PSPD in English Int. Solidarity 2011-03-04   3855

Libya Crisis: The Korean Government must put ‘human rights’ and ‘democracy’ before ‘natural resources’ and ‘national interests’


Libya Crisis: The Korean Government must put ‘human rights’ and ‘democracy’ before ‘natural resources’ and ‘national interests’



The democratic revolutions which began in Tunisia are now shaking the autocratic regime of Libya. In response to the Libyan people’s call for democracy, the Qaddafi government is using brutal and merciless violence. Qaddafi has violently suppressed peaceful demonstrations using fighter planes and has already murdered and injured hundreds of civilians. We are gravely concerned about these civilian casualties and the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrators. We are shocked to witness the levels of brutality being used against the Libyan people and demand that the Qaddafi Government discontinue the bloody massacre and resign immediately. PSPD strongly supports the Libyan people’s resistance against the dictatorship.

We welcome the international community’s denouncement of Qaddafi’s attack on the Libyan people. The United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC) will hold a special session for anti-humanity crimes occurring in Libya as requested by 12 member countries. Innumerable international NGOs are sending official letters and appealing to the UN to in some measure break Qaddafi’s violence. We urge governments and citizens internationally to support demonstrations in Libya and show their solidarity with the Libyan people. Accordingly, we support the efforts of international NGOs and the UNHRC.


However, the Korean government has to date not made its position clear on the issue. Instead, today the government is holding a meeting with related ministers to examine the impact of the situation on national and international financial markets and Libya-stationed Korean companies. We understand that it is necessary to discuss any expected implications of the crisis for the Korean people, and prepare countermeasures for such implications. However, Korea has its own history of resisting massacre of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and oppressive dictatorships. Korea must not keep silent on the slaughter of the Libyan democratization movement by the Qaddafi government. As a responsible member of the international community, Korea should support the Libyans who are taking action at a special session of the UNHRC today in Geneva and call for Qaddafi to stop the massacre immediately.






translated by volunteer Kim Jiyeon
reviewed by volunteer Thomas Cowan
*You can be a volunteer for PSPD. (t3@pspd.org)

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