[APWSLMembers 135] Fw: Dae-oup Chang-Release anti-WTO protestors

[parat Nanakhorn]

>From: <lucia at cawinfo.org>
>To: <paratn at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Fw: Dae-oup Chang-Release anti-WTO protestors
>Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 11:33:47 +0700
>
>
>Lucia Victor Jayaseelan
>Coordinator, Committee for Asian Women
>386/60 Soi Ratchadapisek 42
>Ratchadapisek Road
>Ladyao, Chatujak
>Bangkok 10900
>Thailand
>Tel: (662) 0 2930 5634/5
>Fax (662) 0 2930 5633
>Mobile (662) (0) 98250070
>email: lucia at cawinfo.org
>www.cawinfo.org
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Dae-oup Chang
>To: Luke.Coxon at finsec.org.nz ; lucia at cawinfo.org ; khis21 at empal.com ; 
>khewison at email.unc.edu ; bajajpower at hotmail.com ; kp_kasbi at yahoo.com ; 
>kaneko at yokohama-cu.ac.jp ; k_shan08 at yahoo.co.uk ; lek at thailabour.org ; 
>pouvc at yahoo.com ; pouvc at hotmail.com ; jorge at waronwant.org ; 
>jooha.lee at pembroke.oxford.ac.uk ; mypaengi at hotmail.com ; 
>johnholloway at prodigy.net.mx ; jim at kincaid.u-net.com ; jini at caw.jinbo.net ; 
>jjohn at labourfile.org ; irene_xavier2000 at yahoo.com ; x.irene at tm.net.my ; 
>ineke at cleanclothes.org ; iman_r1 at yahoo.com
>Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 9:31 AM
>Subject: Fwd: Dae-oup Chang-Release anti-WTO protestors
>
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Dae-oup Chang <daeoup at gmail.com>
>Date: 22-Dec-2005 10:22
>Subject: Dae-oup Chang-Release anti-WTO protestors
>To: y_yawas at yahoo.com, cjlhassc at ms39.hinet.net, sochvr at nus.edu.sg, 
>vdass at hotmail.com, timothyc at oxfam.org.au, susannewycisk at yahoo.com, 
>clist at loxinfo.co.th, socheata at womynsagenda.org
>Cc: "labrev at hanmail.net" <labrev at hanmail.net >, chang at amrc.org.hk
>
>
>Dear  Friends
>
>
>
>How are you? Hope that those who had been in hk for WTO got back home 
>safely.
>
>Here in Hong Kong the struggle has never finished. Now, there are still 14 
>people detained, charged with unlawful assembly. In 20th court hearing, 
>bail-out of these 14 detainees have been rejected. These people are 
>randomly selected out of about 900 arrested on 17th in Wanchai by hk police 
>without any clear evidences and so far they haven't got any clear idea of 
>what they did or where they were.
>
>
>
>I have been with them, translating for lawyers and also helping them 
>orgnaising sitting in struggle in HK. I went to Kwuntong Court with lawyer 
>to know who were in the court prison. We only knew approximate number of 
>detainees, which was about 80-90.The condition of these detainees was 
>really bad. the prison cell was very small and cold. One cell had 10-20 
>people. After spending 12 hours on the street surronded by police which did 
>not even allow to go to toilet, there did not have chance to wash for 
>almost 3 days. Exauseted and frustrated, these korean detainees did not 
>even trust me, looking at me with scary eyes and keep asking me 'are you 
>really with lawyer?'...It took me for a while to convince them that I was 
>with KCTU and lawyer. Once they trusted me, all complaints and requests 
>came out at the same time, it was impossible for me to collect all of them. 
>All of them wanted to know what was going on outside despertely. Many of 
>them asked to contact their family. Asking water, giving me a comrade's 
>name to check whether they are ok or not.....tens of request at a time...
