|
Another violent showdown looms as groups protesting against the relocation of U.S. military bases to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province are gearing up for a massive 10,000-strong protest this weekend. According to the police, the opposition groups will stage a demonstration in memory of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, with which they have compared their movement, on Friday and continue their protests in Pyongtaek until Sunday. Police said the activists are looking at demonstrations in Daechu-ri, from where they have just been evicted, Dodu-ri and Pyeongtaek City.
"There is absolutely no relation between the two, and the opposition groups are distorting the truth when they compare the soldiers patrolling the site of the base¡± to the brutal suppression of the Gwangju Uprising that saw many protestors killed, a police officer said.
The military has already started equipping the soldiers, who were violently attacked by protesters on May 5, with equipment to protect themselves.
Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung visited Pyeongtaek on Tuesday, partly to encourage the troops. "It would be nice if they would hold the protests in Yeouido or in front of the Government Complex in Gwanhwamun or somewhere like that," Yoon quipped. He also promised the unpleasant conditions the troops stationed at Pyeongtaek face ¡°will get better little by little."
Troops guarding the base site are forced to sleep in fours and fives in temporary tents with only a raincoat and blanket between them and the ground. A water shortage barely allows them to wash once a day, and there is no electricity either. Officials are considering plans to rotate the troops guarding the perimeter frequently to reduce hardship.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
