Mr. Kim Dae-jung
President of the Republic of Korea
1 Sejong-no, Jongno-ku
Seoul 110-820, Republic of Korea.


Sir,

I came to know that trade union activists and trade union leaders in your country who were agitating against arbitrary pay cuts and dismissals are jailed on various grounds. I hail from a country, India, which has a history of trade union activities and struggles by laborers to secure their legal rights. The trade union movement in India was dealt with similarly by the then Indian Government and formerly by the British which turned futile. The right to folk to-together, canvassing for legitimate rights, is one of the sublime principles of Human Rights. Denial of this right, will in long run prove a futile exercise.

I am informed that the KCTU President, Mr. Dan Byung-ho is currently detained for this reason by your Government. I am also further informed, that he surrendered honoring his part of the promise and that once he surrendered your Government has backed off from the agreement that was mutually agreed into.

Through out the history, when ever trade union movements were tried to be hushed up by using forces of oppression, it turned out to give the opposite result. In this context I am only pleased to join hands with your citizens and plead for your mercy to release Mr. Dan Byung-ho, unconditionally, and also request your kind self to review your government's stand against trade union movements in your country, there by inviting the trade union leaders and workers for a dialogue so as to settle the issue amicably.

In solidarity,


Bijo Francis

Advocate, Neelankavil, No. 1 Santhi Nagar
Thrissur District, Kerala State, India. Postal Code- 680 003
Tel: 91-487-382382, Mob: 91-9847127157.