[KS] South Korea's Rollback of Democratic Rights

[Richardson]

/*"alleged exaggerations in their documentary on US beef imports"*/

Multiple mistranslations (if one believes they all were actual mistakes 
that happened to support the slant of the story), unrelated video 
footage substitution, and undeniably falsified claims of the danger 
posed by U.S. beef are "alleged" exaggeration's?

I second Burgeson's call for intellectual honesty.

/r,
Richardson


george katsiaficas wrote:
> Dear all, 
>
> Of all the troubling initiatives undertaken by the Lee MB government, none
> is more unsettling than its offensive against the media. In July 2008, MBC
> producers were taken to court for alleged exaggerations in their documentary
> on US beef imports, and when they refused to show up to the hearing, over
> the next ten months they have been arrested one by one as they went about
> their daily lives (including a bride-to-be planning her wedding). In August
> 2008, the KBS president was forced to resign<-and even briefly
> detained<-before being replaced with Lee¹s crony. The president of Arirang
> news channel was changed to a friend of the president. The 24-hour all-news
> cable station YTN was sent a new president. When union leaders and members
> sought to block him from coming to work, police intervened. Union leaders
> were repeatedly summoned for questioning. Even though they complied four
> times, they were arrested. The internet has also been under close scrutiny.
> On July 24, Google Korea came under pressure from the government, confirming
> it had been pressured to delete two pieces of video footage showing the
> brother of the National Police Commissioner managing a hotel that allowed
> prostitution. Minerva, a blogger who had correctly reported on the global
> crisis and embarrassed the government by revealing its incompetent handling
> of the economy, was tracked down and prosecuted (although subsequently
> exonerated). New restrictive requirements for internet postings have been
> implemented.
>
> The government's attempt to control the media is so intense that it is now
> criminalizing even citizens who hold press conferences (claiming they speak
> too loudly or in synch with each other). Attempts to justify such egregious
> violations of freedom of speech include equating those holding press
> conferences with any protester in the streets.
>
> Were the human rights activists arrested at a press conference on May 4
> (where they were protesting the arrests of people commemorating the
> anniversary of candlelight vigils) identical to the "specific individuals"
> who took over the stage at the city government's Hi Seoul Festival on May 2,
> as Scott Burgeson reported to the list? Apparently not.
>
> Mr. Burgeson fails to provide specific facts to support his initial
> statement--which he reported to all of us as truth. I would request that Mr.
> Burgeson abandon his culturally questionable projections on similarities in
> people's external appearances and provide us with solid facts on the
> "specific individuals" to whom he referred.
>
> He now tells us that "It is always the protesters who attack the police
> first." Last July, I was at a peaceful candlelight protest in Seoul. As it
> ended in the rain and people were leaving, I saw police brutalize high
> school girls for no apparent reason. As the girls cried and retreated from
> police baton blows, they continued to be pushed and struck.
>
> Since last August, I have been waiting for Mr. Burgeson to provide us with
> details of his assertion that PSPD organized the initial candlelight
> protests a year ago. I suspect we will wait even longer for him to provide
> with factual substantiation of his latest bits of manufactured news.
>
> Thanks
> george katsiaficas
>
>
>   
>> From: Michael Braverman-Scult <mbscult at gmail.com>
>> Reply-To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>> Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 00:07:02 +0900
>> To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>> Subject: Re: [KS] South Korea's Rollback of Democratic Rights
>>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> This is a fascinating topic and I would like to thank Proffessor Katsiaficas
>> for starting the discussion.
>>
>> I believe that the police crackdowns last weekend were the latest chapter in
>> Lee Myung-bak fulfilling his promise of zero tolerance for illegal
>> demonstrations and to crackdown on protesters, demonstrations, and descent
>> in general.  The recent arrests of the MBC producer and chairman of the YTN
>> union, as well as the conviction of the organizers of the online boycott
>> against business placing advertisements in the Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo,
