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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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 Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 2:58 pm Post subject: Has Korean hung itself with Indians? |
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I wonder if this will impact the number of teachers who want to come here to teach? We're read about this verdict before, but the anti-Korean sentiment is growing.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/01/116_37462.html
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Foreign Shippers Threaten Boycott of Sea Voyages to Korea
By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
A court verdict last month on two foreign maritime officers involved in the Taean oil spill case is drawing scrutiny overseas.
Shipping organizations and unions abroad have strongly rebuked the verdict, which handed out prison sentences to two Indian crewmembers. One international union of maritime workers called the ruling ``incomprehensibly vindictive.''
And there has been talk about boycotting sea voyages to Korea and even a possibility of anti-Korean sentiment in India, according to reports.
Kirat Gopal Vaze, first secretary at the Embassy of India in Seoul, told The Korea Times Wednesday that ``as far as the welfare of these two Indians are concerned, they are in detention at the moment in the Cheongju Detention Center. And we are making our best efforts to ensure that they are well taken care of.''
``Lawyers have told us that appeals have now been filed before the Supreme Court,'' he added.
The controversy surrounds a Dec. 10, 2008, court ruling in the Taean oil spill incident, the largest oil spill in the country's history. The court gave Jasprit Chawla, master of the Hebei Spirit oil tanker, an 18-month jail term and Syam Chetan, the chief officer, an eight-month sentence. The oil tanker spilt more than 10,000 tons of crude oil into the West Sea on Dec. 7, 2007.
But critics say the two men and their oil tanker were ``passive victims,'' noting that their ship was sitting at anchor and that it leaked massive amounts of crude oil only after being rammed by a barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries.
The International Transport Workers' Federation, a group of 654 unions representing 4.5 million maritime and transport workers in 148 countries, has publicly criticized the verdict.
``This is not justice. It's not even something close,'' the group stated. ``What we have seen is scapegoating, criminalization and a refusal to consider the wider body of evidence that calls into question the propriety of the court.''
It added, ``This decision is incomprehensibly vindictive and will impact on all professional mariners.''
``In December 2007, the anchored Hebei Spirit was hit by a Samsung barge, causing an oil spill. Since then, the officers have been unfairly detained in South Korea,'' the group contended.
The maritime group is calling upon union members and supporters to ``send letters to the Korean authorities expressing concern at the case.''
The group said that ``the one thing we can promise today is that this isn't over. The campaign to free these men will go on growing until the justice that was so glaringly absent in this court is done.''
In the first trial in June, the two foreign officers were exonerated, according to reports. But in the subsequent proceeding in the appeals court last December, the original ruling was overturned on the grounds that the Hebei Spirit crew should have done more to avoid the collision.
According to a report from the Financial Times, a U.K.-based newspaper, some maritime workers unions in India have started a campaign to boycott sea route voyages to Korea to protest the ruling.
According to the report, ``Any widespread boycott could pose serious problems for South Korea, which relies on ships to supply oil, gas and coal to meet nearly all its energy needs.''
The report also noted that a movement has begun in India to boycott Korean products.
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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I think India has bigger problems on its hands right now than Korea. Things like terrorists bombing and Pakistan are higher up on their priority list.
Its kinda like that American guy that got caned in Thailand, I think it was. A few years ago it was headline news. Now, no one gives a rats ass. |
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Hamlet
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| that little vandal deserved his spanking--that's why nobody cares anymore!! These Indian guys are getting screwed by a bunch of haters for no reason!! I sure hope Indians don't back down from this! |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| Its kinda like that American guy that got caned in Thailand, I think it was. A few years ago it was headline news. Now, no one gives a rats ass. |
I'm pretty sure that was Singapore, and as I recall a sizeable percentage of Americans thought he deserved it.
(He was maybe 18 y.o., a rich kid, and was busted for spray-painting a bunch of luxury cars in a parking lot. Dummy.) |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, a very large percentage of Americans (at least half, if I remember) thought that boy deserved to be caned.
A lot of people thought it was a better method of punishment, and would probably keep someone from doing bad again. I remember the kid spray-painted grafitti. I would love to see grafitti painters caned in the USA. Publically. |
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Bigfeet
Joined: 29 May 2008
Location: Grrrrr.....
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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| That verdict was ridiculous. I had to register at that site to complain in a comment. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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I bet the majority of Indians don't even know this has happened.
Better yet, can your average Indian discern a Korean product from a Chinese or Japanese to even boycott? |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
I bet the majority of Indians don't even know this has happened.
Better yet, can your average Indian discern a Korean product from a Chinese or Japanese to even boycott? |
The thing is, it ain't the consumers that are boycotting Korean products, it's the Indian shipping union and maritimers. Thus, all those goods that were shipped to India are being exported to there.
This will hurt Korea in the long run as they depend on the import of resources (oil, gas, etc) to sell on to other countries, etc. If Korea turn a blind eye, they will have difficulty with their local gas supplies, etc.
Nice to see that this has made front page news. |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Your average Indian does not factor into the Indian economy, it's still very top down. The people in Indian society that drive India's economy surely know very much about this and will act accordingly. Korea screwed up big time on this one, and can't even lean on the 'culture' crutch this time. |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
| Your average Indian does not factor into the Indian economy, it's still very top down. The people in Indian society that drive India's economy surely know very much about this and will act accordingly. Korea screwed up big time on this one, and can't even lean on the 'culture' crutch this time. |
The people who drive the economy are worried about money, plain and simple. If they can make money out of hurting Korea, they'll do it. If they can't, they won't. |
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Trip
Joined: 28 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
Better yet, can your average Indian discern a Korean product from a Chinese or Japanese to even boycott? |
From a new article on koreabeat.com:
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| Some protestors went to a Samsung Electronics factory and shouted, �Korea and Samsung Electronics get out!� On December 23rd at a protest in Mumbai, Samsung-made mobile phones and televisions were destroyed. |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 12:09 am Post subject: |
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| "Some protesters" sounds like 5 drunk sailors. Mumbai, eh? Peaceful little city, that. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 12:14 am Post subject: |
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I hate people who punish businesses/corporations for the acts of a home government. Like those wackos that vandalize McDonald's because they don't like US foreign policy.
Back to the topic, this thing won't do anything. Indian shippers boycott. Unless India has a monopoly on shipping, it doesn't matter. There are plenty of Chinese shippers who will welcome the extra business.
The Indian government, at a VERY high level, needs to sit down with the Korean government and work a compromise.
Right now, this matter has past the point where Korea can't back down, or suffer "loss of face". By letting the men free is admitting to the world, "Yeah, we fudged up and our judicial system is a joke." Politics is the only way this matter is going to resolve. If India wants to get their people out of the Korean jail, they are going to have to come to an agreement where Korea keeps "Face". |
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Trip
Joined: 28 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| By letting the men free is admitting to the world, "Yeah, we fudged up and our judicial system is a joke." . |
In other words, "telling the truth and acting honest."
Korea's economy is already hurting due to corruption and bad business policies. This incident adds to it. India is not the only nation aware of this. The global shipping industry has sent out information and warnings. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Previously, Korea messed up with China and China banned the import of Korean vehicles. We also know that Korea doesn't really like American soldiers either.
Now, Korea messed up with India.
Who's next? "Come on" as many Koreans I know would say. Any takers? |
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