Seoul (AsiaNews) - The members of the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice (CPAJ) celebrated a Mass yesterday evening, to commemorate the victims of a fire in Yongsan, a neighborhood in downtown Seoul. They denounce the violations of human rights in South Korea, and blast the stance of the government, which they accuse of using brutal methods to repress dissent and opposition movements.
The incident took place last January 19: a group of demonstrators staged a protest against the meager compensation set aside for the demolition of their homes in Yongsan, in downtown Seoul. The demonstrators had been evicted as part of a redevelopment plan for the neighborhood, which called for the demolition of some of the homes.
The situation deteriorated the following day: when the police came to clear out the demonstrators, who were wearing masks and armed with incendiary devices, they set fire to the roof of the building. Five demonstrators and one policeman died in the fire, and 17 people were injured.
Yesterday evening, the CPAJ commemorated the victims of the tragedy with a Mass of intercession (in the photo), and denounced the authoritarian methods imposed by the government: "The Yongsan tragedy," reads a statement entitled "A Republic of Korea of Disaster and Ruin," "is a fearsome incident that presented questions and shock to all citizens over where this nation is really going and where the endpoint of the catastrophe lies."
The Catholic priests emphasize that "a democratic republic" is founded on the principle that "the public good" belongs "to the citizens," and they blast the behavior of the government, which is "taking away not just the citizens’ happiness but their lives as well without hesitation, justifying this in the name of law, order and public authority."
The members of the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice have issued a warning to president Lee Myung-bak, accusing his administration of committing "a serious crime denying the very existence of God," and reaffirming their "battle" motivated by a sentiment of "righteous anger."