Open letter on arrest of human rights defender by Korean authorities
18 July 2006 6:00 pm

(Bangkok, 19 July 2006) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a membership-based regional human rights organisation, writes to seek your urgent intervention to immediately release human rights defender, Mr Park Raegoon. Park was arrested during a peaceful march against expansion of the US military base to Daechu-ri, Pyungtaek in Kyungki-do, Republic of Korea on 9 July 2006 and remains detained. Park, who is associated with Sarangbang Group for Human Rights, was in charge of “Peaceful March Group to Daechuri against US military Base and Korea-US FTA”.

President Roh Moo-hyun
Blue House, 1 Sejongno Jongno gu
Seoul, Republic of Korea (110-820)
Fax: +82 2 770 4943/ +82 2 770 2440
Email: [email protected]

Dear President Roh Moo-hyun,

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a membership-based regional human rights organisation, writes to seek your urgent intervention to immediately release human rights defender, Mr Park Raegoon. Park was arrested during a peaceful march against expansion of the US military base to Daechu-ri, Pyungtaek in Kyungki-do, Republic of Korea on 9 July 2006 and remains detained. Park, who is associated with Sarangbang Group for Human Rights, was in charge of “Peaceful March Group to Daechuri against US military Base and Korea-US FTA”.

Although the protest and march were conducted peacefully, police had abused the protestors both verbally and physically, resulting in injuries. More than forty protestors were arrested and detained overnight. Although most were released on the next day, and two were released on 11 July, Park continues to be detained.

The Korean police’s position is that the demonstration is illegal as no permission was requested earlier. This is not acceptable, given that the Korean constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. Furthermore, the right to freedom of assembly is also guaranteed by international human rights law, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders1 adopted by all states in 1998 including the Republic of Korea and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Republic of Korea is a party to.

We are also appalled that police did not intervene when several shopkeepers attacked peaceful protestors, despite requests by the victims not to. The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders clearly specifies the obligation of the state to ensure that human rights defenders can carry out their activities safely.

Mr Park has once again become a victim of police human rights violations for his legitimate actions in defence of human rights. FORUM-ASIA has previously expressed its grave concerns about his detention on 15 March and the suppression of peaceful demonstrations against the expansion of the US military base to Daechuri in Pyungtaek from Seoul on 22 March 2006.
FORUM-ASIA calls on your government to immediately release Park Raegoon and bring to justice those responsible for violence against peaceful demonstrators. The inability and unwillingness of the police to intervene when protestors were attacked by shopkeepers should also be investigated and those responsible should be held accountable.

As concerns about the expansion of military bases remains unaddressed, more protests are inevitable. We call on you to ensure that affected villages and human rights defenders are able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, without being subjected to further violence by police, other individuals and groups.

Sincerely yours,

Anselmo Lee
Executive Director

c.c. Minister of Justice Cheon Jung-bae
Ministry of Justice
Building # 1, Gwacheon Government Complex, Jungang-dong 1, Gwacheon-si, Kyunggi-do, Republic of Korea (427-720)
Fax: +82 2 503 3532
Email: [email protected]

Prosecutor Choi Woon-shik
Pyungtaek Branch, Suwon District Public Prosecutor's Office
245-1 Dongsak-dong Pyungtaek-si
Kyunggi-do, Republic of Korea (450-718)
Fax: +82 31 650 3555
Email: [email protected]

Judge Sung Ji-yong
Pyungtaek Branch, Suwon District Court
152-3 Dongsak-dong Pyuntaek-si
Kyunggi-do, Republic of Korea (450-140)
Fax: +82-31-650-3004
Email: [email protected]

Minister of Defence Yoon Kwang-woong
Ministry of Defence
22 Leetaewon Road, Yongsan gu
Seoul, Republic of KoreaKorea (104-701)
Fax: +82 2 748 6026
Email: [email protected]

President, Mr. Young-hoang Cho
National Human Rights Commission
#16 Euljiro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-842,
Republic of Korea
Fax: +82 2 2125 9699
Email: [email protected]