국제앰네스티
보도자료
AI Index: ASA 25/001/2006 (공개)
News Service No: 067
2006년 3월 19일
대한민국: 고령의 농민들이 미군기지 확장을 위해 강제 추방의 위협에 처하다.
대한민국의 서북쪽에 위치한 평택에서 고령의 주민들이 강제추방에 반대하는 시위를 벌이다 몇몇의 인권활동가들이 구금되었다. 미군기지인 험프리캠프의 확장을 위해 이곳 주민들은 추방당할 위기에 처해있다.
대부분의 대추리 주민들은 60,70세의 농민으로, 3월 6일과 3월 15일의 추방시도를 저지하는 동안 몸과 마음에 모두 상처를 입었으며 그들의 삶은 위험에 처해 있다.
“대부분의 주민들은 굉장히 나이가 많으신 분들이고 그들에게 이런 무력을 행사하였다는 것은 슬픈 일이다.” “주민들의 연령을 고려하여 경찰은 그들이 다치지 않도록, 다쳤다고 하더라도 즉각적인 치료가 가능하도록 특별한 조치를 취했어야 했지만 여태까지 상황을 보면 그렇지 않은 것 같다.” – 국제앰네스티 동아시아조사관 라지브나라얀
3월 15일, 인권활동가인 인권운동사랑방의 박래군씨와 천주교인권위원회의 조백기씨를 포함하여 시위자들중 34명이 체포되었다. 체포 당시 박래군씨는 초등학교 정문 앞에 앉아있었고 조백기씨는 추방에 이용되었던 굴삭기를 막고 있었다. 두 활동가 모두 인근경찰서에 특별공무방해죄로 아직도 구금되어있다.- 삭제
3월 18일 현재, 32명의 시위자들은 모두 석방 되었으나 박래군씨와 조백기씨는 구속 수감되어 있는 상태다.
“정부는 강제추방에 반대해 평화적으로 시위를 벌이다 구금된 모든 이들을 즉시 석방해야 한다.” -국제앰네스티 동아시아조사관 라지브나라얀
추방 전에 진행되었던 논의과정은 농민들의 우려가 참작되지 않은, 단지 보여주기 위한 것 이였다고 시위자들은 말하고 있다. 행정대집행 명령을 내리고 집행날짜를 일방적으로 결정하였으며 주민들의 요구를 들을 준비가 되지 않았던 국방부에 시위자들은 지속적으로 재검토를 호소해왔다.
“현재상황에서의 추방은, 삶을 꾸려갈 기회가 거의 없는 극도로 취약한 환경으로 농민들을 내쫒는 것이다.” 라지브나라얀씨는 말했다. “국제앰네스티는 한국정부가 논의를 처음부터 다시 시작하기를 요구한다. 정부는 주민들이 길거리에 내버려지지 않도록 합리적인 보상과 그들의 집근처에 농지를 보장해야 한다.”
강제추방 당시 적어도 50개의 경찰버스가 있었다고 보고되었지만 대추리주민을 추방하기위해 몇 명의 경찰들이 투입되었는지는 알 수 없다. 시위당시 고령의 주민들이 밀쳐지며 부상당하자 시위자들은 앰뷸런스를 요청했지만 경찰은 그들의 요청을 무시했다.
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web:
http://www.amnesty.org
Tel: +44 20 7413 5566
South Korea: Elderly farmers forcibly evicted for US army base
Several human rights activists are being detained after protesting at the forced eviction by riot police of elderly villagers in Pyongtaek, in the north west of South Korea. Their village is subject to an eviction order to allow for the expansion of a neighbouring US army base, Camp Humphreys.
The residents of Daechuri village, mostly farmers in their 60s and 70s, suffered bloodied noses and were pushed over while resisting the latest eviction attempt on 15 March and during an earlier attempt to evict them on 6 March. They say the compensation offered will not be enough to buy equivalent land elsewhere and their livelihoods are at stake.
“Most of these villagers are very old and it is distressing to hear of force being used against them,” said Rajiv Narayan, East Asia researcher at Amnesty International. “Given their age, the police should take special care to ensure they are not hurt and to allow prompt medical treatment if they are — which does not appear to have been the case so far.”
Several protesters were arrested on 15 March, including prominent human rights activist Park Lae-goon of Sarangbang Group for Human Rights and Cho Baek-ki of the Catholic Human Rights Committee. Park Lae-goon was arrested while sitting in front of the village school; Cho Baek-ki was trying to stop a forklift truck being used in the evictions. Both men are still detained in local police stations, charged with preventing government officials carrying out orders.
“The government must release all those detained for peacefully protesting against these forced evictions,” said Rajiv Narayan.
A consultation carried out before the eviction did not result in the farmers’ concerns being taken into account, and appeared to be mainly for show, according to those protesting the eviction. Protesters have complained that the Ministry of National Defence, which initiated the request for an eviction order, acted unilaterally in deciding on an eviction deadline and was not prepared to listen to the needs of the residents.
“Any eviction on the current terms would leave the farmers in an extremely vulnerable position with few opportunities to make a living,” said Rajiv Narayan. “We urge the government to carry out a fresh consultation. It should ensure the villagers are not left homeless and give them reasonable compensation and alternative farming land close to their new homes.”
There were reports of at least 50 police buses being present during the forced evictions, but it was not clear how many riot police officers were deployed to evict the residents of Daechuri, who number over 1,000. Protesters requested ambulances when some of the elderly villagers were injured after being pushed to the ground, but the riot police ignored their request.
Background
In December 2004 the Korean government planned to give an extra 2,851 acres to the US Army base Camp Humphreys in Kyonggi province. In December 2005 the government’s Land Expropriation Committee approved the ‘imminent domain’ seizure of the village of Daechuri, a move which made the farmers’ existence on their land illegal.
After a consultation led by the Ministry of National Defence, the residents of Daechuri were offered a lump sum in compensation, determined on a low estimation of the value of their land. The area is reclaimed from tidal flats, meaning the land price was already low compared to other farming areas. It would be almost impossible to buy equivalent areas of land for subsistence farming with the lump sum offered.
In February 2006 a national campaign protesting the forced eviction of the farmers was launched. For more information, please see
http://www.geocities.com/savePTfarmers/home.
