[News from Korea] Now, Korea is a battle ground by the riot police of the Kim Dae-jung Government (who won the Novel Peace Prize last year.) Newsletter for international solidarity and international reporting about Daewoo Struggle.
The First Newsletter [March 1st, 2001]
Hi, I'm Patch
A, a member of Daewoo Joinst Struggle Headquarters. We send you this newsletter
out of a sense of urgency. The workers at Daewoo Motors have been on strike
against the lay-offs of 1750 workers since the 16th of February.
The Kim Dae-jung government has brutally repressed the workers, sending
in riot police to break up the strike at the factory. Workers, students,
and social movement activists have been engaged in an all-out battle against
the Kim Dae-jung Government ever since, resulting in the arrest of dozens
and the injury of hundreds. Bu-pyung area, which is near the Daewoo Motor's
Factory in Korea, recently is like a place under martial law!!!
Today, also thousands of policemen were sent and completely blockaded
around the factory very forcibly and violently. Even they did violence
to lots of babies, children and wives who are struggling with their fathers
and husbands on the spot, who were fired from Daewoo Motor.
But, in this fatal situation, President Kim Dae-jung now is trips to the
United States(March 6th - March 11th). He has tried to oppress these people's
struggle by using only riot policemen's violence. Also, he ignored Daewoo
people's pain and went to United States.
The people of Korea need your solidarity to overcome this attack by the
Kim Dae-jung Government. Send your messages of support to the workers
at Daewoo. Send your messages of protest to the Korean Kim Dae-jung Government
and police.
And Could you mind organizing actions at Korea Embassies in the world.
Especially, President Kim Dae-jung is now in Washington.(He will be there,
Washington, till March 11th.) So, if people in United States make an solidarity
action in there to censure the Kim Dae-jung Govenment's oppressing Daewoo
laborers in Korea, it will be the real international Solidarity and we
will appreciate very much. Thank You.
More information
on the Daewoo Struggle:
http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english/
The
Daewoo workers need you Support!!
Solidarity to the Workers at Daewoo Motors!!
The Daewoo workers have declared an all out struggle against the largest lay-offs ever in Korea, amidst brutal suppression from the government. The workers of Daewoo Motors had already been several strikes on and off during the last 9 months, but the struggle reached its peak on the 16th of February as the union announced an indefinite general strike against management's official announcement that 1,750 workers would be layed off. The management had made some revisions to its demands, for example, insisting that 400 of the 1,780 will be given 2 year leave without wages, but the union did not make any compromises.
The management has shut down the Bu-pyung plant where all of 1,750 to be laid off are working, but the union has called for the workers to keep working, organize education sessions and struggles. The police sent 2,000 riot police to the Bu-pyung plant and blocked the gates to prevent the workers who, having received their 'pink-slips' by post, came to the plant to join the demonstrations. Family members of the laid-off workers have also come to the plant in anguish to join forces with the striking workers. The management hired 300 'security' thugs to fight the workers, and on 19th February, the government took affirmative action and sent thousands of riot police to the plant to bread up the strike. The police thoroughly ignored the children of the workers who had come hanging on their mothers' backs, broke through the gates and forcefully dispersed the workers, causing many injuries.
After the suppression of the struggle at the Bu-Pyung plant, the workers are now out on the streets. On the 20th, 2,000 workers and students demonstrated at the Bupyeong Station and fought vigorously with molotov cocktails. They continued onto the next day. But the police closed off and blocked the demonstrators even before they had commenced. The demonstrators instead ran onto the highway and marched approximately 2km towards Seoul. On the 23rd, one worker who could not bear out the burden of being laid-off committed suicide. On the 24th, the police once again chased the workers and students who were trying to come together at the Bu-pyung Station. Some demonstrators were even driven onto the rails and were injured. The demonstrators then took over a road but were chased again into a nearby university and fought until dusk. 8 buses with supporting workers and family members also joined the barricades. More than 2,000 workers fought around the country the same day.
