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Roh stern on protesters
President Roh Moo-hyun yesterday ordered legal action against members of a banned student group, who staged a rally in Gwangju Sunday, delaying his attendance at a ceremony marking the 23rd anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city. Roh gave the instruction during a meeting with his senior secretaries and advisors at Cheong Wa Dae. "Those who insult and make someone a target of overthrow because of differences in views should be punished in accordance with the law," Roh was quoted as saying by his spokesman Yoon Tae-young. "Stop making fun of me!!" Top law-enforcement officials came forward with pledges to take stern measures against the illegal protest by anti-U.S. students. Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil defined the demonstration as an act that lacked the blessing of the general public and instructed the prosecution to thoroughly investigate and punish active participants. Government Administration and Home Affairs Minister Kim Doo-kwan also said students can never be exempted from taking responsibility for violating democratic rules. unless they attack GIs Police began searching to arrest 10 identified leading members of the outlawed student group. Police officials said they are also trying to name about 120 students who have been implicated in illegal acts at the protest scene by photographic evidence. About 1,000 students held a rally at the front gate of the May 18 National Cemetery for the victims of the pro-democracy uprising to protest what they called President Roh's humiliating act of diplomacy during his U.S. visit last week. Are they upset that Comrade Roh didn't b!tch slap President Bush to display Korean Pride? Their protest kept the presidential motorcade waiting in a nearby street for some time. Disaster! President Roh and First Lady Kwon Yang-suk entered the cemetery through a rear gate to circumvent the protest, and the ceremony started 18 minutes late. Riot police were eventually called in to dispel the students. The National Police Agency sent inspection officials to Gwangju yesterday to look into a charge that the local police had been negligent in performing their duty of guarding the ceremony. Sunday's demonstration constituted a slap in the face for the Roh administration, which has shown a lenient attitude toward the banned student group named Hanchongnyeon or the Federation of Korean University Students' Councils. In March, President Roh expressed sympathy with the plight of Hanchongnyeon members placed on a wanted list for a long time and asked Justice Ministry officials to work out measures to ease their predicament. That was before they made fun of him. Justice Minister Kang subsequently met families of leading Hanchongnyeon members on the wanted list and promised to consider discussing with the prosecution ways to help them. The new Hanchongnyeon leadership elected in March appeared to be responding to Roh's sympathetic approach by suggesting they will seek to revise their pro-North Korean and anti-U.S. platforms. But the protest in Gwangju resulted in hardening the Roh administration's stance on the group. Government Administration and Home Affairs Minister Kim said the demonstration will prove to be an obstacle to a recent move to legalize the student group which was outlawed in 1997. Storm the American Chamber of commerce... get suspended sentences; throw stones at US GI's... slap on the wrist; have unscheduled violent demostrations against America... no big deal; insult or delay Comrade Roh... BE AFRAID! Posted by: ZeroAngel 2003-05-21 |
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