::: Korean People's Action against FTA & WTO KoPA ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 


811
2005-04-15 13:19:19
KOSC
http://www.nojum.org
[Urgent] Free Kim Heung-hyun, international president of the StreetNet
Dear Friends & colleagues
Warm Greetings

As you know from the our e-mails, Kim Heung-hyun, one of the co-presidents of the KOSC(Korean Street Vendors Confederation) & international president of the StreetNet, has been wanted by the police since last June.

Korean street vendors suffered countless crackdowns by all kinds of enforcement authorities such as ward officials, municipal officials, police, crackdown parties, public and civilian services almost all of them are from gangsters.
More than 18 years we've fought for the recognition that street vendors are also the subjects of Korean Society. But still, Korean government and municipalities prohibit street vending in that street vendors use public spaces for private purposes , the stalls invade citizens' rights to move on the street. So they do not recognize street vendors' rights to live, to organize ourselves, and to represent.
So the KOSC and Mr. Kim worked hard to solve these problems. And he also worked hard for the sreet vendors and informal workers of other countries. And he was elected the international president of the StreetNet, international organisation of street vendors, hawkers and market vendors.

Last June, the Seoul Metropolitan municipality enforced to construct bus sites unilaterally in the Dongdaemun Stadium where 900 street vendors were trying to survive after the crackdowns by the municipality city under the cloak of the Cheonggyecheon Restoration. We demanded to discuss this problem with the representatives of street vendors. But they didn't discuss with us. They employed gagsters to enforce the constrution.
We organized big rallies and held the National Street Vendors' Congress in the Stadium in memory of 6.13 held last in 1988 facing the Seoul Olympic.
Through our struggles and demands, we were able to negotiate with the municipality. Our working places were guaranteed and the municipality could consruct the sites not doing damages to street vendors.

But, not consdiering our urgent situations and the results of the negotiations, the  Korean police issued an arrest warrant to Mr. Kim. So, for about 1 year he had to work for street vendors, poors and the socally-excluded people under these repressions.

We demand Korean government and the Korean police to free him. Especially, the StreetNet International will hold International Council Meeting in Zambia from 5 May to 8 May hosted by AZIEA, Zambia affiliate of the StreetNet International. He should chair the Meeting and work with other Council members.

You can send protests to Roh Moo-hyun, the Prsident and Kim Seung-kew, the Minister of Justice of South Korea. through the following:

to the President
webmaster@president.go.kr
http://english.president.go.kr

to the Minister of Justice
webmaster@moj.go.kr
http://www.moj.go.kr/HP/ENG
Fax: +82-2-2110-3079

And please copy them to us.:
nfsvk@hotmail.com


Yours Heechul, international director of the KOSC




   [Urgent] Free Kim Heunghyun, international president of the StreetNet

StreetNet
2005/04/19
 
   [StreetNet International] Nepal - Union leader seized

KOSC
2005/04/09

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