Letter from Korean peasants in Hong Kong
Our struggle is not over
Our warmest greetings to peasants, workers and friends from all over the world.
We are Yun Il Kwon and Park In Hwan, members of the Korea Peasants League. We were arrested in Hong Kong in December last year during our struggle to derail the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference.
Eleven Koreans including the two of us, and one Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese eventually had to face charges. And until now, protests have taken place all over the world and more than 1,200 organizations have sent in statements of support, all demanding our release. We want all our brothers and sisters to know that we are truly grateful for the support that they have shown us and the Hong Kong People’s Alliance.
Out of the 14 protesters who faced charges, 12 were released and all charges dropped, and the two of us went on trial beginning March 2 at Fanling Court in Hong Kong.
If by any chance it is proven that we did something during the December anti-WTO struggle that we have to be held responsible for, then we will accept all responsibility. However, through our meetings with our lawyers and the HKPA, we have gained every confidence that we will win this trial.
Of us two farmers, one grows cucumbers, and now is the most important time of the year at the farm, important enough to determine the outcome of the whole year’s harvest. Neglecting the cucumbers at this time for two whole weeks would be fatal to the harvest, but we have nevertheless come to Hong Kong, to keep the promise we made to the Hong Kong citizens and our friends throughout the world, and more importantly, to win this trial to prove that our struggle was just.
We are convinced that we will win this trial. But we don’t want our struggle to win this trial to stop at just obtaining our release. The victory we want is not victory in a court in Hong Kong but victory in our struggle to bring down the WTO. If the interest that our court case has gained helps to escalate the worldwide struggle against the WTO, that would be our happiness.
The WTO Hong Kong Ministerial is over, but the struggle against the WTO is not over.
Globalize the Struggle!!
Globalize the Hope!!
The two of us will be at the head of that struggle.
Let’s keep up the struggle!!
4 March 2006
Yun Il Kwon and Park In Hwan in Hong Kong
Korea Peasants League