>
>
>
>I was in police station with them when they were finger printed and 
>charged. The attitude of hk police was really rude and violent. They wanted 
>to force the detainess phisically first, rather than asking them to do so 
>verbally. One farmer was trying to talk to me desperately, wanting to know 
>whether it was possible to have a liitle break. Police shout at this 
>detainee even when he talked to me for translation. As I complaint by 
>saying that they don't have to shout at him, he also approached and looked 
>at me as if he would arrest me immediately. One farmer refused to speak in 
>Korean to me, only repeating a lawyer's name who visited them the first day 
>ot arrest, in english. It took me about 20 min to persuade him to talk to 
>me and trust me. One word came out from him, 'why should this world this 
>unfair...?'. His wife gave birth only 2 days before he left for anti-WTO 
>struggle in HK. In front of the court, the arch bishop of Hong Kong was 
>complaining about inhumane treatment of the detainees by hk police, one 
>superintendent came out and pushed him back, he nearly fell down. And the 
>police disappeared behind the door. They do not respect anyone involved in 
>this struggle.
>
>
>
>On the contrary, hong kong people's support to the protestors are still 
>there, not to mention the full-hearted support from young activists of 
>HKCTU and other small organisations. Last night we launched sit-in strike 
>in front of Kwuntong court. It was coldest night in this year. 
>Nevertheless, many locals visisted the site with food and clothes. A school 
>girl with her mom visited us with a drawing of the little girl which showed 
>a big heart in between Korean farmers and hong kong people. An elderly 
>woman came with sleeping bag. As we told her that we have enough, she said 
>she wanted to bring a big umbrella so that we could shield the wind. She 
>said she think the farmers are all her family and chanted the slogan 'down 
>down WTO'. A middle age hong konger visited us with a whole set of meal and 
>hot soyabean soup, told us 'you taught us a lot about how to fight for our 
>rights in hong Kong. He was in candle virgil for democracy just before he 
>came to us to support. Visits continued till 2AM. By the time we went to 
>sleep, we, except the one in hunger strike, were all completely 
>full....with the food and the warm heart. It was a very cold day, however, 
>no one there felt that we were alone.
>
>
>
>We need more support from all over the world to release those detainess. 
>The trial is compeletely political. In the court hearing, the prosecutors' 
>statement was really poor, sounded not convincing at all, as if they just 
>cut and paste some news paper articles describing the demonstration. It is 
>very unusual that bail out is rejected for the charge of unlawful assembly. 
>It is time for solidarity action, every single protest letter will be great 
>pressure to hk government who is trying to manipulate public opinion as if 
>this conflict is beween hong kong and foreigners. Let them know that the 
>unlawful assembly was not people's demonstration but the WTO ministreal. 
>Let them know they cannot keep violating human right.
>
>
>
>Please take action according to the following
>
>
>
>Dae-oup Chang
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>
>From: ?¸ë™ëª©ì‚¬
>
>To: APWSL-MAILING
>
>Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 5:29 AM
>
>Subject: [APWSL-Corea] Actions for Supporting Action to Detainees
>
>
>
>Actions for Supporting Action to Detainees
>
>Dear Friends,
>Actions for Supporting Action to Detainees
>There will be 14 protestors prosecuted in Kwun Tong
>Magistrates Count on 23rd Dec.
>Several actions will hold.
>Detail as follow:
>
>Korean Peasants League hold a protest action demanding the release of the 
>arrested. A korean framers, Lee, will bow 3000 hits, and carry out hunger 
>strike at the same time, until 9:00pm on 23rd Dec. At the same time, 
>supporters (HK people or overseas) will join in different time slot.
>Date: 21st December, 2005 (Wed)
>Time: a. 08:00-10:30
>b. 11:30-14:30
>c. 15:30-17:30
>d. 18:30-21:00
>Venue: Front Gate, Kwan Tong Law Count
>Contact: 3173 8412 Suzanne
>
>Visiting the Protestors
>Date: 22th December, 2005 (Thr)
>Time: 4:00 p.m.
