News Summary: Police Suppression of SPARK “Peace Film Festival” and “War in Dachuri” Screening
As of only two weeks ago Solidarity for Peace and Reunification (SPARK) had planned to hold their “Peace Film Festival” scheduled at the Namyong dong branch of a police operated human rights center from October 26-29.
According to SPARK Seoul Branch on October 18th the police suddenly revoked the permit they had given for use of the space. SPARK called this a contradictory and unjust action.
The police had originally evaluated the film festival in a positive light thinking this festival would help the human rights center clear its name from passed scandals. But the police change their position because the film festival was scheduled to include the film, “War in Dachuri” about the Pyongtaek base expansion issue.
“War in Dachuri” (director: Il-gun Jung, producer: Purn Film) is a documentary that covers the life of residents in Pyongtaek affected by the base expansion from Feb. 2005 to May 2006. It includes coverage of the troubles faced by residents of Dachuri and Doduri, conflicts among them, the anti-base expansion work of social movement organizations, among other issues.
According to Guk-jin Im, head of the human rights center, the police “judged that it is unreasonable to show a film which, shows clashes between police and residents that took place during the process of suppressing demonstrations in a police building.”
The police proposed to SPARK that they could hold the film festival if they did not screen “War in Dachuri” but they did not get a positive reply.
In response, Spark planed to screen “War in Dachuri” in front of the Seoul Migun dong police station at 7:00 the night before the opening of the film festival (October 25). However on that night a force of approximately 500 policement and 30 some vehicles completely shut down the screening.
Participants protested that the police were treating the film as if it were a dangerous weapon and stopping a public screening with violence, just because the film contained truth about the lives of Dachuri and Doduri residents. They called it an abuse of civil rights
Finally organizes closed the event at 8:10pm without being able to conduct the screening after giving a brief report of the circumstances. They committed to holding a continued one person demonstration in protest in front of the police station.
According to Young-suk Suh, Co-president of SPARK, “this event was a severe case of oppression… no different than the violence being carried out in Pyongtaek.”
Instead of screening at the police human rights center the film festival was held at KCTU Education Center in Yongdeungpo from October 26-29. “War in Dachuri” screen at 6:30 on opening night.
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