一直都很想知道南韓的主流媒體如何理解這次事件, 每次問韓國的朋友, 他們都面有難色. 因為主流, 尤其是右派的媒體, 一直以來對農民和工人的抗爭都非常之不友善, 從一開始(12月13日) 就說他們在國外搞事很丟南韓的架. 比較進步的, 一開始時挻正面, 說南韓示威者把訴求傳達, 並得到港人的支持, 於inmedia聯署的感謝信, 早於12月16日就刊登在南韓的報章上. 不過, 到12月17日, 相對進步的報章亦譴責韓農的示威模式, 說他們死硬不轉變, 又說香港人的支持是膚淺的支持.
上星期在網上與韓國搞社會運動的朋友聊天, 這位朋友是屬於NGO陣營的(在南韓, 社運分為NGO, 工運和農運)三大陣型, 很多前NGO陣型的, 均成為民主政府官員和智囊, 工運基本上得到城市市民的支持, 政治的議價能力較高, 而農運則是最邊緣的運動.
這位朋友亦不太認同反WTO鬥陣團的策略, 覺得他們把南韓的一套搬到香港, 一成不變, 他們之所以得到香港人的支持是因為其示威文化富異國風情; 又說這些團體的組織型態很等級化, 難以溝通; 還有的是, 其中的民族主義成份, 很容易成為南韓右派反彈的力量.
當晚我跟他即時地吵起來, 說南韓的城市中心政治把農運邊緣化; 說現在的民主政府在80年代也是天天在打架, 死傷無數, 到現在成為執政黨就出賣底層; 說他不理解香港政治卻先入為主覺得別人膚淺, 毫無國際連結的心; 還說他說話涼薄, 缺乏同情心等等...
當晚的罵戰, 我說話真的過了火位, 因為這位朋友曾經下過鄉, 也很支持工農運, 只是受不了他們的一成不變 (我想, 若我長時間在南韓, 我也會給他們大男人, 高度等級化的組織文化氣壞); 而在世貿期間, 他在百忙之中, 幫我在幾個小時內把感謝信譯成韓文, 我還未來得及謝他就把他罵個半死.
其實, 我也覺得不應該太浪漫化韓農運動, 從個人接觸的層次, 他們真的很好, 很善良, 很團結; 但運動的層次, 其男性中心與等級亦難以接受. 此外, 國族主義論述對當地社運, 的確有右轉的可能性和危機.
韓國農業削減補貼和開放市場的時間表其實已經定好, 所以這次香港宣言, 無論結果如何, 對他們的影響不會太大; 而右翼的農會(南韓農民的貧富懸殊很嚴重, 有很多以前軍事政府培養出來的農會), 以民族主義的論述, 在國內爭取對他們更有利的政策; 所以, 最壞的情況是, 貧窮和破產的農民在前線打生打死, 到最後是既得利益者漁人得利.
但是, 正正是要打破這種國族主義論述的危機, 國際抗爭和連結, 更加可貴, 它使國族主義的運動論述, 有轉化的可能. (雖然語言和等級組織的障礙, 使這次反世貿運動的互動極低, 但這只是一個開始.)
昨天晚上的道別派對, 工盟送了飯碗給國際友人, 說希望這飯碗不會破, 並可以盛載本國的稻米; 我即場有點不舒服, 我想跟這些國際友人說, 假若本國城市人口不買他們的米, 我會願意並遊說其他人, 多花幾倍的價錢 (我現在一天的車費, 足以買到兩袋米, 夠我一個月食 !), 以另類貿易的方法, 支持他們.
我希望這些國際連線, 不會停留在支援韓農的層次, 而是可以建立更立體和實質性的跨地域對話和連結, 互相轉化和壯大對方的社會運動. 我們一定會, 和一定要再碰面的.
以下是 the korean time 的報導, 有一些錯誤的事實, 亦蓄意描黑示威者, 看後使人氣憤, 但我覺得有必要了解南韓主流媒體對韓農的觀感, 以作支援策略參考:
Lesson From Hong Kong Incident
Violent Protests Not Tolerated Anywhere Around the World
It is fortunate that 11 of our citizens held in Hong Kong for
organizing a violent demonstration at an international trade conference
last month are able to return home safely. In a Wednesday trial which
attracted global attention, Hong Kong’s prosecution dropped charges
against eight of the South Koreans accused of organizing the illegal
protest, while keeping charges against the remaining three. However,
the court lifted an exit ban on the three, allowing them to return home
on bail. If convicted, the three, who pleaded innocent to arraignments,
face a maximum five years in jail.
Nonetheless, their defiance of another country’s law has seriously
eroded the nation’s global image. It is beyond comprehension that some
1,000 of our people who flew to Hong Kong . joined by Chinese, Japanese
and Taiwanese protestors . wielded iron pipes and threw fire bombs at
Hong Kong police controlling the demonstration, which was aimed at
attempting to block the opening of the rice market at the ministerial
meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In light of the grave
nature of challenging the authority of the Hong Kong police, it would
have come as no surprise if all 11 were convicted.
More serious was their threat to launch a new round of massive protests
unless all of the demonstrators on trial are released free of charges.
They were also supported by the militant Korean Confederation of Trade
Unions, which warned that it too would organize a protest in Hong Kong
with the mobilization of thousands of Koreans if the 11 Koreans and
other foreigners were not freed. It is incredible that instead of
showing repentance, the 11 accused of violating Hong Kong law
threatened the authorities there in cooperation with trade unionists.
Their challenge to and disregard of China’s sovereign rights are no
doubt the outcome of our deplorable demonstration culture which
generally tolerates violent activities by protestors while
concomitantly denouncing the police’s stern crackdown on them.
It was only a short while ago that the head of the police was forced to
step down, taking responsibility for the deaths of two farmers in a
demonstration of farmers and civic activists last November protesting a
wider opening of the domestic rice market. He and his men complained,
reasonably, that it is unfair to blame only the police for the use of
their power to cope with violent demonstrators. The police have no
other choice but to resort to force when their lives are threatened by
violent protestors.
Taking a bitter lesson from the Hong Kong incident, all of us ought to
combine efforts to have a peaceful protest culture take root in our
society as quickly as possible.
01-12-2006 21:24