We are witnessing
once again, how the economic crisis is brought on and used by the capitalist
to throw workers onto the streets, weaken workers' power and bloat the
wealth in their pockets. The brutality of the riot police brought out
once again the essence of the Kim government, who came into power with
sweet advertisements of democracy, as he shattered all hopes and
immediately started his neo-liberal regime. Although it is evident whose
side the government is on, the abrupt and pitiless violence shown towards
the Daewoo workers came as a shock. The workers, who have nothing more
to lose, are fighting back.
Along with
the struggles at the plant, KCTU and other progressive organizations have
formed Daewoo Motors Joint Struggle Headquarters to assist the workers
struggles at the same time calling for the arrest of the Daewoo chairman,
Kim Woo-Chung. Early morning on 9th February, 50 members of 'Daewoo Motors
Joint Struggle Headquarters Arrest Squad'
occupied the luxurious house of the Daewoo chairman, Kim Woo-Chung, calling
for the his arrest, on multiple charges against him in connection with
the dismantled conglomerate's huge financial scams. Although the allegations
have been proven to be true, the Korean government is not making efforts
to bring Kim home. About one month ago, the Korean news broadcasted pictures
of Kim leisurely playing golf somewhere in sunny California, although
he seems to have moved now either to Europe, Morocco or Sudan. The Arrest
Squad sent its members to Europe on the 23rd, in search for the 'fugitive'
and force him to come home and face the charges. The Joint Struggle Headquarters
have made contact with the International Metallic Workers Federation for
assistance, and have sent multi-lingual 'Wanted' posters to foreign organizations
and unions. The 'Wanted' not only aims at the arrest of Kim but also for
the confiscation of the wealth he had illegally accumulated and to publicize
the collab!
oration of the Kim Dae-Jung government.
Their objective of arresting Kim is really symbolic - they will be meeting
with various anti neo-liberal groups and trade unions to call for international
solidarity.
The struggle
continues as the Joint Struggle Headquarters has organized daily demonstrations.
The struggle is gaining strength as more and more workers, students, and
activists are joining the demonstrations. The struggle moved to Seoul
today, as about 3000 participants gathered to denounce the government's
actions.
Protestors threw rocks and molotov cocktails at police, again engaging
in violent and intense clashes with police, which have become routine
during the past week. The oppression from the government is also becoming
more severe, as police have outlawed all demonstrations in the Bu-pyung
area and dozens have been arrested during the demonstrations. We will
keep you updated on the results of the struggles.
Your solidarity and interest would be a great help to the workers' struggle in Korea. Please send your words of solidarity to the Daewoo Motors Joint Struggle Headquarters
dwtubon@nodong.net, dwtubon_eng@dwtubon.nodong.net, patcha@patcha.jinbo.net
The
Second newsletter [March 8th, 2001]
Now,
Korea is a battle ground by the riot police of the Kim Dae-jung Government
(President Kim Dae-jung won the Nobel Peace Prize, last year)
March 7th,
Korea, The Press Interview by Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
(March 7, 10AM, in Sankok Catholic Church, Bupyong, Korea)
1. As all
of you native and foreign reporters, who came to cover the Daewoo affairs,
have witnessed, Bupyong and Daewoo Motor Co. is now under a vigilance
state without the actual proclamation of martial law.
Police forces, armed with clubs and shields, are on strict watch in each
pedestrian crossing, alley, tollgate and subway station to haul anyone
randomly. And attending work and operations are practiced like military
drills with about ten thousand combat policemen stationed at the Daewoo
Motor Co. factory. Who would say the resuming operation - suppressing
the 1,750 who were laid-off from work and ignored of any minimum procedures
and adequate standards conformed by law, arresting and searching for most
of the executives of the labor union and also illegal act of blocking
the attendance to the labor union office which is secured by the law -
can be a normal operation? The Kim Dae-jung government and the mobilization
of the press only says that only the thing left is the marketing of the
regularly operating Daewoo Motor Co. to General Motors Corp.(GM), without
any mention of the vigilance state of about the ten thousand stationed
policemen.
