Guys, PLEASE spare just a few minutes to have a good read through this post. People have been speaking non-stop for more than 25 hours and will be for hundreds more for awareness.
I am honestly sorry for this non-fandom and strictly political post but this is related to my home country and is what seriously needs some awareness.
The Korean government is attempting to pass an anti-terrorism law. Doesn’t seem so bad, right? This will allow the National Intelligence Service to track and control the citizens’ private information—without consent.
This means that they can legally scroll through my emails, read my texts and see what I go through on Tumblr. They can legally wiretap my calls, gather my credit card information, eavesdrop on my Skype calls and browse my chat history—without my consent.
Why allow them access to such personal information (possibility of misuse: *holds shining neon placard and screams in your face*)? The Intelligence Service will filter for content that is anti-governmental in order to delete them and threaten me with, let’s say, my AO3 browsing history. Or in other adults’ case, their bank accounts and credit information. Because, like, speaking against the government? That is just outrageous! How dare someone criticise what the government is doing?
To hell with that. This isn’t an anti-terrorism law. This is permission to carry out a legal public inspection. Oppressing opinions by deleting articles and threatening individuals will weaken the publics’ sense of impartiality. The government will reign with power no different from dictatorship.
Adding on, no information is stated on when and under what circumstances will the Intelligence Agency be allowed to go through the citizens’ private information. To me and many others, this seems like extremely fishy business.
What’s worse is that the political party currently in office has been attempting to pass this law—without consent.
This cannot pass. This is not for the public’s safety—not when the true intention looms before our eyes. This is just legalising privacy infringement and the oppression of public opinion.
Apparently the parties out of office think the same. Because they are carrying out a filibuster as I type.
1 an action such as prolonged speaking which obstructs progress in a legislative assembly in a way that does not technically contravene the required procedures.
Through a filibuster, one can legally prevent the majority from having their own way with the law by stalling the session. March 10th is when the National Assembly’s term of office expires, which means that no new laws can be passed after that date.
The opposed party’s plan is to keep speaking non-stop until March 10th. This makes about roughly 300 hours. There are less than 130 representatives who are not in the party in office, which means that each person needs to speak non-stop for at least three and a half hours. Even a minute of break or going off topic during the speech is prohibited. Not even a bathroom break. Once a speaker gets off the podium, he or she cannot take the floor again.
Representative Su Mi Eun has so far broken the national record for the longest speech made in a session by speaking non-stop for 10 hours and 18 minutes from 2:30AM to 12:48PM on the 24th. At this moment, representative Won Seok Park is speaking as the fourth speaker.
President Park has shown no will to make any changes to the anti-terrorism law itself, but has instead shown “deep lament” regarding this ongoing filibuster and said that “this appalling situation has never been shown in other countries” whilst repeatedly slamming her desk.
Amusingly, (this may cost me a trip to jail and back bye in advance, guys) in S2EP17 of West Wing, there is a line with a rather contrary point of view.
“Guys. I’m sorry. But you know what?
Listen, Seriously. You’re looking at democracy at work.
The moment the members stop speaking, this law will go into vote. The party in office—the majority—will vote for this and the law will pass.
Most of you who are reading this probably won’t even be Korean citizens. You might wonder, “Wait, the key is that the representatives keep on talking. Why are you even concerned in the first place?” Wrong. They are making speeches not only to dispel this law, but also to raise public awareness on it.
Please, please do. I know many of you may have scrolled past this post without reading it. I also know that many of you may not reblog this because it goes against your blog. But it’s okay. Just the fact that you ran into this issue can contribute. Because out of all that has happened so far in Korea, this must not go unnoticed. All I want is to raise awareness. To give some attention to this outrage, and to those who are trying their best to combat it.
I sincerely thank you for reading this, whoever you are.
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