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korean farmer - "nosotros somos lee" Fyi- this is from Pratap who is a reporter with kpfa in the bay -----Original Message----- Subject: [apicaw] korean farmer this is pratap, i just got back from the hospital - he's dead. his name was Lee, Kyung Hae and he was the former president of a small farmers union. our team did a short interview with him just before he stabbed himself. but since we don't speak korean all he could say to us in english was "WTO Kills Farmers" - we had no idea he was about to commit suicide. he gave us an article about how he had gone to Geneva to hold a vigil outside the WTO. the 120 strong-korean delegation that was accompanying him are in complete shock too - they did not expect this. when i left they were sitting down in the street surrounded by some black bloc activists who were shouting "nosotros somos lee" (we are all lee) a popular chant when some one is killed in a revolutionary struggle (09-10) 17:17 PDT CANCUN, Mexico (AP) -- Farmers and students clashed with police Wednesday as they tried to storm past barricades and march to the World Trade Organization meeting site. One protester fatally stabbed himself to show his anger over WTO policy. The man, South Korean farmer and former lawmaker Lee Kyung-Hae, died after he stabbed himself in the chest. His friends called the suicide a ceremonial act. WTO officials said Lee recently spent at least two months camped out in front of the WTO's headquarters in Geneva, holding up signs that accused the trade organization of killing people. He also attempted suicide in the lobby of the building in 1990, when he pulled out a Swiss army knife and plunged it into his stomach. At the time, Lee was president of the Korean National Future Farmer's and Fisherman's Association, one of the country's main farming lobby groups. He also was a former South Korean lawmaker. After his death, protesters gathered outside the hospital, chanting: "We are all Lee." They read a statement saying Lee committed suicide because "the WTO was killing peasants around the world" and calling on the South Korean delegation to leave the talks. Lee stabbed himself as thousands of protesters, largely farmers who believe new trade rules could drive them out of business, threw chunks of concrete, bottles and burning banners at police in an attempt to break through a police barricade. They pushed down the impromptu fence, prompting hundreds of police to try to drive them away with tear gas and nightsticks. After several hours, they dispersed, vowing to try again. Several other protesters were injured by police, at least four of whom were treated at a hospital. Police said one of their colleagues also suffered minor injuries. The clash took place several kilometers (miles) from where WTO delegates kicked off a five-day meeting aimed at reducing farm subsidies and tariffs. The protesters said they want to persuade the WTO to drop agriculture from their trade negotiations. They argue that each country has a right to protect its food supply, and that farmers should not be forced to compete on a global level. The issue has been among the most sensitive the WTO has had to negotiate, and most delegates agree they won't reach any concrete conclusions during their meeting in Cancun. Protesters have been a force at every major WTO meeting since 1999, when street riots disrupted talks in Seattle. Activists, who include farmers, union leaders and students, argue that free-trade rules benefit big business at the expense of the poor and the environment. ?003 Associated Press -- Pratap Chatterjee Program Director/Managing Editor CorpWatch 2288 Fulton St., #103 Berkeley, CA 94704 USA Tel: 510-849-2423 Cell: 510-759-8970 Email: pchatterjee@igc.org URL: http://www.corpwatch.org
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