>> and Dong-A Ilbo attest to the current administration's disregard for certain
>> democratic rights and freedoms.
>>
>> In relation to Scott's comments on the violent actions of "*these same
>> individuals* attacking "violent crackdowns" by the police" who exactly are
>> we talking about?  The Human Rights Network of Korea?The Korea Progressive
>> Alliance? The Korean
>> Confederation of Trade Unions? The high school and college students? There
>> was a myriad of groups and organizations involved in the activities over the
>> weekend representing a wide array of issues.  I think it is inaccurate to
>> lump the whole of Korean civil society into "theys" and "folks" who "lie and
>> distort in the interest of promoting their own agenda."  Were there fringe
>> groups of protesters who engaged in violent activity?  Possibly. However,
>> also having been there, I can say that I witnessed only peaceful
>> gatherings.  I would further say that most protests in Seoul are conducted
>> peacefully and within the confines of the of the rule of law.  The point of
>> many of these protests is to influence or gain access to the political
>> process and those involved know that violent conduct is not a productive
>> means.  Too often the focus is put on the actions of a small group of
>> provocateurs, while ignoring the issues and concerns of the thousands of
>> peaceful protesters involved.
>>
>> I think most pressing concern with this issue is the threat to the
>> fundamental freedoms of speech and assembly that these "crackdowns" entail.
>> In terms of violence, I am sure there are those few who are guilty on both
>> sides.
>>
>> Michael Braverman-Scult
>> M.A. Candidate in International Affairs
>> Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 12:17 AM, Matthias MAASS <mm at mmaass.net> wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Dear Prof. Katsiaficas,
>>>
>>> You make a good point, asking for proof from Mr. Burgeson., and I second
>>> that. However, in order to avoid double-standards, I's suggest you might
>>> also provide the list with more 'meat' than an arguably one-side
>>> news-clipping. For what's it worth, I find it a bit one-side to align
>>> yourself with one side (by posting the news item without further comment)
>>> and then shoot down the counter-argument by setting higher standards.
>>>
>>> We might want to keep the discussion, I'd suggest, on the 'journalistic
>>> level,' for all, or limit it to a discussion that requires scientific
>>> methodology.
>>>
>>> I, for one, can live with different opinions quite well, and would welcome
>>> an open discussion where people can present their reasonable viewpoints
>>> without prior extended trips to the library.
>>>
>>> Aloha,
>>> Maass (Mr.)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws
>>> [mailto:koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws] On Behalf Of george katsiaficas
>>> Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 2:57 PM
>>> To: jsburgeson at yahoo.com, Korean Studies Discussion List; J.Scott Burgeson
>>> Subject: Re: [KS] South Korea's Rollback of Democratic Rights
>>>
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> Scott calls for "further research and investigation before drawing any
>>> final
>>> conclusions" about individuals holding a press conference being arrested en
>>> masse.
>>>
>>> I am all for further research and in that spirit, I would like to know the
>>> factual basis for Scott's assertion that "these same individuals attacking
>>> "violent crackdowns" by the police and calling for a "guarantee (of) the
>>> freedom to assemble and demonstrate" had physically hijacked the stage of
>>> the Hi Seoul Festival at City Hall on the previous Saturday night."
>>>
>>> Evidently Scott has some inside information that can name specific
>>> individuals who held the press conference(s) and were arrested being the
>>> same individuals present a week before at a different location.
>>>
>>> Scott, please provide us with the names and/or other research you've done
>>> to
>>> draw your conclusion.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> george katsiaficas
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> From: "J.Scott Burgeson" <jsburgeson at yahoo.com>
>>>> Reply-To: <jsburgeson at yahoo.com>, Korean Studies Discussion List
>>>> <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>>>> Date: Tue, 5 May 2009 21:25:53 -0700 (PDT)
>>>> To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>>>> Subject: Re: [KS] South Korea's Rollback of Democratic Rights
>>>>
>>>> I suggest further research and investigation before drawing any final
>>>> conclusions.
>>>>         
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>
>
>
>
>   
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