WTO protesters freed
I should really catch up on the news coming from Korea and Hong Kong.
Actually there’s some breaking news: It seems that 11 of the protesters held in Hong Kong after last month’s anti-WTO demos have been unexpectedly released today, after numerous solidarity protests, hunger strikes (or threats at least) and a threat from the KCTU to send a 1000 protesters to Hong Kong. Eight of those released were Koreans, along with one mainland Chinese, one Hong Konger and a Japanese guy). However, three people, all of them Koreans, have been charged by the court today. Whether this release is due to the threats of more protests, possible diplomatic pressure from the Korean government, or perhaps just a lack of evidence (as the court says) I don’t know
One of the most interesting things about this whole affair is how it has made all the rightwing expat bloggers froth at the mouth (examples thereof at Marmot’s Hole, Simonworld etc). Funny really, since I don’t suppose they’re usually the sort of people who cheer on the Chinese state when it incarcerates people. There’s also some follow up from a rather more sympathetic commentator at Two Koreas. More reports and analysis of the protests here at the Globalise Resistance site. And yet more at the Ta Hamkke site if you read Korean.
UPDATE: Article on this at the international edition of Oh My News.
