Repression Or Repressive Mode?

Following is an blog post of Christines who continue her fight for her son Andy. Andy died of the mad cow disease. In this posting, she laments the fact that a Korean TV documentary was stopped from being aired out of fear of repression of the government. Well, not so pleasant, but it is a piece of evidence deepening my worry expressed in my previous posting.

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Tuesday 26th August 2008

Here is a recent email from Chang the producer of the MBC documentary My Lost Boy about Andrew and my quest to get the men and women responsible for his death publicly and legally accountable. It seems the conspiracy of silence, cover up and lies extends internationally as well....when there is huge profits to be made in the beef industry whatever country you reside in....the moneymaking machine that is the beef industry is paramount.....profit always before lives and human health.

I am aware that the men and women named and shamed on this website are using their influence in the UK and beyond to block the campaign and my efforts to put my findings into the media and public arena. I am rattling cages upsetting some of the most powerful people in the establishment who have a lot to hide and also a lot to lose. Whilst there is breath in my body I will continue to be my sons truthful voice from the grave.

The situation in Korea is dire, journalists have been imprisoned because of speaking out about BSE, many are being intimidated and frightened. Its more subtle but s similar tale here. Chang’s private email was blocked to me and he has had to contact me via another address, many Korean websites that carried the link www.justiceforandy.com have had it removed by the Korean government.

Whatever your faith or belief (I feel we are all brothers and sisters of one global family) join me in my support and prayers for Chang and his team who are risking their careers, livelihoods and more by broadcasting the programme highlighting Andrews terrible death and dying and my fight for justice here in the UK.

Dear Christine,

Really sorry to let you know the bad news broadcasting my film is postponed again after the preview and discussion among the director and the chief producers of our department.

The exact decision is that 'we don't give up the broadcasting the film, but we will decide the exact date to air.

I'm totally upset and frustrated...I heard there was an attempt to move me from the documentary team to another program, however I will try to do my best to protect my film and to air the film for the sake of me and you, especially Andrew.

Later, hope sending you good news...

Regards,

Chang

South Korean President, copying Putin?

Lee Myung-bak (on the left in the photo, Jackson/AP), the first year president of South Korea, is on the steep learning curve. As part of his efforts to quell his opposition, now prosecutors are issuing arrest warrants for those people who organized boycotts. The targets? Citizen activists who urged companies to drop their ads from major newspapers, Chosun daily, Donga daily, and Choong-ang daily, accusing them of mischaracterizing so-called Candle Rallies that dominated South Korean politics for good three months. The protests were against not only the government's lift of ban on the US beef but also, maybe more about, the hasty nature of decision making and its unwillingness to discuss with the public.

Anyway, the public reacted with mass protests and boycotts were part of them. Well, now they are in danger of being prosecuted for them. Boycotts have been used as a weapons of the public throughout the history of many countries. The blacks in the South, the blacks in the South Africa, Americans against Japanese invasion during the WWII, Indians under the British occupation, and so on and on. And of course, Koreans used it against the Japanese colonizers.

Some were more successful than others, but not a lot of them were so successful. They are usually hard to maintain because of "collective action problems." They were useful, however, in creating and maintaining political engine mobilizing the public. Therefore, it is more about political symbols than financial damages that matter.

There were only a handful of companies heeded to the boycott mobilizers. In other words, almost no companies canceled their ads and thus financial damages must be negligible to the three newspaper companies. Nevertheless, the government is in motion to protect the companies. Why? I can't think of any other reason but taming the public who are active in raising their voices.

Putin, the former president of Russia now the prime minister, was skillful in taming the public and the public media. Under his watch, the freedom of expression was taken away bit by bit through legal and illegal ways. As a result, now we have Russia dancing at the Kremlin Polka. It is, then, not so surprising the country is bullying its neighbors as well as its citizens again. Nobody may call the country democratic. (GW may have a different opinion though.)

Will South Korea follow the Russian path turning its clock back to 70s and 80s when generals roams the country killing people? Well, I hope not. But Lee's regime seems, sadly but clearly, similar to the military regimes than not.