
Police blocked Seoul Plaza to prevent illegal gatherings and have torn down memorial alter to the late former President Roh installed in central Seoul, a move which drew immense public criticism.
The professor said there are more professors critical of the administration's policy on democracy and human rights. ``Even some conservative people told me that it is the time to make some changes,'' he said.
Professors at other universities are likely to issue the same statement to press the government not to backpedal on the country's hard fought-for democracy.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
