SOUTH KOREA/THAILAND: Activists and pastors hold demos to urge the release of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan as families grieve

The South Korean government had told Taliban insurgents holding 21 Koreans there is a limit to what it can do to resolve the hostage stand-off that has stretched into a third week, as peace activists call for their release. The South Korean government has told Taliban insurgents holding 21 Koreans there is a limit to what it can do to resolve the hostage stand-off that has stretched into a third week, an official said on Friday (August 3). There has been some contact with the Taliban and a South Korean delegation arrived on Thursday (August 2) in the Afghan province where the Koreans are held hostage to try to hold direct talks with the kidnappers. "Through our contacts, our foremost goal is to make it clear that there is a limit as to what our government can do to meet their demands of releasing the prisoners," said presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon. The Taliban have killed two of their male hostages, accusing the Afghan government of not negotiating in good faith and ignoring their demand to release rebel prisoners. The remaining hostages include 18 women. The Taliban have repeatedly threatened to kill the rest if their demands are not met. The South Korean government has called for "flexibility", a comment analysts say is directed at the United States to sway the Afghan government to strike a deal with the kidnappers. "We assess the United States is actively cooperating by all its means as best as it can. This is not a matter that should lead to anti-U.S. problems," said Cheon. There have been calls among many left-leaning politicians for the United States to use its influence to resolve the issue but Washington has stood firm in its refusal to make concessions with groups, such as the Taliban, it considers terrorists. Others in South Korea have warned such pressure could strain ties. In Seoul Peace activists and pastors took to the streets to rally for the release of the remaining 21 South Koreans being held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The pastors demanded withdrawal of South Korean troops from Afghanistan insisting that religion was not to blame for the current crisis. "I don't think the hostage crisis is simply based on the clash of beliefs. The Taliban kidnapped our fellow citizens to retaliate because our government has dispatched the troops to Afghanistan and has participated in the war of invasion," said Pastor Kim Kyung-ho. Pro-U.S. protesters called for Washington to play a more active role in resolving the hostage situation. "South Korea should negotiate with the U.S. and other allies and establish an international consensus rather than negotiate with the Taliban alone," said activist Lee Seung-ro. Meanwhile, South Korean Christian leaders visited the families of the hostages to console them. "As we confront this huge tragedy, we're deeply sorry to about our fellow citizens. We apologise greatly and we're all heartbroken," said Pastor Park Eun-jo at Saemmul church, which sent the group to Afghanistan. In Bundang, family members of the South Korean hostages visited a memorial altar on Friday for 29-year-old Shim Seong-min, the second hostage murdered by the Taliban. A day after Shim's body returned to South Korea, his family held a prayer meeting at the memorial as other hostage family members prayed and mourned his death. Waiting for more than two weeks has taken a toll on the hostages' family members, who hoped that this would be the last memorial service they would have to attend. "We already lost two people. We beg you. Please return the reaming 21 hostages," said Seo Jeong-bae, whose son and daughter are among the hostages. "I don't want to come back here for the same reason," said Ryu Haeng-sik, whose wife is among the captives. Ryu is currently taking care of his young son and daughter. In Thailand, activists gathered outside the South Korean embassy in Bangkok on Friday to call for the immediate release of the remaining South Korean hostages. As part of the global campaign, five activists from different organisations expressed their support for the hostages and their families and also urged the South Korean government to pull out the troops from Afghanistan immediately. The activists stuck white flowers, which were meant to represent peace, on the embassy's gate and observed a minute of silence for the two hostages who were executed by the Taliban. "The South Koreans are just like our family. We are only civilians. We don't have power like the government. If we were the government, we would pull out the military to stop the violence and to help people. That is very important," said activist Chalida Tajaroensuk (pron: Cha-li-da Ta-ja-roen-suk). After submitting a letter to the South Korean embassy, the group also moved to the U.S. embassy to show their disagreement on the U.S.'s military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq.

ITN Source | August 3, 2007

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