Hong Deok Pyo, a farmer who sustained heavy injuries at the same protest that led to the death of Jeon Yong Cheol, has died. Recently the police admitted the possibility that Jeon may have been beaten by police, and they said from the start it is a distinct possibility that is what happened to Hong. You never saw two people lose their lives in the same demonstration even back during the military dictatorships, now matter how violent the physical clashes became. It is truly distressing and shameful.
Even more dumbfounding is the government's insensitive and untroubled attitude. For more than a month the government did not even perform an official inquiry, and it never had one of those "related government ministry meetings." The police, meanwhile, spent their time investigating excuses, and that made farmers and the families of the deceased all the angrier. The president eventually promised to figure out who was responsible, but it would be hard not to criticize him for saying so only when cornered by the situation.
The police have put together a team of dozens of officers to investigate what happened by they have not even found any leads on who the perpetrators were. The National Police Agency commissioner's behavior does not make sense either, since he is staying on the job while punishing the riot police commander at the scene. The government must engage in a thorough inquiry and determine who was responsible for the excessive force, and then also punish those responsible in the chain of command.
There is now a need for concrete ways of making sure excessive force is not used again in the future. The Seoul Police Agency riot police unit that was responsible for responding to the demonstrators must be dissolved. It is a unit that is sent in mostly when violent demonstrations are expected, and it has long been cited as the "epicenter" of police violence not only at the recent farmers' protest but around the country. The idea that aggressive protests need to be stopped with high-handed tactics only leads to a vicious cycle of bigger violence and misfortune.
One member of a farmers' organization says he feels "betrayed" at Korean society's lack of concern when farmers are dying at demonstrations. The government and the whole of society need to truly ponder the hearts of the country's farmers as they are hit with the difficulties of agricultural market liberalization.
The Hankyoreh, 20 December 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Nat'l Police Commissioner Must Step Down |
