11

PEASANTS

The Korean government has an economic policy geared for the benefit of the rich people. The peasants in Korea now realize that the US is using food as a weapon to make them permanently dependent on US economy. For this, they are engaged among others, in a battle against US 'food imperialism' imposed by way of pressurizing the Korean government to open up agricultural and livestock markets for US goods. The peasants' organisations oppose the import of foreign goods and livestock products. But their protests were suppressed by various techniques including ideological violence (in the sense of accusing them of communist links), and police brutality to create fear among the peasants. Playing the role of a benevolent master, the government sponsors cooperatives to domesticate the peasants instead of allowing them to solve their problems through their own organizations. The peasants consider the struggle for freedom from food imperialism as part of the liberation movement and more so of their faith.