JULY 29, 1980, TUESDAY
LENGTH: 299 words
HEADLINE: vice-chairman of chinese political consultative conference condemns persecution of south korean democrats
DATELINE: beijing, july 28 ; Item No:
BODY:
liu lantao, vice-chairman of the national committee of the chinese people's political consultative conference, today condemned the south korean regime of general chon du hwan for suppressing and persecuting patriotic democrats.
liu lantao was speaking to xinhua on behalf of the national committee and the chinese people, on the recent decision of south korean authorities to execute former presidential candidate kim dae jung and eight other democrats after putting them on trial at a military tribunal.
he said: "this was another fascist atrocity of the chon du hwan clique in suppressing and persecuting democrats and the people following the kwangju massacre in may this year.
"kim dae jung is a noted democrat in south korea. he has constantly opposed the south korean authorities' fascist autocratic rule and stood for democratic politics and a peaceful reunification of korea.
"the south korean authorities' action in bringing kim dae jung before a military tribunal in a serious step in rebuilding their 'yusin (revitalized) system'. it is actually a counter-attack against the south korean people's struggle for social democratization."
"the chinese people have shown great concern over this serious development," he said, "they will firmly support the south korean people in their struggle against the fascist rule and for democracy. the search by the whole korean people for the reunification of the country, and the south korean people's demand for democracy and freedom and opposition to fascist rule is an irresistible historical trend."
"the south korean authorities must stop the persecution of kim dae jung and other democrats and stop the suppression of the south korean people. otherwise, they cannot escape the punishment of history," he added.