[June 7] UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights points out the abuse of state power in Gangjeong

[아름드리 나무]

See the related Korean script, here

See the press release on the PRESS CONFERENCE on June 7, here (Please down the mouse for the English part)

Photo source: Jeju Sori, June 7, 2013

Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders visited Gangjoeng on June 4.

Photo source: Jeju Sori, June 7, 2013

The below is the rearranged and excerpted translation of Jeju Sori, June 7, 2013.

Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders emphasized the need of limitation on the use of state power on the participants in peace rallies and guarantee of the residents’ participation in the national policy project such as the Jeju naval base project, in the press conference held in the Koreana hotel at 11 am, June 7.

According to the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Sekaggya, the UN Special Rapporteur, mentioned focused on △ restriction on the freedom of expression‎ of opinion △ criminal case punishment on the damage of fame △ evil effect of the national security law and △ infringement on the freedom on peaceful rally and protest. [..]

1.  In relation to the Jeju naval base project

# She emphasized residents’ participation in the Jeju naval base project which is a national policy project should be guaranteed, saying that, “most local residents pointed out that the biggest cause of their complaints has been the lack of effective consultative process and of residents’ participation in the developmental projects. The villagers are claiming their rights to live in clean and healthy environment, as well as to protect the nature environment in the places they live. In the places such as in Gangjeong and Milyang where large size national policy projects are processed, there should be effective consultative process and residents’ participation.

# She expressed her concern on excessive fines, obstruction of business and charges on the damage compensation. She said that:

“During the visit to Korea, I met various cases and situations that people’s basic rights to peaceful rally are unjustly limited while the police used over excessive state power in their response to protest. Human rights defenders and residents who oppose the large size developmental projects such as the construction of transmission tower in Milyang and Jeju naval base project in Gangjeong have gotten violence and arrests.”

“Residents used to be accused or charged under the obstruction of business while they carry out their rights to peacefully oppose large size developmental projects or to get charged of tremendous  compensation of damage and provisional seizure of estates. It was also known that there used to be the cases that foreign activists who entered the country to support them are forcefully to be enforced or not to be allowed of entries.”

# She also pointed out the problematic element in the current report system of rally in Korea.

“It seems that the current rally report system has been changed in content to permission system, in fact, to cut the peaceful rally and protests organized by the defenders. Some articles such as obstruction of traffic stipulated in the law on rally and protest seriously limit the organization of peaceful rallies and in case of violation of those, heavy punishments follow.”

2.  Official report will be in March, next year

The press conference was held to inform the content of the 1^st investigation and recommendation items, regarding her visit to Korea for nine days, before the official report in the Human Rights Council next March.

Human Rights defender is a concept close to human rights activist to protect and promote human rights. The Human Rights Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights defenders carries out the role to investigate and protect the activities and situations of human rights defenders in the world.

Magaret Sekaggya who entered Korea on May 29 has met diplomacy ambassadors, not to mention various government institutes such as the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, National Human Rights Commission, National Broadcasting and Communication Commission, National Police Office, Cities of Seoul, Milyang, Gwangju, starting with the meeting with the Prime Minister.

On last June 1 and 2, she met various human rights defender groups such as of labor, environment, society, peace, sex minority, disable, inside informant, migration, student human rights, media, and art, for the research on the situation reality of the human rights defenders in Korea.

On June 3, she has visited the sit-in field of Hyundae automobile workers who are continuing high steel tower sit-in to demand the improvement of workers’ rights, in Ulsan, and construction field of transmission tower in Milyang where infringement on the human rights on the residents who oppose the construction of electric towers is being done.

On June 4, she visited the Gangjeong village where the controversy on the infringements on the human rights of peace activists and villagers are increasing.

On June 5, she visited Gwangju, the place of 5·18 democratic movement, to listen to the voice there.

The investigation result of the Special rapporteurs will be officially reported in the form of report containing results and recommendations of investigation on reality, in the 25^th UN Human Rights Council that will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, next March.

The 29 civic society groups such as the PSPD, Democratic Lawyer’s Association, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island stated that they would make all effort so that the rapporteur’s report can exactly reflect the human rights situation of Korea. “The South Korean government should acknowledge the seriousness of the Korean human right situation pointed out by the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur and should make best efforts such as setting up concrete performance plans to carry out the applicable recommendations.”