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By Yun Jea-hun
Asian Workers News Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) announced a policy that they would crackdown on undocumented migrant workers participation in a rally especially demanding legalization of their status and the undocumented workers can't avoid compulsory deportation.

According to the Korea Human Rights News, the Staying Inspection Dept of MOJ made additional remarks, saying, "We can't allow that illegal workers have rallies or demand changing their status into legal workers. At first, we lead them to return home voluntarily but if they don't follow our lead and insist on attending the meeting, we will intervene and withdraw them by force."

Meanwhile, after that MOJ announced a policy of 'Forbidding Foreigners Participation in a Rally', the Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea (JCMK) indefinitely postponed a large-scale public rally planned for April 28. Although the JCMK, in opposition to the unjust foreign manpower policy and the Voluntary Reporting Program of illegal stay, planned a big rally with migrant workers who are directly concerned, they put it off with the decision that it would't be easy to protect migrant workers personal safety during the rally. Accordingly, the JCMK decided to put the rally, campaign and collection of signatures initiated by Korean activists and scheduled to begin real activities on May 7.

Besides, the JCMK, the Equity Trade Union Migrant's Branch, Human Rights Solidarity for Women and Migration proceeded with the Myeongdong Cathedral Rally, relevant with MOJ Policy, on April 21, just general participants were Koreans as any foreigners were allowed by the government to join it. MOJ and the National Intelligent Service, etc defined their position, when they organised a joint squad to crackdown and expel all migrant workers attending the rally.
In response to the MOJ policy, the JCMK reacted by saying it's beyond their understanding. They also said that MOJ's intention was to deprive, The freedom of speech and expression and blocking the way to it is very unreasonable; moreover, that its a violation of Korean Constitutional Law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 19th article of the United Nations general assembly provides that, " Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers. Based on this article, MOJ policy is directly opposed to the rule.

Migrant workers, who were frustrated by their attempt to participate in the rally, have strongly resisted against the Korean governments policy and say. The policy of the Korean government blocking a peaceful assembly is obvious discrimination of race. Migrant workers carry out the most of difficult, dirty, and dangerous jobs in Korea and suffer from race discrimination and human rights violations, not to mention freedom of speech.