A report about our last developments
Now since more than 3 weeks – exactly 23 days, Korean style of counting 24 days – we’re occupying Myeongdong cathedral’s compound. By the way, all over South Korea, in different regions and cities, hundreds of migrant workers also in strike.
After the first days were very turbulent, now we’ve a kind of everyday life. But we’re active in our struggle place – daily morning and night rallies, education and we greet regularly guests, who want to express their solidarity with our struggle.
Last week on December 2, more than 500 students from Dongduk Women’s University hold their protest against corruption on their university on our occupied place. But they also expressed their solidarity with our struggle. It was very impressive to hear our demand “Achieve working visa!” shouted by hundreds of female voices. Also in the following days dozens of students used our place to hold their protest rallies.
On Thursday night we had a small but powerful culture festival. The well known protest singers Yeon Yeong-sook and Park Joon plaid for us their songs and also we’d the possibility – the first time since several days – to play our songs by using their high quality amplifier (usually we’ve only megaphones, and this sounds more horrible). Our comrades presented the songs and expression dances – here they call it mime – and we were able to see that they get more and more professional. All in all it was a really great night in a beautiful atmosphere. Only pity that nobody outside our struggle place knew about the event, so we had to enjoy nearly alone, except several by passers who got interested and watched the performances.
Last Friday we went to Incheon for to join a mourning celebration for Burhon, a migrant worker from Uzbekistan, who committed suicide recently. After this, back in Seoul, we participated on a demonstration for to achieve higher minimum wages. After this, again we’d a short confrontation with the riot cops, because they were of the opinion that it would be a crime when we went all together back to our buses. Perhaps an illegal demonstration?!
On Saturday we participated on the Central Rally for Democratic Solidarity, an annual event for supporting the struggle of discriminated and most oppressed groups in the society. Thousands of workers, students and political activists joined the rally and following demonstration. We were really surprised how much sympathy and solidarity our struggle gets in the society. It was very impressive to hear in nearly every speech at least several sentences dedicated the struggle of migrant workers in South Korea.
In the opening speech, we were able to hold, we thanked for the powerful solidarity we get and also we assured that we never give up our struggle for equal rights for all workers in South Korea (of course on a higher level!). And of course we will struggle until the “rulers” comply with our demands!
After the rally the comrades of “Struggle and Rice” (투쟁과 밥, http://bab.gg.gg/ ) surprised us with a delicious dinner.
Today we had a powerful rally in front of Mokdong Immigration Office demanding the release of Bidduth and Jamal and all the other migrant workers sitting in detention centers all over South Korea.
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Roh’s government on confrontation course - but they will loose! 
