Police delay arrest of labor union chief
时间:2024-09-22 17:24:22 来源:玉林新闻
A major collision was averted Wednesday, as the police temporarily delayed their operation to arrest the head of the nation’s second-largest umbrella labor union taking sanctuary at a Buddhist temple to evade arrest on charges of leading illegal rallies.
Police were on standby to force their way into the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in central Seoul at around 4 p.m. to arrest Han Sang-kyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on charges of leading a series of what they labeled as illegal and violent protests this year.
(Yonhap)
But police halted the operation at around 6 p.m. in response to Buddhist monks’ renewed calls for a peaceful resolution to the issue.
As tensions intensified around Jogyesa temple, Buddhist monk Jaseung on behalf of the Jogye Order made a statement in a press briefing at 5 p.m., calling on both the police and the KCTU to end their standoff.
Resisting the police’s call for questioning, Han has been seeking sanctuary in the temple following a mass antigovernment rally on Nov. 14 opposing the government’s push for labor market reforms. Police have surrounded the temple to prevent him from fleeing.
(Yonhap)
Police stationed nearly 1,000 officers inside and outside the temple and cleared the way leading to the room in which Han has been taking refuge by pushing away monks and temple officials who have stood at the entrance to bar the officers from storming into the building.
Only Buddhist monks, temple officials and journalists were allowed near the building Han was in to prevent clashes.
At the height of the standoff, monks were praying and temple officials held up placards reading “Let’s solve the problem peacefully” and “Opposition to the police force in the temple,” wishing for a peaceful resolution to the issue.
(Yonhap)
Kang Sin-myeong, the chief of the National Police Agency, threatened to raid the temple to execute an overdue arrest warrant unless Han came out of the temple voluntarily by 4 p.m.
As the scheduled police raid neared in the afternoon, tensions escalated as several civic groups and lawmakers made their way to the temple to voice their opinions on the police arresting Han.
“We want to ask whether the forcible execution of an arrest warrant complies with democratic values and the rule of law at this critical moment of wrangling over the labor market reform bills that can have a huge impact on laborers’ lives continues,” Jo Young-sun, a secretary general of Lawyers for a Democratic Society said, asking the temple to continue to provide Han with protection.
(Yonhap)
On the other side of the road, a conservative civic group comprised of some 100 elderly people held a demonstration to lambast the Jogye Order for hiding Han in the temple.
“The government should sternly punish North Korea sympathizers trying to topple our nation and undermine the rule of law,” the elderly group said, holding up placards reading “Immediately arrest Han Sang-kyun, who lead the violent protest.” Conservatives have often likened ultraprogressives with North Korea supporters.
Buddhist followers, mostly in their 50s to 80s, gathered outside the temple at around 3 p.m. to condemn the union chief for hiding in the religious venue and undermining the rule of law.
“Why have the police failed to arrest him until now? What did they do? Kick him out!” an elderly women told people around her. Others nodded along to her remarks, with some men bluntly shouting in the air, “Come out immediately!”
Earlier on Tuesday, Buddhist monks warned that a police raid on the temple would be no different from religious persecution and a crackdown on Korean Buddhism as a whole. The monks have also urged the labor union head to make a “swift decision” to end the vicious cycle of violence.
“The Jogye Order has strived to solve the issue through conversation, asking the police delay arresting him as we believe that the execution of the arrest warrant doesn’t solve the conflicts, but would only lead to another conflict,” the monk Jaseung told reporters Wednesday. “We will decide what to do about his stay here by noon tomorrow.”
Considering the temple’s request, the police decided to delay arresting him until Thursday at noon.
“We planned to execute the arrest warrant, but will delay it to tomorrow afternoon, considering the Buddhist monk Jaseung’s request,” the police said. “But if Han does not voluntarily appear by tomorrow noon, we will sternly execute the court-issued warrant.”
At Han’s request, the Jogye Order -- the nation’s largest Buddhist sect with several million followers -- has played a mediation role between the labor activist and the government since he took refuge there.
Meanwhile, the labor union renewed its pledge for an all-out strike upon the police’s forcible arrest of its chief.
“The trade unions under the KCTU will stage a strike at the earliest possible moment if the police forces their way into the temple to drag him out. We will step up our fight against the government crackdown and its attempt to reform the labor market,” Park Sung-sik, a spokesperson for the KCTU said in a statement.
The Jogyesa temple has served as a shelter for political and student activists seeking refuge from police crackdowns in times of authoritarian rule, notably under the military-backed governments of the 1980s.
By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
Police were on standby to force their way into the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in central Seoul at around 4 p.m. to arrest Han Sang-kyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on charges of leading a series of what they labeled as illegal and violent protests this year.
But police halted the operation at around 6 p.m. in response to Buddhist monks’ renewed calls for a peaceful resolution to the issue.
As tensions intensified around Jogyesa temple, Buddhist monk Jaseung on behalf of the Jogye Order made a statement in a press briefing at 5 p.m., calling on both the police and the KCTU to end their standoff.
Resisting the police’s call for questioning, Han has been seeking sanctuary in the temple following a mass antigovernment rally on Nov. 14 opposing the government’s push for labor market reforms. Police have surrounded the temple to prevent him from fleeing.
