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Human Rights Abuses at Planned U.S. Military Base Site in Pyeongtaek Confirmed by NHRCK
Date : 2006.11.28 00:00:00
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National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) declared on November 17 that human rights violations had occurred in the vicinity of a planned U.S. military base. Because of illegal assemblies and demonstrations in Daechu-ri and Dodu-ri, Pyeongtaek, the site for the planned U.S.military base, and the designation of these areas as a military protection facility zone, all people accessing these areas (local residents and outsiders) are subject to police questioning. Those confirmed to be outsiders based on such questioning are prohibited from accessing the areas. The NHRCK finds that these measures are human rights abuses violating people" s personal freedom and their freedom of movement and residence.
In July and September 2006, complainants respectively known as Sohn (male) and Jang (male) filed a complaint that the police executed indiscriminate questioning of all people accessing Daechu-ri and Dodu-ri, Pyeongtaek and prohibited those confirmed to be outsiders from accessing those areas. Song and Jang stated that such acts constituted human rights abuses.
Based on its investigation of the two complaints above, the NHRCK confirmed that (i) from May 4, 2006, the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency installed four checkpoints on grounds that it should prevent illegal assemblies and demonstrations in Daechu-ri and Dodu-ri, Pyeongtaek, stop unlawful agricultural activity on the land appropriated by the government, and counter any destruction of barbed wire obstructions around the planned military facilities, and conducted round-the-clock police questioning of all people accessing those areas including local residents; and (ii) only the persons confirmed, based on such questioning, to be local residents, visitors to their families and relatives living in the areas, or visitors for special purposes including performance of telephone and electrical work were allowed to access the areas.
The NHRCK recommended to the head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency to desist from further police questioning in the absence of specific and reasonable criminal charges including those related with illegal assemblies and demonstrations or forbidding outsiders to access those areas so as to guarantee personal freedom and the freedom of movement and residence for local residents in Daechu-ri and Dodu-ri.