>Venue: Kwan Tong MTR Hang Sun Bank , Wong Tai Sin MTR Hang Sun Bank
>Contact: 2770 8668 Ah Chui
>
>Candle Light Assembly
>Date: 22th December, 2005 (Thr)
>Time: 9:00 p.m.
>Venue: Pedestrian Precinct, East Point Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
>Contact: 2770 8668 Ah Chui
>
>Supporting 14 protestors Action
>Date: 23th December, 2005 (Fri)
>Time: 11:00 a.m.
>Venue: Kwun Tong Magistrates Count, Kwun Tong MTR D4 Exit
>Contact: 2770 8668 Ah Chui
>
>
>::: posted by Suzanne Wu : Wednesday, December 21, 2005
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Urgent appeal by the Hong Kong support group for Anti-WTO protest detainees
>
>20th December 2005
>
>Urgent appeal by the Hong Kong support group for Anti-WTO protest detainees
>
>Dear friends,
>
>We write to request your immediate solidarity action against the Hong Kong 
>government�™s mass arrest and violence against the anti-WTO 
>demonstrators on the 17th and 18th of December 2005.
>
>Currently, 14 male demonstrators including 11 Koreans, 1 Japanese, 1 
>Chinese, and 1 Taiwanese are still held in police custody and will be up 
>for trial this Friday, the 23rd of December.
>
>As members of various international and local Hong Kong civil society 
>groups, we strongly condemn the mass arrests and crackdown against WTO 
>demonstrators. We assert the legitimacy of protest, and continue to support 
>and call for the unconditional release of those who are still detained. We 
>call for better treatment of detainees, and demand an apology from the Hong 
>Kong authorities for their actions.
>
>Various solidarity actions, listed below, have been planned for Hong Kong. 
>We call for international solidarity actions on and before the 23rd of 
>December. Please find below background information and further suggested 
>actions including a sample email. We urge you to contact the Hong Kong 
>authorities today and call for the detainees to be released and the charges 
>to be dropped!
>
>Updates and more information can be found the website of the Hong Kong 
>Peoples Alliance on the WTO: http://www.hkpa-wto.org/
>
>For more information, please contact:
>
>HKPA Documentation Team
>hkpa.documentation at gmail.com
>
>
>Further Local Action:
>
>
>
>
>Starting at 4:00pm on the 21st of December a member of the Korean 
>Peasants̢?‰㢠League will bow 3000 times in front of Kwun Tong District 
>Court, Kowloon.
>
>Local activists will continue a hunger strike, started upon initial arrests 
>on the 18th of December.
>
>Symbolic visits to the three detention centers where detainees are being 
>held will take place during the day of 22nd of December for Winter 
>Festival. Tong Yuen desserts will be brought as a gesture of reunification.
>
>A candlelight vigil will be held on the evening on the 22nd of December at 
>SOGO pedestrian zone from 9:00pm â??quot; 11:00pm.
>
>A solidarity demonstration outside of Kwun Tong District Court will be held 
>on the 23rd of December starting at 11:00am.
>
>
>
>Suggested International Action:
>
>
>
>Please contact the Hong Kong authorities to demand that those in custody be 
>released, and that the charges be dropped.
>
>Please send Hong Kong People�™s Alliance, at 
>hkpa.documentation at gmail.com, your message of solidarity to be used during 
>the local demonstration at Kwun Tong District Court on the 23rd of 
>December.
>
>Please arrange international protests on or before the 23rd of December at 
>your local Chinese embassy.
>
>
>
>
>Background:
>
>On December 17 the Hong Kong police arrested hundreds of activists who were 
>trying to reach the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in a 
>demonstration to protest against the policies of the World Trade 
>Organisation (WTO). At around 5:00 pm, they were stopped by the police, who 
>used pepper spray, water hoses and eventually, tear gas, to disperse them. 
>Many demonstrators were injured and some were hospitalized.
