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Mar. 29  2024
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Dear, Senators of the United States

First, I'm writing not just to criticise but to inform what the TRUTH is. The following is the account of a horrifying recent accident that happened in Korea involving certain personnels of the U.S army. I would like to appeal to your reasons. Please consider what the true 'human right' is, what gives rise to the anti-U.S. sentiment that is spreading through the Korean peninsula. If your principle for 'human right' does not depend on the race or the power of the nation, I'm sure you will be able to see the truth and act on it.

Source  :  Jatonghyup

First, I'm writing not just to criticise but to inform what the TRUTH is.
The following is the account of a horrifying recent accident that happened in Korea involving certain personnels of the U.S army. I would like to appeal to your reasons. Please consider what the true 'human right' is, what gives rise to the anti-U.S. sentiment that is spreading through the Korean peninsula. If your principle for 'human right' does not depend on the race or the power of the nation, I'm sure you will be able to see the truth and act on it.

date: June 13, 2002 10:45 a.m.
place of the incident: Hyo-cheon-ri, Kwang-juck-myun, Kyoung-gi Province, Korea.
summary of the incident: two middle-school girls, Mi-Sun Shim and Hyo-Soon Shin of the Uijeongbu District, are apparantly run over by U.S. army tanks and died instantly

The first reaction of the U.S. forces in Korea follows. This is what makes us so furious that we have serious doubts on the sanity and the reasons of the U.S. army's informative service department. The following interview was broadcasted on the MBC radio network, one of the most famous national radio stations in South Korea on 28th June, 2002.

Question (MBC Radio): Why do you refuse an investigation on this accident ?
Answer (U.S. forces representative): We have already investigated this case thoroughly. We found out that nobody did any mistake related with this accident. So we don't feel the necessity to take any measure anymore. Also we can't accept the request for organizing a kind of joint investigation committee something like that. This case is closed.

Q: In this incident, two innocent teens were killed on the road around their neighborhood, mercilessly run over by a 56-ton military vehicle. Is it possible for the responsible to be free to walk, if this kind of incident happens in the U.S ?
A: (cynical) Absolutely not. You should know this is Korea, not the U.S.

A number of Korean citizens were enraged by his careless attitude and raise a lot of mysteries after self- investigating. But they still turn down our demand, which includes a joint re-investigation. A few days ago, the commander of U.S forces in Korea announced that all the responsibility of this accident belongs to U.S. army. Why did it take more than 3 weeks for the U.S. army to apologize? Is this by any means acceptable? We do not think so. To make matters worse, there is absolutely NO change in the U.S. army's superior, descending attitude towards the Koreans, even after the apology.

I really can't understand how the U.S can cry out 'human right' when atrocities like this happen. No one is perfect, so any and all kinds of accidents can happen. But the important thing that we need from the U.S. army right now, is the sincere attitude to find out what happened and how to prevent this kind of tragedy in the future, so forth.

Then I'd like to let you know some of the questions on which we want immediate and sincere answers.

1. First, consider the violation of Korean internal law by the U.S. army vehicle involved in this incident: According to the Road and Transportation Law of South Korea, they are bound to give a prior notice to the district police station and take some measures for safety in order to drive the vehicle with wider width than that of the road. However, in this accident the width of road was 3.31m, and that of US armored vehicle was 3.65m. There was not any notice whatsoever to the police station- not even to the Korean citizens in this area. How can they do something this rash ?

2. Consider the violation of military training rule. As far as we know, the training chief should dispatch ground guide to prevent any safety accident when driving this kind of dangerous armored vehicle around civilian area. But did they ? We have not gotten ANY answer on this matter so far. Were any kind of safety measure taken by the US army? Please tell us in detail.

3. The U.S. army have repeatedly altered their version of the incident report. At first they insisted that the driver couldn't see the two teens due to the structure of the vehicle. Namely the driver only could get only half range of his front view. (However, do you think is it reasonable to drive dangerous and big army vehicle s with only half range of front view driving on the civilian area ?) Then later, they changed their words- this time, they insisted that TC gave the driver warning that there were civilians in front of us, but the driver failed to receive it because it was too noisy. (Here, we raised the question of the reason for NOT wearing the communication system. They answered that the driver was talking with the chief of his unit through his radio at that time. Then we ask, if it is reasonable for him to miss the extremely critical warning on the account of talking with others? Their frequent change of reasons cause a huge waves of rage in the Korean citizens. I am afraid that it has gone TOO FAR this time, that it might be hard even to recover our fundamental friendship.

Our demands are as follow:

1. President Bush, as the highest responsible person of the U. S. Forces, should formerly apologize to the victims' families and the Korean people through the major presses imediately.

2. Organize a joint investigation committee with the participation of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division, the victims' families, and social activist groups for a fair and in-depth investigation. Then according to investigation results, punish the responsible driver and vehicle commander. Every procedure should be opened to the public to see.

3. Pay PROPER financial compensation for the deaths to the victims' families immediately.

4. Forbid any U. S. military training exercise passing the roads in Hyochon-ri and shut down the training camp in order to prevent further accidents.

5. The United States of America should give up the right to put the responsible through THEIR military court system, and also, change the Status of Forces Agreement, which is unjustifiable and unequal.


Looking forward to seeing your determined action for the justice.

2002 / -0 / 7-
 
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