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by Christian / Base21 Media Activists
dvs-b@t-online.de

At first the good news: On Sunday, January 4, afternoon (Bangladesh time) Bidu and Jamal were released from detention, after 5 useless days spending there, only because of South Korean 밶uthorities� efforts.

After the Christmas day뭩, also spending in struggle against arrests and deportations, on December 30 Myeongdong Sit-in Struggle Collective (MSSC) had to learn, that South Korean Immigration authority deported Bidu and Jamal and handed them over to Bangladeshi police.

In the morning of New Year뭩 Eve MSSC had to learn that Ministry of Justice prepared to arrest the leading activists of Equality Trade Union � Migrants� Branch (ETU-MB). In reaction of this last developments MSSC organized for December 31 one rally in front of Seoul Immigration Office to protest against the deportation of Bidu and Jamal and governments idea to arrest ETU-MB뭩 뱇eadership�.

Short before the end of the rally, around 100 migrants and some Korean supporters participated, about 50 immigration officers, backed by at least 120 riot cops attacked the MSSC members and tried to arrest them. During fierce fights between students, supporting MSSC, and immigration officers the migrant workers were able to escape, reach their buses and leave the scene.

The students, some Korean and one migrant member of Emergency Struggle Committee � the current 뱇eadership� of ETU-MB continued the struggle to achieve � successfully - the release of two students which were arrested during the fight. On the end the demonstrators bombarded the Immigration Office with eggs. (Here http://go.jinbo.net/mybbs/bbstext.php?board=cool&recno=17407&mode=LS&arg= you can see a video about the event)

In the same night, after joining the rally organized by the striking construction workers, also occupying Myeongdong cathedrals compound, MSSC participated on the anti-war rally nearby the US embassy.

On New Year뭩 day MSSC went to a two-day trip to the east coast for Membership Training. Apart from learning more useful things for the struggle they were able to enjoy the beauty of Korea � the Seorak-san (mountains) in the back and the East Sea in the front.

After returning back to their struggle site on Myeongdong and celebrating the beginning of the eighth week of occupying the area, on the next day, January 4, MSSC held a protest rally against the ongoing crackdown in Uijeongbu, an industrial city near Seoul.
On the way to there MSSC visited a cemetery where Jeon Tae-il is buried. He is considered to be a hero in South Korea, because he was one of the first workers, fought for labor rights. 1970 in protest against the extreme hard repression against the workers movement he committed suicide.

In Uijeongbu the MSSC had to learn that government뭩 policy of manhunt and mass deportation is not ineffective. Months before, ETU-MB held the first rally there, the streets around Uijeongbu station were full with migrant workers. Now, scared by the threat of imprisonment, only few migrants were seen on the streets. Because of this fact only around 200 migrant workers joined the rally. But even 밢ur Solidarity Team� � MSSC뭩 name for the riot cops � were hanging around the corner the event was powerful and everybody had a lot of fun, because of performing all the new songs and 뱈imes� (South Korean revolutionary expression dances) MSSC learned in the last seven weeks. After finishing the rally MSSC and the supporters went to several sites near and in Uijeongbu subway station for mass propaganda.