Published: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 19:37:41 +0900

Remember these anti-US protesters that got beaten by the Camp Humphrey's merchants? Now they are back and have Amnesty International on their side claiming that the Camp Humphreys merchants have violated the protesters human rights.

"Park Lae-goon is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately," said Rajiv Narayan, East Asia researcher at Amnesty International. "He has been detained for over a week solely because of his peaceful campainging for the Pyongtaek farmers."

Park Lae-goon was arrested on 9 July. He had been demonstrating for the rights of farmers in Pyongtaek, whose land is subject to an eviction order to make way for the expansion of a US army base. According to witnesses, Park and other demonstrators were attacked by another group wielding wooden staffs, but police officers monitoring the demonstration did nothing to stop the attackers. One protester suffered a severe head injury and had his teeth broken, according to a local human rights group.

Some of the demonstrators, including Park, went to the police station to complain about the lack of action on the part of the police. They also complained that the police had blocked the road into the village of Daechuri, preventing residents from getting into their own homes. Rather than consider their complaints, the demonstrators say the police beat up Park and other protesters and arrested them. Most have now been released, but Park Lae-goon remains behind bars.

"Everyone has the right to demonstrate peacefully and the police should be upholding this right, not attacking and arresting people who exercise it," said Rajiv Narayan. "The dispute over villagers' land around Pyongtaek should be settled by means of a fresh consultation that takes account of the farmers' concerns -- not through force."

I think this picture here best sums up the absurdity of Amnesty International:

It is okay for the "farmers" what few are left and the anti-US hate groups to use force on the Korean police and bash their heads in, but it is not okay for the police or Pyeongtaek residents to use force back on the protesters?

Tags: korea, protesters

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