PSPD in English Newsletter 2014-11-18   1351

PSPD English Newsletter, October 2014

Tongin Newsletter, October 2014

This month at PSPD, Dreams we are making together

 

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to those who came and congratulated 20th anniversary of the PSPD.
Let me brief on activities in September.

참여사회 2014년 10월호 (통권 215호)

● The People’s Council for the Sewol Ferry Disaster
▶ Sit-down demonstrations of bereaved families of Sewol Ferry disaster have continued in September at the National Assembly, Gwanghwamun square and Cheongwoon-dong office near the Blue House. Hunger strike relay of citizens is still going on at the Gwanghwamun square.
▶ The Council of bereaved families and citizens attempted three steps one bow from the Gwanghwamun square to the Blue House on 2 September in order to deliver signatures of 4.85 million people urging for enactment of Sewol Ferry Special Act to find the truth of the disaster. However, they were blocked by the police at Gwanghwamun Square that signatures could not be handed in. 
▶ The President Park Geun-hye insisted on 16 September at a cabinet council meeting that the second negotiation proposal of the National Assembly rejected by the families was the best the government could offer. Hence, PSPD denounced that “The President exposed her intention to control and manipulate special prosecutors who would be appointed accordingly to Sewol Special bill.”
▶ As of 25 September, negotiations on Sewol Special bill were ceased between bereaved families and the government and, a leading and apposition party since that remark of the president.

● Campaign for Anyone with Stable Life
▶ In regard to the argument of the President Park Geun-hye and Choi Gyeong-hwan deputy prime minister for economy “National Assembly hasn’t passed essential livelihood and economic bills because of Sewol Special bill dispute”, PSPD released a data on 28 August refuting that what the government called ‘livelihood and economic bills’ and tried to legislate were allowing profit-making of medical industry, deregulation of real estates, cruise and casino industry which in fact would kill livelihood of ordinary people and domestic economy.
 
● Social Welfare Committee
▶ The People’s Campaign to straighten the National Pension System in which PSPD participates presented denouncement on 1 September that ‘Vitalizing Private Pension’ policy released by the government on 27 August would weaken public pension and increase earnings of Chaebols.

● Committee for Fair Labor Society
▶ The <Movement for ‘Come out! Genuine owner’> started its sailing on 1 September and it would work to resolve problems with indirect and irregular employment such as illegal dispatch and disguised contract which have become structured and customary practice in our society. 

▶ PSPD and the Samsung Workers’ Human Rights Keepers held a discussion <Watching Samsung> on the 26th and looked into how Samsung accumulated the capital, illegalities in succession process and leukemia breakout as an industrial disaster.
 
● Center for Administration Watch
▶ Lee Beom-gyun, a senior judge of the Seoul Central District Court said that Won Se-hun a former president of the National Intelligence Service violated the National Intelligence Service Act but not the Election Law. Therefore, PSPD presented a comment on the 11th criticizing that it was a decision to save the Blue House by killing democracy. Furthermore, it sent an open letter to the prosecutors on 15 September in collaboration with 18 civil and social organizations urging for an immediate appeal since they seemed hesitating after the decision.

▶ [Issue Report] PSPD released the Current Status Report 2014: Employment restrictions for retirees. The purpose of the employment restriction system is to prevent cronyism by prohibiting retirees from being employed by a company which is related to their former jobs. 

● Center for Tax Justice and Budget Priority
▶ In respect to a government’s plan to sharp increase of cigarette price, PSPD released a comment on 11 September condemning that it was a distorted tax increase against low income families thus it undermined fair taxation and infringed the principle of giving a priority to social consensus.

▶ An urgent press conference was held on the 18 September in cooperation with the Budget Watch Network and pointed out problems of 2015 draft budget of the government. SOC budget is to be increased with an excuse of safety and beneficiary of expansive finance management is focused on corporation not ordinary citizens.
 
● Center for National Assembly Watch
▶ [Issue Report] PSPD has paid attention to voting results of bills dealt in the 19th National Assembly and released a report on the 18 September categorizing them into stepping stones and setbacks.
 
● Center for Judiciary Watch
▶ Even though it is prohibited by the law to dispatch a current prosecutor to the Blue House, the Ministry of Justice has permitted it with connivance after taking a perfunctory recruitment process. Therefore, PSPD has submitted a request for audit of public organizations to the Board of Audit and Inspection on the 18th asking for a special audit regarding this illegal behavior. 

● Support Center of Whistle Blowers for public interests
▶ A teacher Ahn Jong-hoon was discharged on 18 August from the school which he reported its corruptions to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education because his identity was exposed. Concerning this matter, PSPD demanded investigation how his identity was opened and a prevention measure to Jo Hee-yeon, a superintendent of the Office on 29 August. The office answered on 16 September that the incident was under investigation and proper measures would be taken accordingly to results.

● Center for Peace and Disarmament
▶ PSPD started to collect signatures opposing rearmament of Japan, and military alliance among Korea, US and Japan. The signatures will be delivered to three governments respectively before and after the Korea-US yearly Security Consultative Meeting in October. (Refer an advertisement on page 58)

▶ “It is ok for primary school students to see but not adults?” The Ministry for Defense refused to disclose information concerning a national security textbook which has non-educational and violent contents. Hence, PSPD sent a written inquiry to the Ministry on 1 September asking for the reason of refusal.

▶ <Collective Action to secure human rights within the Army> was established on 23 September. It is an alliance of organizations to improve human rights system for soldiers.
 
● Institute for Participatory Society
In celebration of 20th birthday of the PSPD, the institute organized a symposium ’20 years of PSPD; challenges, reflections and new projects’ on 1 September at the Press Center. It was held in the line with the publishment of “Watching surveillant” (Imagine, 2014) how external researchers reviewed and analyzed 20 years activities of the PSPD with critical points of views so that major composers also gave a speech in the symposium. (See page 50 of the Magazine “Participatory Society”)

 

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