Letter from Prisoner Number 77

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

January 28, 2002

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Letter from Seoul Prison, Dan Byung-ho, Prisoner Number 77

Dear brothers and sisters across the world,

I am deeply moved by your action. Your solidarity has burned
through the cold cement walls of the prisons all over Korea. It
has warmed the winter air and gave fresh strength to all those
trade union leaders locked away in them.

I can promise you on behalf of nearly 50 trade union leaders in
jail in Korea that we will emerge from these walls stronger than
ever, more confident in our spirit and commitment than ever,
knowing that you are with us, and that we are together as one in
our common struggle.

Your actions have enabled me to glimpse the significance of the
much repeated slogan: "workers of the world, unite!" It has
prompted me to reflect, that we must begin to act to bring this
slogan into life and a living experience for all workers of the
world. We must consciously organise it.

Thank you for all your solidarity and the glimpse of promise and
possibility your actions has revealed to all of us.

On January 21, 2002, the day of KCTU president Dan Byung-ho's
fifth trial hearing, on the eve of January 22 "international day
of action in solidarity with imprisoned Korean workers", over one
hundred KCTU members gathered before the court house to hold a
protest rally before joining President Dan in the court.

OH Jong-soae, vice-president of the KCTU-KMWF, made a report of
the confirmed actions in some 20 countries.

He listed the names of the countries where action was planned. He
paused as he called out India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Brazil,
South Africa, Kenya, Latvia, and other, non-advanced
industrialised countries.

Vice President Oh challenged the gathered KCTU members if they
knew of the barbaric treatment of workers in some of these
countries by Korean companies - or about the plight of migrant
workers in Korea. He asked if they knew that thousands of workers
are being killed every year for trade union activities across the
world.

"As we hope to be strengthened by the joint action by thousands
of workers across the world tomorrow, we must commit ourselves to
struggle with those workers in hundreds of Korean companies
abroad, to take action in support of unionists imprisoned in
other countries, to struggle as one against the common enemy that
aims to destroy us by pitting workers against each other."

http://www.kctu.org/solidarity/dan-thanks.htm