2. But we
will firmly maintain the Daewoo Motor struggle and extend it nationally
and internationally for the withdrawal of Kim Dae-jung's political power
which has ruptured the living rights of laborers and the people by the
structural regulation of neo-liberalism and layoffs, the disappearance
of reformation policies beginning with 3 big reformation legislations.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Union and about 3 thousand laborers
from all over the country has participated in the resolution rally opened
today for the withdrawal of Kim Dae-jung's political power in Bupyong
station at 2pm. Tomorrow on the 8th, about 5 thousand participators are
expected to attend the political power withdrawal resolution rally in
Youido, Seoul. On 14 and 17, there will be rallies held in Kwachon and
around the country at the same time and in late March, a large scaled
capital struggle and mass meeting held simultaneous in all parts of Korea
to show our firm struggle against Kim Dae-jung. And also starting from
April, a more advanced resolute struggle of a joint general strike of
all laborers who have been trampled by structural regulation and a union
struggle of all social standings is planned. Kim Dae-jung's political
power is rambunctiously expanding starting with the layoff of Daewoo Motor
Co. and will spread to all industries and businesses.
3. We would
like to ask President Kim Dae-jung. What is the intention of creating
a vigilance state of stationing about ten thousand policemen in order
to force the operation of Daewoo Motor? Whatever the disposal situation
of Daewoo Motor, it will be impossible in a guard of ten thousand policemen.
All circumstances are brought upon the government itself and whole responsibility
rests with the government. The police force stationed at Daewoo Motor
Co. is to be immediately pulled out and the practical vigilance state
twined in the Bupyong district must be called off. And all illegal actions
and violation of human rights like illegal compulsory haul, illegal questioning,
blocking legal rallies, indiscriminate violence and assault, blocking
the entrances of labor unions and so are to stopped immediately. The real
principal offender, Kim Woo-jung of the Daewoo affair should be arrested
at once and the Kim Woo-jung list must be made public.
The measure to avoid dismissals which is like a death penalty to the families
of 1,750 laborers by desired retirement and unpaid rotation temporary
retirement plan the labor union has presented and an unrepentant counterplot
conjured by Kim Il-sup committeeman and the current executives onto the
conduct direction of Daewoo Motor. This is the only way to save Daewoo
Motor, its laborers, citizens of Incheon City and for the normalization
of Korea's economy.
4. The results
of the neo-liberalism of 3 years worth of Kim Dae-jung's political power
has only left a great gap between the rich and the poot, foreign outflow
of essence enterprises and also the rupture of the lives of laborers and
the people. And the reformation policy of the big 3 reformation legislations,
the abolition of the national security law, human rights committee law,
preventing social decays and so on are at miss. The Korean Confederation
of Trade Union insists that if President Kim Dae-jung doesn't stop dismissals
focused on structural regulation and the immediate enforcement of true
reformation measures like the big 3 reformation legislations, the whole
nation will struggle to withdraw the stained Kim Dae-jung's political
power.
<March, 7, 2001, Korean Confederation of Trade Union>
The Third Newsletter [March, 13th]
Dear Comrades and Friends
Daewoo Struggle
from Korea is continuing. Oppress of the Kim Daejung government is more
and more strong.
Especially, the government makes a new unit (a "special attack"
unit) in charge of off gasoline bombs (fire bottle) on the drill ground
of National Police Agency in Seoul Friday, March 9, 2001. It is unbearable
plan and we will move against. Comrades and friends, please make issue
fighting world-widely, and Solidarity.
For more
information
http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english/
Our English web-sites updated as follows
A. The Struggle is continuing...
- Demonstration in front of Inchon National University of Education
- Daewoo Bupyung Factory runs again. But we don't give up our struggle. Comrades and laborers who were not arrested in the struggle of attending to the factory, are all together at Inchon National University of Education and Bupyung Station. They are throwing fire bottles with their anger, sorrow, and pain.
