Thursday, January 12, 2006


Protests have been very much part of the Korean people's bloody struggle for democracy, that took off steam after the Kwangju Massacre of 1981 in which thousands of protesters were thought to have been brutally killed in a military crackdown (the real number may never be known as the government was quick to remove "the evidence" as was done at Tianenmen square and countless other places around the world that suffered similar brutal regimes).
Recently at the APEC summit in both Busan and Hong Kong, Korean unions and especially Korean farmers were quick to get involved in violent protests with riot police. The sad part is that the riot police are made up of recently conscripted young men of around 18-24, many of whom actually sympathize with the Korean farmers' situation. Just in the last week a police commisioner was forced to resign as riot police were indirectly implicated in the death of two farmers struck on the head during the protest. There was little mention about the farmers' wielding iron pipes at the aforementioned riot police.
If only protests here in Korea could be a bit more peaceful in the Ghandian tradition rather than turning violent, they might gain more support from the general public, but then so many protestors feel they have to use violence as a means of promoting their cause, otherwise the media won't take any notice.

Porque es el Ano Nuevo, yo quiero practicar mi dominio de espanol por el futuro, caundo yo voy a regresar y vivir en el Sur de America. No se exactement cuando sera possible, pero creo que este ano sera muy distinto y plena de aventuras emocionantes. Espero que si! Pues, mas detalles un poco despues...