nskripchun
Apr 30th, 2008, 03:48 AM
Glad to see students at my alma mater stirring stuff up. ;)
Unfortunately, comments in the comment section ain't exactly from the best and brightest...
http://thedaily.washington.edu/2008/4/25/uw-students-protest-us-troops-south-korea/
http://media.thedaily.washington.edu//images/thumbnails/080424_nf_KoreaRally_02_WEB_230w.jpg
AAM link:
http://www.angryasianman.com/2008/04/this-photo-is-awesome.html
UW students protest U.S. troops in South Korea
By Michelle Tanaka
April 25, 2008
A group of students at a rally outside the HUB challenged the UW administration to divest from military contractors supporting U.S. troops in South Korea yesterday. The anti-racism student group March 1st Solidarity (M1S) organized the protest.
“South Korea must be free. Down with white supremacy,” chanted the organizers and student supporters echoed.
After speeches on the steps of the HUB, the protesters marched to Gerberding Hall to demand a list of UW investments with military contractors. Protesters walked up the stairs to UW President Mark Emmert’s office, where voices were heard but questions were left unanswered.
Emmert was not in the office. However, M1S requested to hold a public debate with the UW administration.
“We challenge the UW administration today. We are going to say, ‘We want to debate you in public,’” protest organizer Shemon Salam. “We are not going to do any discussion of this issue behind the scenes.”
On April 7, M1S formally submitted a proposal to demand the UW withdraw its investments from any contractors involved with the U.S. military in South Korea. However, the organization does not know whether the UW has invested in these companies because the administration has not responded to its request for a list of investments.
Instead, the UW administration opted to invite M1S to a private meeting. Group members, however, wanted the issue debated in public.
M1S claims the United States Forces Korea (USFK) is responsible for several offenses against South Korea, including suppressing movements for South Korean democracy and independence, stealing land from South Korean farmers and fueling the sex trade in Asia. Additionally, the group asserts the USFK has its weapons pointed at other Asian countries, besides North Korea, and is supplying aid in the occupation of Iraq.
Christine Tran, a speaker at the protest, attempted to contextualize the protest within the history of economic ties between South Korea and the United States.
“South Korea has been titled as an Asian Tiger, a model minority nation that has broke[n] out of its rebellious third-world origin,” she said. “South Korea receives economic stability and aid from the U.S., but this came at a price.”
Additionally, Tran claimed the United States’ policy in Korea is based upon racism.
“This Asian Tiger was kept on a short leash, and in return for aid it was obligated to support the U.S. and its white supremacist politics,” Tran said.
M1S is named for March 1, 1919, a famous day in Korean history when South Koreans rose up against Japanese colonialism and fought for autonomy, Salam said.
The USFK military force was stationed in Korea following the resolution of the Korean War more than half a century ago. The nation remains divided between North Korea and South Korea, and the USFK is supposed to act as a defense against a possible North Korean threat.
However, the USFK has made a public statement saying that it does not consider North Korea a threat anymore, Salam said.
Unfortunately, comments in the comment section ain't exactly from the best and brightest...
http://thedaily.washington.edu/2008/4/25/uw-students-protest-us-troops-south-korea/
http://media.thedaily.washington.edu//images/thumbnails/080424_nf_KoreaRally_02_WEB_230w.jpg
AAM link:
http://www.angryasianman.com/2008/04/this-photo-is-awesome.html
UW students protest U.S. troops in South Korea
By Michelle Tanaka
April 25, 2008
A group of students at a rally outside the HUB challenged the UW administration to divest from military contractors supporting U.S. troops in South Korea yesterday. The anti-racism student group March 1st Solidarity (M1S) organized the protest.
“South Korea must be free. Down with white supremacy,” chanted the organizers and student supporters echoed.
After speeches on the steps of the HUB, the protesters marched to Gerberding Hall to demand a list of UW investments with military contractors. Protesters walked up the stairs to UW President Mark Emmert’s office, where voices were heard but questions were left unanswered.
Emmert was not in the office. However, M1S requested to hold a public debate with the UW administration.
“We challenge the UW administration today. We are going to say, ‘We want to debate you in public,’” protest organizer Shemon Salam. “We are not going to do any discussion of this issue behind the scenes.”
On April 7, M1S formally submitted a proposal to demand the UW withdraw its investments from any contractors involved with the U.S. military in South Korea. However, the organization does not know whether the UW has invested in these companies because the administration has not responded to its request for a list of investments.
Instead, the UW administration opted to invite M1S to a private meeting. Group members, however, wanted the issue debated in public.
M1S claims the United States Forces Korea (USFK) is responsible for several offenses against South Korea, including suppressing movements for South Korean democracy and independence, stealing land from South Korean farmers and fueling the sex trade in Asia. Additionally, the group asserts the USFK has its weapons pointed at other Asian countries, besides North Korea, and is supplying aid in the occupation of Iraq.
Christine Tran, a speaker at the protest, attempted to contextualize the protest within the history of economic ties between South Korea and the United States.
“South Korea has been titled as an Asian Tiger, a model minority nation that has broke[n] out of its rebellious third-world origin,” she said. “South Korea receives economic stability and aid from the U.S., but this came at a price.”
Additionally, Tran claimed the United States’ policy in Korea is based upon racism.
“This Asian Tiger was kept on a short leash, and in return for aid it was obligated to support the U.S. and its white supremacist politics,” Tran said.
M1S is named for March 1, 1919, a famous day in Korean history when South Koreans rose up against Japanese colonialism and fought for autonomy, Salam said.
The USFK military force was stationed in Korea following the resolution of the Korean War more than half a century ago. The nation remains divided between North Korea and South Korea, and the USFK is supposed to act as a defense against a possible North Korean threat.
However, the USFK has made a public statement saying that it does not consider North Korea a threat anymore, Salam said.