Looking at the scene of shameful human rights violations in 2011
Taewan Kim (Director)
As we go through life, we encounter things that do not conform to the rules of the world. Most people just put up with it. However, even if you put up with it, you can protest when you think ‘this is not the case’. Raising issues and protesting may cause a bit of fuss, but things can be resolved well, or things can go back to normal if things don’t go well. A society that has the ‘right to protest’ and the ‘right to raise a problem’ is a democratic society. If our society advocates for a democratic society, isn’t the common sense to the extent that it is not acceptable to ‘Imma’ that person even if he raises a problem once?
At 10 am on June 23, the Incheon District Court held a sentencing hearing for 10 Vietnamese migrant workers who were arrested for ‘obstruction of business’. However, as a result, he was acquitted of ‘obstruction of business’. However, they were partially convicted of the ‘exercise of violence’, and each was sentenced to 1 year in prison with 1 year and 6 months of probation, 2 years in prison with 3 years of probation, 3 not guilty, and 5 with a fine of 50-200. million was sentenced.
These Vietnamese migrant workers were working 12-hour shifts without Sundays at the construction site of the Incheon New Port (Taeheung Construction Industry) for the minimum wage. Despite the harsh working conditions, all meals served were a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup without a single side dish. The workers complained about this, and the company deducted 240,000 won from their monthly salary. The dining area was cramped, so it was difficult to eat within the stipulated time. Wait for a long time and often miss meal time. So, some workers were warned and sanctioned by the manager after finishing their work early and going to eat 10 minutes earlier. 180 Vietnamese workers protested and left the workplace at once. They were arrested and imprisoned on charges of instigating an ‘illegal strike’ that refused to work twice, on July 22-25 last year and on January 9-10 this year.
The court acquitted him on the charge of ‘obstruction of business’. In other words, legally, it is difficult to see this as an obstruction of business or an illegal strike. These are ‘protests’ at some level. However, there was a dispute between some Vietnamese workers, and a fine was imposed for this. Also, because the prosecution inserted charges of violence in order to claim that the arrested people were in charge of the strike, the ‘arguing’ was transformed into ‘violence’ and sentenced.
Moreover, the Incheon Immigration Office arrested those who came out of the detention center after the verdict on the spot. This is because it is customary to detain and detain migrant workers in Korea once they enter and leave the detention center, regardless of the crime or judgment. The reason is that under the Immigration Control Act, “a person who has reasonable grounds to admit that there is a risk of harming the interests of the Republic of Korea or public safety” can be deported.
The Incheon Immigration Office said that it would decide whether to deport after detaining the two people who received probation as well as the four people who received a fine. From a legal point of view, if such an investigation is necessary, it is a normal procedure to issue an ‘attendance request’ after being released. However, the Immigration Office completely ignored this and did not even write a ‘protection order’ necessary for personal detention. Instead of filling out an ’emergency protection order’ on the spot, they recklessly loaded the workers onto the bus. In addition, deportation orders were issued to two people who were sentenced to probation, and the remaining four workers were released after strong protests from the task force. In the meantime, the Immigration Office has always issued deportation orders to migrants who have been detained in this way regardless of court decisions.
Migrant workers in Korea are enduring the minimum wage because of their different nationalities and races and are working under harsh conditions in the 3D industry. In this situation, even the courts recognize the right to protest against unfair measures or the minimum demand for rights. The reality of being deported even after detention and release is the current address of Korean society in the 21st century. As a Korean, I am ashamed. Migrant workers are not ‘slaves’ but have the right to be respected as human beings, so there is an urgent need to move to break the reality of human rights violations that are still being perpetrated in Korea in a democratic society in 2011. Not only the collective efforts of migrant workers, but also our efforts to live in Korean society should be done together.
In order to prevent Vietnamese migrant workers from becoming victims of anti-human rights immigration administration, and to secure the human rights of migrants and migrant workers in Korean society, who will inevitably suffer damage in the face of the Immigration Office’s unlawful authority. I need to collect