B. Press Conference of International Squad for arresting Kim Woo-choong.
International Squad(Yu Man-hyong, head of the Squad, a former member of Daewoo Motor Labor Union/ Park Jom-kyu, 31, organizing chief of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) / Hwang I-min, 37, spokesman for Daewoo Joint Struggle Headquarters Against Daewoo Motor) for arresting former Daewoo chairman Kim woo-choong, and for censuring DJ regime's violence returned home today after various activities throughout France for 10 days since they left Korea on Feb. 23.
1. We were hailed by French citizen and the Press as well as the local workers. We visited Interpol headquarters and made an official request to arrest Kim Woo-choong. We exposed to them that the Kim Dae-jung government has no intention to catch Kim Woo-choong. No nongovenmental group or a person has ever visited the Interpol and made a request before. We also tried to force our way into the Nice villa where Kim Woo-choong had been found to enjoy his luxury life. Through this struggle we clarified and let the world know that the grand villa in France belongs to Daewoo workers.
2. On arriving
in Paris, we met major nongovenmental organizations including ATTAC and
disclosed to them the horrible situation in Korea where the government
uses public power to suppress Daewoo Motor workers who are rightfully
struggling against the company's layoffs. This disclosure made the Council
of the European Union adopt, through an official procedure, a statement
reprimanding the South Korean government for suppressing the labor. The
Council also decided to organize a Korea-visiting group to officially
reprimand the DJ government. On top of this, International Confederation
for the Human Rights said it will visit Korea in order to make a joint
white paper with Korea's human rights organizations on human rights abuse
of the Korean workers by the government and the companies and file a suit
with the Human Rights Commission of UN against the Korean government.
French social groups decided to organize a joint countermeasure committee,
which will send mail censuring the !
Korean government and set up a fund to put censuring ads on Korea's newspaper.
3. Traveling major cities in France, we distributed about 10,000 leaflets about the arrest of Kim Woo-choong and denunciation on DJ regime's suppression on the labor. We visited the Korean Embassy in France and showed our intention. Also we had rallies in many places. France's major broadcasting companies and prestigious newspapers ran a story of our activities and the purpose of our visit to France. We sold all 1000 badges we made and could build a fund of about $2,800 to support our activities. We made an official visit to ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and filed a lawsuit against DJ government for banning multiple trade unions in one workplace. Lift of ban on multiple trade unions is postponed 5 years by the government.
4. Although we did not succeed in arresting Kim Woo-choong, escaping charges of embezzlement, we could have conviction, through our activities in France, that we, workers, can catch him on our own and found out that only the South Korean government has no intention to get Kim Woo-choong, the world top thief. During our activities, we were offered joint struggles by the workers of various countries like Germany, Switzerland and Britain; British workers of GM in Luton plant, UK, offered international joint struggles of worldwide workers in motor industry. Luton workers are also threatened to be laid off by GM. They also suggested a visit to BFC that has managed the hidden assets of Kim Woo-choong and struggles for the arrest of the ex-Daewoo chairman Kim and forfeiture of his amassed funds.
We will search everywhere in the world for Kim Woo-choong and never fail to arrest him.
C. We need your help !!!
We have not enough money to fight and struggle. We have lived in a shelter
tent. There are many families who was evicted[driven] from their post
which is rented from Daewoo .Can you give any donation or fund to us?
Please, we need your help. Things or Fund, Whatever we are fine. We will
wait your help. Thanks.
Bank : Chohung
Bank
Account : 938-04-179123
Name : An Mi-jeong
BIC-Code : chohkrse
Thanks alot.
> The First Newsletter [March 1st, 2001] ....
> The Second newsletter [March 8th, 2001] ....
> The Third Newsletter [March, 13th] ....
More information on:
http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english