>
>Reports from the legal support group and those arrested reveal that many 
>have been
>mishandled or beaten by the police and were denied medical aid, food, water 
>and bathroom facilities.
>
>By now most arrested have been released, but the HK government sent 14 
>demonstrators to court on 19th of December charging them with unlawful 
>assembly under the HK Public Order Ordinance. These people include 11 
>Koreans, 1 Taiwanese, 1 Japanese and 1 mainland Chinese (names listed 
>below). The judge rejected bail out requests. They are now in police 
>custody pending trial on the 23rd of December. The police might charge them 
>with more serious offences.
>
>Those persons still detained:
>
>HWANG, DAE SUB Korean Catholic Farmers̢?‰㢠Association
>YANG, KYOUNG KYU Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
>KANG, SEUNG KYU Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>LEE, YOUNG HOON Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>PARK, IN HWAN Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>YOON, IL KWON Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>NAMGUNG SUK Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>LIM, DAE HYUK Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
>KIM, CHANG JOON Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>HAN, DONG UNG Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>LEE, HYUNG JIN Korean Peasants̢?‰㢠League
>
>LEE CHIEN CHING Taiwanese student
>MAKAKIRI KOSUKE Japanese journalist, â??“People Newspaperâ???>1 mainland 
>Chinese
>
>It is extremely important to contact the Hong Kong police and authorities 
>as soon as possible, before the hearing of the 23rd, and call for those 
>kept in custody to be released, and for the charges to be dropped. Find 
>below a sample email with contact addresses (you are encouraged to adapt 
>this to your own words).
>
>
>
>SAMPLE EMAIL
>
>To:
>Chief Executive of HK: Mr Donald Tsang ceo at ceo.gov.hk
>Head of the Security Bureau: Mr Ambrose S.K. LEE at sbenq at sb.gov.hk
>
>
>Dear Mr Tsang / Mr. Lee
>
>I/we (my organisation) am deeply concerned about the 14 demonstrators still 
>held in police custody in Hong Kong, following the rally of December 17, 
>2005. I/we (my organisation) call upon you to immediately release them, and 
>drop all of the charges.
>
>Over the past few weeks, dozens of peaceful rallies were organized in Hong 
>Kong. Furthermore, the local and international community was deeply moved 
>by the sincere actions of demonstrators and expressed their strong support 
>to the Korean peasants.
>
>During the whole demonstration, there was no damage to private shops or 
>public property. Police labeling of this incident as a â??“riotâ???is 
>totally misleading and completely untrue.
>
>I/we (my organisation) regret that the police force used unnecessary 
>excessive force during the rally, on December 17, 2005. Tear gas was 
>applied without prior warning to the public and reporters on the spot. We 
>regret the fact that considerable numbers of demonstrators and Hong Kong 
>citizens were injured by water cannon and tear gas and express our deepest 
>concern to all injured people.
>
>Many international NGO and trade union representatives were present in Hong 
>Kong during the WTO conference, and joined in the rallies and actions 
>together with those presently kept in custody. The international community 
>will continue to closely monitor the situation of the detainees and the 
>actions of the Hong Kong authorities. We sincerely hope you will hear our 
>call and release all detainees unconditionally and without pressing 
>charges.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>::: posted by Trisha : Wednesday, December 21, 2005
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>People's Action Week website
>
>Enter the People's Action Week section of the HKPA website.
>
>People's Action Week is the people's alternative to the World Trade 
>Organization's 6th Ministerical Conference. Beginning on the 8th of 
>December, and continuing until the end of the MC6, various local and 
>international organizations have organized a wide range of workshops, 
>seminars, and cultural events all focusing on the impact of the World Trade 
>Organization on people. Keep up to date with what is going on during 
>People's Action Week and the HKPA's response to the WTO negotiations, by 
>frequently visiting this special section of the HKPA's website. This 
>section includes a complete programme list, press releases, daily 
>newsletters, photographs, news articles and other useful information.
