Agency completes probe of alleged oppression of protesters

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state human rights agency has wrapped up a two-month probe into the government's alleged oppression of people who took part in massive street demonstrations earlier this summer, officials said Monday.

The Human Rights Commission plans to discuss the issue in a plenary session of senior officials slated for next Monday, prior to revealing its outcome, they added.

Activists claim many protesters were persecuted by police and related authorities
during the weeks of candlelight vigils and street marches that followed an April
decision by Seoul to lift import restrictions on U.S. beef.

Thousands of people took to the streets almost daily between May and July, with
many arguing the hastily-made agreement lacked proper food safety measures. Most
of the protests were peaceful, but some occasionally turned violent.

Police blocked wide thoroughfares in north-central Seoul to prevent demonstrators
from marching on the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, and used water cannons
injected with dye so they could pick demonstrators out of the crowd.

One video clip showing riot police stomping on the head of a fallen female
student during a nighttime demonstration spread quickly on the Internet, fueling
public outrage.

The backlash dealt a serious blow to the Lee Myung-bak administration in its
first months. The Lee government is trying to start fresh as anti-government
sentiment has markedly subdued recently.

The agency's decision on the matter, while nonbinding, is expected to affect the
administration's efforts to win back public confidence.

"Investigations into more than 130 petitioned cases have been completed and
the outcome will be forwarded to the plenary committee meeting to be held on
Sept. 22," a commission official said.

The final decision will likely be made public early next month, he added.

lcd@yna.co.kr

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