The Korea Alliance for Progressive Movements (KAPM) is an anti-war,
anti-U.S. Imperialism, and pro-peaceful reunification alliance of Korean
organizations from various sectors and regions of Korea, among them the
Democratic Labor Party, the 6.15 Committees for Reunification, the Korean
Confederation of Trade Unions, and the Korean Peasant's League. The
alliance was created to bring together the various movements and campaigns in
Korea under a broader strategy and context and in the process create
connections between them and lend each campaign more strength and
effectiveness. The alliance was created with the merger of an anti-FTA,
anti-WTO alliance and an alliance of organizations created to implement the
6.15 declaration (in 2000) between North Korean leader Jong Il Kim and then
president Dae Jung Kim. http://jinbocorea.org/main_eng.php
The following is an article about KAPM’s stance against the deployment
of PRT & security forces to Afghanistan by the South Korean government.
For the security of our people’s lives we completely oppose
the redeployment of troops and participation in the war of aggression in
Afghanistan.
If asked by the U.S., would we also just give up the
lives of our countrymen?
Lately the Lee Administration is moving swiftly to block
knowledge about the South Korean public’s opposition to the redeployment
of its troops to Afghanistan. As we raised several times before, the purpose of
this redeployment is not to fight the war on terror, but it is instead a
humiliating submission to U.S. pressure that risks the security of Korean
people, and involves it in a bloody, amoral, war of aggression and occupation
for the ultimate purpose of installing a pro-U.S. regime.
Let us examine the Lee Administration’s process leading up
to its decision to redeploy troops. At the end of October at the U.S. Secretary
of Defense Robert Gates’ last visit to Korea, he stated that “from
the level of global security the military contribution will be of benefit to
Korea’s security and core national interests” and actually directly
asked that the Korean government redeploy its troops. Then, just before the
Obama Administration’s visit to South Korea in November the Lee
Administration announced that it would re-deploy troops to Afghanistan. On the
day of President Obama’s visit there was even a report that the scale of
the redeployment might be increased to 2000.
With the previous deployment of Korean troops to Afghanistan in
2007, the Korean people experienced the death of Sergeant Chang Ho Joon as well
as the kidnapping of 23 Korean missionaries and the killing of two of them.
After these incidents the Korean government made an agreement that it would
pull out the troops stationed in Afghanistan and then unequivocally promised
that it would not deploy forces to Afghanistan again. Now barely two years
after this promise, under U.S. pressure, the Lee Administration will cast aside
the promises that had been made to the people and redeploy troops, putting the
lives of our countrymen at risk once again.
The expansion of the war in Afghanistan is a great
disaster for people that cannot be expressed in words
According to reports from global humanitarian NGO organizations,
in just 2008 alone, there were 2,100 civilian deaths and among them 55%
occurred during combat. There were 500 civilian deaths attributed to IMF air
strikes, an increase of 72% compared to 2007. In addition surprise raids and
search operations performed by the IMF have resulted in civilian deaths, severe
use of force, theft, and inappropriate behavior and violence towards women.
Many in Afghanistan are also detained by U.S. and IMF forces for prolonged
periods of time without being charged or given a trial with reports that the
rates of torture and abuse towards them is increasing. This behavior only
increases the anger and suspicion towards the IMF and future military
operations planned for 2009 will only become greater obstacles towards the
construction of a social safety net for people in Afghanistan and impede
organizations trying to get aid to those in most need of it.
Members of the PRT are also soldiers
The PRT is not a civilian body. In 2004 the then Secretary of
State Colin Powell stated that the PRT, “as an important part of our
combat forces,” plays an important function in the war in Afghanistan.
The military’s PRT forces in Afghanistan are under the banner of the
Combined Joint Task Force and so in reality are also a part of the occupying
army. Afghanistan’s cultural and societal customs and its suspicious
attitude towards foreign troops, makes the military lead PRT inherently
unsuitable for constructing Afghanistan’s social infrastructure. Instead
because the PRTs military nature blur the line between civilian support and
military it makes it even more difficult for humanitarian aid agencies to
deliver relief to those people most devastated by the war.
This is a problem that cannot be resolved by merely
shutting the mouth and ears of our people
On November 18th, to mark the occasion of President
Obama’s visit, civil society groups held a joint press conference. The
press conference was interrupted by police troops and ultimately resulted in
the arrest of two members of civil society groups. In addition later that night
the police arrested 18 people that were holding a candlelight vigil and
cultural performance against the redeployment of troops. The police insisted
that it was an illegal rally and as soon as people began to sing a song with no
political content the participants were forcefully arrested. In contrast, when
the conservative groups’ held a press conference and cultural event
welcoming President Obama there wasn’t event a hint of opposition or
obstruction by the police. It is unclear exactly what standards the
Administration, which it claims that it has, is using to enforce the law. This
issue ultimately can’t be resolved merely by suppressing the people voice
that opposes the redeployment.
Although the Lee Administration insists that the purpose for the
redeployment is to provide security for the PRTs, the Lee Administration is
also independently considering plans to operate in a new region that has seen a
sharp rise in the number of U.S. and NATO casualties due to engagement with
militants. Immediately after the Lee Administration’s announcement the
terror alert level for Korean enterprises already in Afghanistan
increased.
If the Lee Administration, with its constant arrogant and lone
actions, decides to enforce the redeployment of troops then it is creating a
situation where soon casualties will be inevitable. In the worst possible case
scenario some even say that those redeployed troops may even incur very heavy
losses. Because this is a situation where more problems will keep arising,
public opinion for the withdrawal of Korean troops and the condemnation of the
administration responsible for the deployment can only keep strengthening.
However, this time it will only be only after many of our people have lost
their lives.
In order for the safety of our people, blameless in this U.S. war
of aggression to install a pro-U.S. regime in Afghanistan, we demand that the
redeployment be immediately stopped and strongly renounce the Lee
Administration that is pushing such measures forward.
Kim, Seong Ook
Director of Anti-War, Pro-Peace Department
Korea Alliance for Progressive Movements