Police stationed nearly 1,000 officers inside and outside the temple and cleared the way leading to the room in which Han has been taking refuge by pushing away monks and temple officials who have stood at the entrance to bar the officers from storming into the building.
Only Buddhist monks, temple officials and journalists were allowed near the building Han was in to prevent clashes.
At the height of the standoff, monks were praying and temple officials held up placards reading “Let’s solve the problem peacefully” and “Opposition to the police force in the temple,” wishing for a peaceful resolution to the issue.
Kang Sin-myeong, the chief of the National Police Agency, threatened to raid the temple to execute an overdue arrest warrant unless Han came out of the temple voluntarily by 4 p.m.
As the scheduled police raid neared in the afternoon, tensions escalated as several civic groups and lawmakers made their way to the temple to voice their opinions on the police arresting Han.
“We want to ask whether the forcible execution of an arrest warrant complies with democratic values and the rule of law at this critical moment of wrangling over the labor market reform bills that can have a huge impact on laborers’ lives continues,” Jo Young-sun, a secretary general of Lawyers for a Democratic Society said, asking the temple to continue to provide Han with protection.
On the other side of the road, a conservative civic group comprised of some 100 elderly people held a demonstration to lambast the Jogye Order for hiding Han in the temple.
“The government should sternly punish North Korea sympathizers trying to topple our nation and undermine the rule of law,” the elderly group said, holding up placards reading “Immediately arrest Han Sang-kyun, who lead the violent protest.” Conservatives have often likened ultraprogressives with North Korea supporters.
Buddhist followers, mostly in their 50s to 80s, gathered outside the temple at around 3 p.m. to condemn the union chief for hiding in the religious venue and undermining the rule of law.
“Why have the police failed to arrest him until now? What did they do? Kick him out!” an elderly women told people around her. Others nodded along to her remarks, with some men bluntly shouting in the air, “Come out immediately!”
Earlier on Tuesday, Buddhist monks warned that a police raid on the temple would be no different from religious persecution and a crackdown on Korean Buddhism as a whole. The monks have also urged the labor union head to make a “swift decision” to end the vicious cycle of violence.
“The Jogye Order has strived to solve the issue through conversation, asking the police delay arresting him as we believe that the execution of the arrest warrant doesn’t solve the conflicts, but would only lead to another conflict,” the monk Jaseung told reporters Wednesday. “We will decide what to do about his stay here by noon tomorrow.”
Considering the temple’s request, the police decided to delay arresting him until Thursday at noon.
“We planned to execute the arrest warrant, but will delay it to tomorrow afternoon, considering the Buddhist monk Jaseung’s request,” the police said. “But if Han does not voluntarily appear by tomorrow noon, we will sternly execute the court-issued warrant.”
At Han’s request, the Jogye Order -- the nation’s largest Buddhist sect with several million followers -- has played a mediation role between the labor activist and the government since he took refuge there.
Meanwhile, the labor union renewed its pledge for an all-out strike upon the police’s forcible arrest of its chief.
“The trade unions under the KCTU will stage a strike at the earliest possible moment if the police forces their way into the temple to drag him out. We will step up our fight against the government crackdown and its attempt to reform the labor market,” Park Sung-sik, a spokesperson for the KCTU said in a statement.
The Jogyesa temple has served as a shelter for political and student activists seeking refuge from police crackdowns in times of authoritarian rule, notably under the military-backed governments of the 1980s.
By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
上一篇:NASA's new plan keeps Starliner astronauts in space until 2025
下一篇:US Open 2024 livestream: How to watch US Open tennis for free
下一篇:US Open 2024 livestream: How to watch US Open tennis for free
相关内容
- ·Elon Musk's AI facility is reportedly operating gas turbines without a permit
- ·“全国人文社会科学普及基地”落户上里
- ·解读十八大精神 新思想 新观点 新论断
- ·鸽翅翔动 无法“鸽”舍的情感
- ·Apple to start manufacturing iPhone Pro in India, report claims
- ·购买便宜羽绒服 小心内有蹊跷
- ·北郊绿道 串起村民幸福生活
- ·尔滨!用一份柑橘地图和你交换冬天
- ·50 Years Later: The Revolutionary 8008 Microprocessor
- ·“土特产”变身“大品牌” 新韶九章奏响区域公共手信品牌乐章
- ·“全国人文社会科学普及基地”落户上里
- ·2023年,我们卖过的农产品丨兴农观察·广东“三农”年终盘点
- ·Pakistan Cricket at crossroads after shock defeat at Pindi
- ·优质服务赢美誉 公司年度受表彰
- ·廊桥惊魂 男子翻越围栏掉江 消防官兵涉水救援
- ·那些记忆中的“年味儿”
最新内容
- ·Anatomy of a Keyboard
- ·信息化建设助建安迈向世界级一流企业
- ·雨城区 村干部报酬大幅提高
- ·荥经县174名贫困学生获资助
- ·[Exclusive] Samsung unsure of Suga's future as brand ambassador: source
- ·我市150家企业将加盟“四川名优产品网购节”
- ·全国已有124家猪企母猪超万头!广东23家排名第一
- ·南农晨读丨中华战舞 普宁英歌
- ·Tesla considers adding a new ‘stuck detection' feature to Cybertruck. Here’s why.
- ·京城冬日餐桌,多出一抹连州“新绿”
推荐内容