Field of tears

[StandWatie]

When he died after several hours in a hospital, some protesters proclaimed him a martyr. Outside the hospital where he died, sympathisers held candlelit vigils. Below the security fence where he stabbed himself, Italian activists splattered themselves with red paint and shouted the slogan that Lee had made his own: "The WTO kills farmers." During international solidarity rallies over the weekend, Cancun echoed with thousands of voices, chanting: "We are all Lee, we are all Lee."

But who was Lee Kyung-hae, and why did he kill himself? In the aftermath of the failed WTO negotiations, these questions are likely to absorb the anti-globalisation activists who claim he was a martyr in their "victory", the heavyweights of world trade, who would like the fiery Korean to be dismissed as a nationalist showman with psychological problems, and the family and friends who are mourning the man who died only weeks before he was due to give away his daughter's hand in marriage.

The search for an answer must start on the mountain slopes near Jangsu, a town of 30,000 farming households in North Cholla Province, about four hours' drive south of Seoul. This is the land where Lee attempted to realise an idealistic vision of a modern, model farm. It is where he buried his wife. And it is where he experienced the pain of losing a farm because of a sudden opening of markets to foreign trade

http://www.guardian.co.uk/wto/article/0,2763,1042865,00.html

[veganwitch]

1. at least...

he took his displeasure at the system on himself. bushco takes it out on innocent civilians.

that is not to make light of what he did. i dont see how anyone can think that the wto/imf are good institutions.

and to round out this totally inarticulate post, i really can not wait until the guardian starts publishing in america.

[AndyTiedye]

2. Guardian in the US? Please! Please!

> i really can not wait until the guardian starts publishing in america

Are they going to? I sure hope so.
We haven't got even one paper like that in the entire country.
Most are either owned by big media companies or are trying to whore themselves out to them
in anticipation of the new FCC ruling going into effect.

[tlcandie]

3. I wonder what will it take to change the world from its current

disaster heading? Sometimes I think that only things like hunger strikes (as in massive numbers) and the like are the only things that can change our course. Death is death. Maybe one day, all to soon, we will begin to understand the likes of this man and the Palestinian suicide bombers and Iraqi resistance. Maybe then we will no longer speak of people such as these in condescending tones when we find we have nothing more to lose once it has all been taken away and without nothing more than a mere dimming spark to place your hopes and dreams into.

I would say that things such as these are wake up calls to the citizens of this planet. Unfortunately, some have hardened their hearts against such things and no longer have eyes or ears to see or hear what souls are screaming about when such atrocities happen on a daily basis. No, instead of questioning, feeling and listening to these soul screams many pass judgment and dismiss the acts so they don't have to look into the cruel mirror of reality.

When we lose people with such passion for beings, I believe that all living things weep for it allows the darkness to encroach a little closer. One less hope. One less light. One less passion. One less voice.