“Objection to Free Rice Trade” Large-scale Peasant Rally Today

As the conversations for free rice trade are in progress between the government and the WTO, farmers and civil organizations are joining together to hold large-scale congregations and as a result, are clashing with public powers.

The “Protect Our Rice and Guard our Food Sovereignty National Movement Headquarters,” which consists of approximately 100 civil organizations such as the Korean Peasants League, Korean Confederation of Trade Union, Public Service Personnel Trade Union, is holding a nationwide simultaneous protest on September 10 and 11.

The National Movement Headquarters, lead by the Korean Peasants League, will hold a “Inherit Lee Kyung-hae patriot’s spirit and protect our rice and guard our food sovereignty, million cities and counties rally” in more than 100 places such as Seoul, , Jinju and Euryoung in Gyeongnam Province, Goheong, and Naju in Jeonnam Province, etc.

The French peasant leader Jos Bov and other international visitors will join in the rally at Jinju and Jeonbuk Jungeob.

Last year, Lee Kyung-hae, a peasant crusader, committed suicide, crying out that, “WTO is killing the peasants,” in Cancun, Mexico, where last year’s WTO ministerial meeting took place.

Also, on the afternoon of September 11, there will be a “guard our food sovereignty, a objection to WTO, DDA pan-national rally” at Seoul, Jongno-gu Daehakro.

The same rally will be held in Yongji Park of Gyeongnam Province, Changwon, Kwangju Plaza, National Debt Requital Movement Park of Daegu, and other places with 600 to 5,000 people attending.

Separately, Korean Advanced Farmers Federation will hold a “Protect Our Rice, Agriculture Reform Campaign Proclamation” in 30 places around the nation on September 9 and hold a provincial Lee Kyung-hae patriot memorial and press for solutions at a agricultural issues assembly on September 10 and 11.

Especially, the Korean Peasants League will hold a demonstration by “destroying rice fields” on September 22 and raise the level of protest to tent rallies and refusals to ship agricultural products.

A person concerned with the National Movement Headquarters said, “The government is trying to abandon our food sovereignty through channels not open to the public and without the consent of the people,” and that, “We will not give up until the government announces that they will ban free trade on rice.”

On the other hand, the police are cutting off routes to the rally location using farming machinery and blocking the entrance to local self-governments and National Agriculture Cooperative Federation offices, also, they are preparing ambulances and tow-trucks in case of a crisis.

Jeong-Hoon Kang Seung-Ho Jung manman@donga.com shjung@donga.com