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2 July 2008 His Excellency Your Excellency, Police Oppression and Brutality Against ¡§YMCA Candlelight Peace Action - Let's Lie Down on the Street ¡¨ in Seoul on June 28 th It is with deep concern and regret to learn that the YMCA members who were participating in the ¡§YMCA Candlelight Peace Action Group ¡VLet's Lie Down On The Street ¡¨, a peaceful candlelight vigil on June 28 th , were brutally and mercilessly assaulted by the police. Many YMCA leaders/members, who were lying down on the street without any form of protection, and innocent bystanders were injured, some with broken heads or arms, including Mr. Lee Hack-Young, the General Secretary of the National Council of YMCAs of Korea, and some executive staff who are still hospitalised. The YMCA, and especially the Korean YMCA has consistently supported justice and peace, citizens' rights that are reasonable and made through peaceful means. The Korean YMCA and its members were exercising their democratic right, calling for the immediate renegotiation of beef import deal with the United States . They were acting to protect the public health, against the possibility of mad-cow disease, a fundamental government responsibility. In the name and principles of democracy , and the UN Charter of Human Rights, we call on Your Excellency, Mr. President and the government to g uarantee the citizens' security and not to resort to violent police oppression and brutality in peaceful rallies .Thank you. Yours respectfully,
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