MFA Statement

 

MFA STATEMENT ON KOREAN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN OF MTUC

 

Dear friends,

Migrant Forum in Asia is alarmed by the recent arrest of the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU) leadership in Korea yesterday morning, 27 November 2007. 

MTU is an affiliate of the KCTU which was formed on April 24, 2005. The MTU, which is in fact a merger of several migrant workers unions and groups in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon, is an effort by migrant workers in South Korea to organize and fight for their rights.

From the beginning, the South Korean government refused to recognize the MTU and publicly announced that the MTU could not have the three basic labor rights---the right to organize, the right to strike, and the right to collective bargaining.

In May 2005, MTU former President Anwar Hossain was also forcibly arrested and detained at the immigration center where he suffered injuries in the head and hands. Clearly, the arrest of President Anwar is a direct attempt by the South Korean government to repress the MTU and crackdown against migrant workers in South Korea.

In February 2007, the 11th Division of Seoul High Court ruled that all migrant workers have the right to unionize regardless of their legal status.  Depite the Court's decision, we have again received information about the arrest of MTU leadership.  Please find below more information about the incident. 

In support of MTU and KCTU, we would like to call for your solidarity to make an urgent appeal to the Minister of Justice.  MTU and KCTU has already drafted a protest letter addressed to the Minister of Justice.  Please send appeal by fax to +82-2-503-3532 or +82-2-500-9128.  

Please be sure to send a copy to KCTU by +82-2-2635-1134(fax) or e-mail at inter@kctu.org

Courage, Peace and Power,

William Gois

 

 

Urgent Call for International Solidarity

 

Migrants’ Trade Union Leadership Arrested on November 27^th.

Stop the Repression against KCTU affiliate Migrants’ Trade Union!

Free President Kajiman and other Imprisoned Union Officers!

Stop the Crackdown and Deportations!

 

1. Background

On the morning of November 27, MTU President Kajiman, Vice President Raju and General Secretary Masum were arrested, in what was clearly a targeted crackdown against the leadership of MTU. We, the KCTU and the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union call on the international labor and human rights community to do whatever in their power to secure the release of the MTU leadership and end this labor repression against MTU.

At roughly 9:20am on November 27, President Kajiman was leaving his home in order to attend a plan protest in front of Seoul Immigration Office when he was confronted by more than 10 immigration officers who had been hiding in front of his house. The immigration officers restrained the Korean activist with President Kajiman and then encircled the president. After protesting strongly, President Kajiman was eventually arrested, his shoulder hurt in the process.

General Secretary Masum also left his house the morning of the 27 in order to attend the protest in front of Seoul Immigration. As he walked down the street he was passed by four 4 large men who were laughing amongst themselves. He originally did not pay attention to them; however, immediately after roughly 10 immigration officers came up from behind him. He was suddenly surrounded by nearly 20 people and despite protesting was eventually arrested.

At roughly the same time Vice President Raju was confronted by 4 immigration officers in front of the factory where he worked. Upon seeing the vice president, the immigration officers immediately attempted to handcuff him, but failed due to his forceful protest. When Vice President Raju demanded to see the officers’ identification cards, they presented them along with a prepared detention order. Despite his protests the vice president was also eventually arrested.

Soon after all three men were sent to a detention center in Cheongju, Northern Choongjeong Provience, south of the capital Seoul.

2. Clear Labor Repression

The simultaneous arrest of three MTU leaders, is a clearly a targeted attack, planed in timing with an intensification of the crackdown against undocumented migrants in South Korea. Since the beginning of August of this year, the government has carried out a mass-scale crackdown in an attempt to reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the country. During this time more than 20 MTU members and officers have been arrested.

By their own admission, despite this crackdown, the numbers have not significantly decreased. Thus, Immigration Control has stepped up the crackdown in the last several weeks. At the same time a proposal is being put forth to revise South Korea’s immigration law to make it completely legal to carry out the crackdown continuously without any procedures, such as requiring warrants or detention orders, to protect the human rights of the people it targets. The government has clearly stepped up its repression against MTU leadership at this moment in order to get rid of the force that has been at the forefront of the struggle against the crackdown.

