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Tag: police violence

  • April 5 People’s news conference on police violation on human rights; History is repeated 64 years later

     

    disabled
    Source: Lee Sang-Min, Jeju Domin Ilbo, April 5, 2012/ A disabled woman holds a banner depicted of police violence on people during the April 5 press conference

     

    As daily sit-in was continued on April 5, the people in the village had a news conference in front of the naval base business committee building complex at 10:30 am, April 5, 2012. The title of the statement by the Gangjeong village was “Are the police taking the citizens as rioters even until the 64th anniversary of 4.3? The police should try to get public trust.’ Cho Hyun-Oh, the Chief of ROK Police Agency visited the Jeju, bringing clash with the Gangjeong villagers who demanded meeting with him, in front of the Seogwipo police station (# He is to meet local officers on April 6)

    In the statement, the people pointed out that:

    “Like the main land policemen 64 years ago who led the massacre of the Island people on April 3rd, the police that have been led by Lee Dong-Min who came from the main land have made a record of accidents in a month since his inauguration, which is more than the whole numbers of illegal and unjust police behavior in Gangjeong village in the past.” ( # Lee Dong-Min, the new police chief is also the one who allowed the navy to blast the Gureombi rock)

    “When the male policemen arrested women, the male policemen indiscriminatingly took away them touching their thigh, taking off their clothes. The police broke citizens’ fingers, arms and legs, wielding violence to them. Citizen’s hands were swollen by hammers, wrists were broken off, teeth were smashed, and chin was torn. Since the start of the blasting the Gureombi Rock, more than 90 people were arrested while 20 people, swooned, were carried in ambulance. We are living days like being slaughtered dogs and pigs.”

    The numbers of 90 within less than a month are compared to 164, in the whole last year. The numbers are in detail; 19(near the naval base committee building etc on March 7), 20 (in the Gureombi Rock etc. on March 9), 16( in the Gureombi Rock on March 12), 9 (in the explosive storage etc on March 31) for example. The charges have been obstruction of business, obstruction of government affairs, general obstruction of traffic, property damage etc.

    The people demanded police of open hearing regarding police mal practice of fake charges against people; halt of illegal taking camera shots of citizens that provoke citizens; and fairness.

    Full translation of 3 page statement comes later. You can see the original Korean script here.

    In the conference, a disable woman also testified on police’s metal harassment and physical injuries to her and on arrest of a man who protested against such violence on her.

    There were two banners in the news conference: one about police violence and the other, painting by Natasha Mayers

    Press conference
    Source:  Lee Sang-Min, Jeju Domin Ilbo, April 5, 2012

    You can also watch the news conference video here. Dungree, the video editor put the scenes of mentioned cases on March 29(when Mr. Lim Ho-Young was arrested) and April 1 (When Dr. Song Kang-Ho was arrested) beside the cases of March 19 (police hammer violence), March 25(police trampling down a villager’s garlic field and arrested citizens protesting to it) and March 26( When the Jeju island government officers forcefully demolished people’s tent to an injury of a woman head. (Video source)

     

     

  • Dr. Song Kang Ho’s Handwritten Statement Regarding his Violent Arrest on April 1st, 2012

    (Translated from Korean; Click here for original Korean version)

    On April 1st, at around 2 p.m., I was on Gureombi to protest against the heavy construction equipment that is destroying Gureombi. From outside the razor-wire fence on the western side of Gureombi, I was shouting, “Don’t Destroy Gureombi!” and “Stop Construction!” and “Stop!”

    In that place, I was not alone but together with Priest Moon Jung Hyeon, Priest Kim Sung Hwan, and [former Jeju Assembly woman] Hyun Ae Ja, venting our pent up anger. Despite our protests, about 10 meters inside the fence, two huge hydraulic excavators were break rocks and loading the broken rocks into a dump truck. I felt deep despair because even though we yelled and shouted, the construction workers didn’t listen. Because of my despair, without knowing what I was doing, I found myself grabbing the fence, pulling it down to the ground, and stepping across it, wanting to shout at them near the excavators. In front of me, around 30 riot police blocked the way with their shields and their captain sneered mockingly. As soon as I crossed the fence, I was surrounded and isolated. When I tried to resist, the police beat me, pushed me to the ground and held me down with their feet. They twisted my left hand and pinned it behind my back. One police officer painfully jabbed his finger into my ear. The ground was covered with sharp, broken rocks but their feet pushed my feet forcefully downward. While they carried me, my head hit the rocks on the ground two or three times.

    Around 2:30, I was delivered to a naval jeep and transferred to the Naval base office gate. There, a police car was standing by. Around 100 police officers made a big wall and blocked the villagers and activists who came to protest, making a space for the police to move me into the police car. I thought that my arrest was unjust, so I resisted being put in the car. During that time, the police tried to force me into the car. While doing so, my body was turned upside down at the open car door and my upper body fell to the ground and under the car. Because of this, I tried to hold anything that I could grab causing my upper body to be pulled underneath the car. Several police officers pulled my legs but my head became stuck between the car and the asphalt ground. I yelled that my head was stuck, but the police officers were not concerned, and pulled my legs more strongly. From the left side of my chin to the middle of my chin my neck was stuck on some metal structure underneath the car.

    My lower body continued being pulled by several people and because of the pressure on my neck, I couldn’t speak anymore, only groan furiously. As the police pulled my body more strongly, the edge of my teeth began to crack. I could feel and chew tiny sand-like grains of tooth inside my mouth. I heard the bones in my neck popping and became afraid that my head was separating from my body. To protect myself from dying or at least protect my head from separating from my neck bones, I frantically tried to escape to my left. During this whole time, the police just continuously pulled my legs and several times some of the police officers even pulled my genitals. I couldn’t see their faces but I could hear their mocking laughter. Behind me, I heard Priest Kim Sung Hwan protesting their cruel treatment towards me. After 5-10 minutes of fear and pain, I pulled myself towards the left with all of my strength, to release my chin from the metal structure where it was stuck. I could barely release my neck and then police pulled me out.

    After the police put me into the police car, I spit out my broken teeth, which the police complained about. Behind the driver’s seat, one police officer with the last name of “Goh”, punched me with his fist. I felt pain from his fist on the left side of my stomach.

    After that, in the Seogwipo Police Station, I appealed about the pain in my chin, neck, right shoulder, and back. I was lying down at that time and asked them to borrow a cell phone to make a phone call. However, they derided me saying that since I was lying down, I must just be sleepy, so I should just sleep. After giving this answer they disappeared. I had requested that they call 119 [Korean emergency medical number] but they didn’t call for 30 minutes.

    I am filing a lawsuit with the Korean National Human Rights Commission against the police officers who arrested me. I request legal punishment and penalties for the police officers who treated me in an unreasonable way, so that the police will no longer trample on people’s human rights, threaten people’s lives, and disrespect people’s bodies.

    April 2, 2012,
    Song Kang Ho