When martial law was declared in South Korea, Melbourne resident Seona Cho immediately booked a flight back to Seoul, where she joined impeachment rallies and labour protests, standing in solidarity with workers fighting for democracy and justice. This is her account.
Martial law
Despite his failed December 3 self-coup, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol remains in his post after MPs from the conservative ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted a impeachment vote on December 7, reports Won Youngsu.
The rapid mass response to South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law, which stopped the president’s coup in its tracks, is explained by South Korea’s history of military regimes, writes Barry Sheppard.
Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea’s right-wing president, attempted to maintain his power through the implementation of martial law, but was defeated within six hours by a people’s uprising, reports Chon Kai Choon.
Filipino community groups organised a moving commemoration, “Never Again, Never Forget, Never Again To Martial Law” to mark resistance to ongoing martial law. Tracy Cabrera reports.
Mariza Sollano talks about a new film portraying the lives and tribulations of student activists during martial law in the Philippines, which will be screening around the country in October.
Laban ng Masa, a new coalition of trade unionists, community activists, urban poor organisations, feminists and socialists, marked its formation by organising a mass protest in Manila on September 21.
The protest marked the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and to oppose moves towards martial law by President Rodrigo Duterte, who openly admires Marcos. Duterte’s government has already declared martial law in Mindanao and overseen 13,000 extrajudicial killings of poor people in a “war on drugs”.
The burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery (Libingan ng mga Bayani — LNMB) was hurriedly and secretively carried out, with military-style logistical support.
Marcos ruled the Philippines from 1965 until he was overthrown in the Peoples Power EDSA Uprising of 1986. He died in exile in the US three years later.