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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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 Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:03 pm Post subject: Amnesty International |
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Is anyone else confused by AI coming to Korea to look into police brutality in relation to the demonstrations?
Its not as if they are protecting a dictatorship from falling, or violating peoples personal rights. These are people that decided to protest and stick around when things got violent, if not even involved.
All for 2 people that have been hospitalised. However over 100 police buses have been damaged, and numerous cops injured.
Civil Liberterians always jump up and down with this crap. |
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aka Dave
Joined: 02 May 2008
Location: Down by the river
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| Just because they're coming to investigate doesn't mean the report will be skewed. I have no idea what the situation is with the demonstrations, but I generally trust AI. They might be a *little* slanted because South Korea has an authoritarian history. |
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Bramble
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: National treasures need homes
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| Do you have a link? |
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Stormy
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Location: Here & there
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| aka Dave wrote: |
| Just because they're coming to investigate doesn't mean the report will be skewed. I have no idea what the situation is with the demonstrations, but I generally trust AI. They might be a *little* slanted because South Korea has an authoritarian history. |
Surely there are higher priorities in the world today for AI? |
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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:13 am Post subject: |
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Amnesty International to assess human rights situation
Amnesty International will dispatch an on-site researcher to Korea on Friday to gauge the nation's human rights situation, which critics say has deteriorated, given the violent police crackdowns on protesters against American beef imports, the AI Korean division said yesterday.
This will be the first time the London-based human rights watchdog has sent its inspector here for an emergency case. The AI conducts an annual human rights inspection, but when human rights violations occur, a researcher is sent to investigate alleged offenses.
"Since the protests began in May, we have repeatedly asked that a researcher come to examine the human rights violations here, which were further exacerbated by police crackdowns," an official from the Korean section told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.
Norma Kang Muico, an AI researcher from London, will arrive here on Friday and begin his survey for two weeks. He will conduct extensive research by interviewing victims of police crackdowns and witnesses, and examine the danger of police using dispersal equipment such as fire extinguishers and water cannons.
Other than the protest issues, the researcher is also expected to look into the riot police officer who was disciplined for his alleged request to transfer to the Army due to his skepticism about handling the protests.
The human rights watchdog has issued two press releases regarding "excessive force" exercised by the Korean police to demonstrators. AI Secretary General Irene Khan sent a private letter to President Lee Myung-bak, asking him to deal with protesters moderately.
The nearly two-month protests have become increasingly violent. Police used clubs, metal shields, water cannons and fire extinguishers to quell the protests. The government even said it will use tear gas if an inevitable case arises. Demonstrators also used steel pipes, stones and other violent means.
Over the weekend last week, nearly 400 people including 112 police officers were wounded. However, with religious groups standing at the vanguard of the protests this week, violence has significantly diminished.
By Song Sang-ho
([email protected]) |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:17 am Post subject: Re: Amnesty International |
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| komtengi wrote: |
| 2 people that have been hospitalised. |
Pretty sure it's more than 2. I know two people personally that I visited in the hospital from police truncheon wounds, so I assume there are more than that ... Where are you getting your info? |
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Gollywog
Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Location: Debussy's brain
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:21 am Post subject: |
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How about the violation of rights and intimidation of people who speak out against the boycotts?
I think that is far more common. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:31 am Post subject: |
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I'm a little surprised at this too. Usually AI focuses on massive human rights abuses in an even-handed way. I'm wondering if maybe the Korean section that has asked for the investigation is anti-administration or otherwise manipulating AI.
| Quote: |
"Since the protests began in May, we have repeatedly asked that a researcher come to examine the human rights violations here, which were further exacerbated by police crackdowns," an official from the Korean section told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 4:40 am Post subject: |
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To anybody who's actually bought into AI, can you tell me what their dividends are like? And, what sort of clout does IA hold in the world? Do de facto governments, or De jure ones at that matter, really care about I A's opinion?  |
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aka Dave
Joined: 02 May 2008
Location: Down by the river
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| spliff wrote: |
| To anybody who's actually bought into AI, can you tell me what their dividends are like? And, what sort of clout does IA hold in the world? Do de facto governments, or De jure ones at that matter, really care about I A's opinion? |
AI is about exposure. In the democratic world media exposure of abuses can lead to change, at least incrementally over time. Take South Africa. It would still have apartheid had it not been essentially shunned by the international community.
If you don't buy into AI, what are you saying? Just ignore countries that torture, illegally detain, and kill political dissidents?
Yeah, that's the solution!
There's not a magic pill to solve this stuff, it's a long slog in most cases. But that doesn't mean cheap cynicism is at all a solution.
As for the poster who said that AI could spend its resources better than coming to South Korea, I agree. I'm sure the netizens saturated them with emails and they decided to throw a bone. |
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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:55 am Post subject: Re: Amnesty International |
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| The Bobster wrote: |
| komtengi wrote: |
| 2 people that have been hospitalised. |
Pretty sure it's more than 2. I know two people personally that I visited in the hospital from police truncheon wounds, so I assume there are more than that ... Where are you getting your info? |
Korean news...
obviously there are more injuries, but they are claiming that this was initiated because of two people that were seriously injured |
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ChopChaeJoe
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| AI are the good guys. I'm sure they'll get the story right. |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| Gollywog wrote: |
How about the violation of rights and intimidation of people who speak out against the boycotts?
I think that is far more common. |
Do you have any instances of intimidation you'd like to tell us about? I'm not sure what you mean by boycotts. There are nop boycitts, not that I've heard of. |
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PeteJB
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:54 am Post subject: |
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| Oh geez, the nanny state of the UK corporation AI along with it's big brother regulations is coming to Korea. |
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