>
>
>::: posted by Trisha : Thursday, December 08, 2005
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>WTO: Whose Trade Organization is it? RP Solon questions RP membership in 
>the WTO
>
>RESIST! JunkWTO!
>
>News Release December 6,2005
>Ref: Ina Alleco Silverio (09228123634), Tonyo Cruz (09178928277) email at 
>resist_wto at yahoo.com
>
>
>WTO: Whose Trade Organization is it? RP Solon questions RP membership in 
>the WTO
>
>
>
>Resist! Spokesperson and Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casino today 
>questioned in Congress the Philippines' continuing membership in the the 
>World Trade Organization (WTO). "The W TO is not by any stretch of the 
>imagination an estbalished or elected government; but from the way it 
>conduct itself, it has become the most powerful pseudo-legislative and 
>judicial body in the world," he said.
>
>Casino said that by promoting the "free trade" agenda of multinational 
>corporations above the interests of local communities, working families, 
>human rights and environment concerns, the WTO has systematically violated 
>the sovereignty, economic and political independence of countries all over 
>the world.
>
>"In the ten years of its existence, WTO panels composed of corporate 
>attorneys have made rulings that patently aggravate the already immense 
>poverty of poorer, weaker nations and their peoples. The WTO has 
>essentially taken over the governments and unilaterally laid down 
>disastrous amendments to internal laws and charters of supposedly sovereign 
>states. Trade, agriculture and labor officials of governments all ove r the 
>world, to say nothing of the top executives, are essentially takin their 
>cues from the WTO," he said.
>
>The activist lawmaker and Resist spokespersom said that the the WTO is even 
>imposing global authority greater than than institutions such as the United 
>Nations (UN) dares to impose. "Unlike UN treaties, the International Labor 
>Organization conventions, or multilateral environmental agreements, the WTO 
>cracks its whip and enforces its rules through sanctions. This gives the 
>WTO more power than any other international body. The WTO's authority even 
>eclipses national governments," he said.
>
>Casino said that more than more than 200 activists from the Philippines 
>will gather in Hong Kong this December to protest against the WTO's 6th 
>Ministerial Meeting.
>
>"When the WTO was founded in 1995, it projected its supposed mandate to 
>promote free trade as the key to development. Now, 10 years later, even 
>developing country governments are embittered by the WTO and denounce its 
>policies. The welfare of millions of poor and working people have been 
>sacrificed on the WTO's altar of free trade. The WTO and its corporate 
>agenda have been has been fully exposed. Peoples of the world ask "WTO is 
>the WTO?" , or "Whose trade organization is the WTO? and the answer is 
>swift in coming: the WTO is solely run and controlled by the superpowers 
>led by the US and it transnational and multinational corporations. It is 
>not and has never been an institution that had the betterment of the 
>working peoples' welfare as its agenda."
>
>"Ten years of the WTO is way too much. Now is the time to ask: Whose trade 
>organization is it? It does not appear to belong to or benefit the majority 
>of the world's citizens. The WTO system favors huge multinational companies 
>and the wealthiest few in developed and developing countries, violently 
>attacking the welfare of the poor."
>
>Finally, Casino said that in Hong Kong later this month, Filipino activists 
>- farmers, workers, immigrants, and women -- will register their strong 
>protest against the WTO, linking its policies to the suffering in the daily 
>lives of the poor and working people of the world, not just of the 
>Philippines.
>
>"The WTO's policies on agriculture, labor, immigration, privatization, and 
>trade liberalization spell doom for millions of people in the world. The 
>Philippine government should renoucne membership to this infamous 
>organization and assert economic independence and political indepedence," 
>he concluded.#
>
>
>
>This is our contribution to the PEOPLE'S ACTION WEEK! Know more about the 
>actions against the WTO!
>Visit our blog at http://junk-wto.blogspot.com
>
>* The views and opinions contained herein do not necessarily reflect the 
>view of The Dean and the Council of St. John's Cathedral
>
>

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