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| Wednesday, 17 March 2004 |
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Candlelight rallies banned as South Korea cracks down on unrest SEOUL, Tuesday (AFP) The South Korean government said it would crack down on political unrest as financial markets brushed off fears of instability to bounce back on the first working day following the impeachment of President Roh Moo-Hyun. Candlelight protests that drew tens of thousands of people to the streets of Seoul for the past two nights were outlawed as interim leader Goh Kun pledged to restore stability to the economy, guarantee security and oversee the run-up to crucial April 15 general elections. Any political unrest would be harshly dealt with, the government warned. "Any moves or rallies that cause social disorder will be strictly dealt with in accordance with laws and principle," a government statement said. Earlier, police outlawed candlelight rallies that drew some 100,000 people to the streets of Seoul over the weekend. "Evening candelight rallies in the street are illegal," said senior police superintendant Kim Ok-Jeon, in charge of security in the capital. "According to the law, we will use force to disperse rallies if participants pay no heed to repeated warnings to disperse." But Chung Dong-Young, chairman of the pro-government Uri Party, defended candlelight protests as political festivity where people can express "anger and disappointment" peacefully over the impeachment. "The weekend candlelight rallies were peaceful and non-violent. ... It reflects the maturity of South Korean democracy. Let me remind you that there has been nothing illegal," Chung said in a news conference for foreign correspondents in Seoul. But Goh, 66, a veteran of six South Korean administrations, said he would ensure government neutrality in the run-up to the April election. "With just 30 days to go before the elections, we face a difficult political situation," Goh said following a cabinet meeting. "The government must maintain its neutrality for fair elections." Roh's impeachment polarized politics and inflamed passions here and protestors said they planned daily demonstrations in the run-up to the April vote. North Korea condemned the National Assembly vote to unseat Roh and pulled out of inter-Korean economic talks scheduled to start Monday in South Korea after demanding a change of venue, citing political unrest sparked by the impeachment. South Korea's Unification Ministry accused the North Korea of seeking to exploit South Korea's problems and has expressed regret in a letter to Pyongyang. North Korea termed the impeachment a political rebellion against the wishes of tens of millions of South Korean people and said the United States was behind the move. |
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