3. Call for Solidarity

We, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and affiliate the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union, make an urgent appeal to you to do whatever you can to support our struggle to free the arrested union leaders and end the barbaric crackdown underway in South Korea.

In particular we are calling for protest letters to the Ministry of Justice, Minister Jung Seong-Jin +82-2-503-3532 or +82-2-500-9128.

Please be sure to send a copy to KCTU by +82-2-2635-1134(fax) or e-mail at inter@kctu.org

We wish you also to know that KCTU and MTU are by no means deterred by this attack. MTU has already selected a temporary leadership and we have already planned protests for the next days. We are currently making further preparations and will mobilize every means possible to win the release of MTU’s leaders.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact:

Lee Changgeun
International Executive Director
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
Tel.: +82-2-2670-9234 Fax: +82-2-2635-1134
E-mail: inter@kctu.org Web-site : http://kctu.org
2nd Fl. Daeyoung Bld., 139 Youngdeungpo-2-ga, Youngdeungpo-ku, Seoul 150-032 Korea

Liem Wol-san
International Coordinator
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants' Trade Union(MTU)-affiliated to KCTU
Tel : +82-2--2285-6068
Email: migrant@jinbo.net  Website: http://mtu.or.kr

 

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SAMPLE LETTER

Mr. Jung Seong-Jin

Minister of Justice
Seoul, South Korea

Dear Minister Jung,

On the morning of November 27 between 9:00 and 9:30, the president, vice president and general secretary of the KCTU affiliate, Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union, were arrested, each in front of his separate home or workplace. This event has already received international attention. It is clear from the form in which the arrests took place that this was a targeted crackdown meant to silence MTU and the opposition struggle it has lead against the anti-human rights crackdown being carried out against undocumented migrants in South Korea. That this was a meditated act of repression is also apparent from the fact that the arrests came at the same time as the South Korean Immigration Control Office is stepping up its crackdown and a proposal is being put forth the revise immigration law to make it possible to carry out the crackdown continuously with complete disregard for the most basic procedures to protect human rights.

The arrests of the MTU leadership is a gross violation of human rights and a horrendous act of labor repression which targets not only migrant workers and MTU but also the KCTU, the 15 million workers it represents and the international labor community. As such, we will not remain silent.

We therefore forcefully call on you to meet the following demands:

-Immediately release President Kajiman, Vice President Raju and General Secretary Masum!

-Stop the targeted crackdown and labor repression against MTU!

-Stop the crackdown and deportation of undocumented migrant workers!

Signed,

 

Press Statement by the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)

19 September 2007 - MTUC has asked Human Resources Minister Dato Fong Chan Onn to take immediate steps to end the sufferings of 3000 Bangladesh workers left stranded at KLIA for more than 10 days.

It is learnt that all the workers have legal documents but the recruiting agents who brought them in have not come forward to take them to job sites.

The workers, guarded by RELA members are restricted to forcibly remain in the KLIA car park under deplorable conditions and spend most days without any meal. They sleep on cement floor and many are reported to be ill.

A number of workers interviewed this morning said that they paid between RM10,000 to RM12,000 to recruiting agents to work in Malaysia: They are saddened and deeply disappointed with the unacceptable conditions.

MTUC pointed out that the number of migrant workers left stranded without jobs has increased tremendously, since Malaysian Government issued licenses to more than 220 agents to bring foreign workers to be sold to employers.

In order to end this disgraceful episode Government must immediately suspend all recruitment through outsourced agents said MTUC Secretary General, G. Rajasekaran. Government should revert to earlier policy to issue permits directly to employers based on their needs. This would enable Malaysian Government to make employers accountable for their recruits.

The situation has become so serious that the Bangladesh Government has dispatched a number of officials to Malaysia to resolve the problems faced by their citizens.

MTUC representative will highlight the sufferings of the 3000 workers and ask the Bangladesh Government to play a more prominent role in regulating the recruitment process.

It is estimated that close to 1000 documented migrant workers are arriving through KLIA daily. A large proportion brought in by Labour suppliers. We suspect that many will have no work and no earnings for days and weeks said Rajasekaran.

(G. RAJASEKARAN)
Secretary General