Students Protest Eviction of Koreans

BOSTON--Chanting "Don't kick them out, Japan, let the people keep their land," approximately 40 students, mostly from Harvard, rallied in front of the Japanese Consulate on Monday to protest the eviction of several hundred Koreans from their homes in Utoro, Japan.

The protest, at the Federal Reserve Plaza, was part of a continuing nationwide movement to help 380 Koreans who live in Utoro, a five-acre community in Japan, keep their homes despite a developer's plans to evict them.

Utoro's residents are descendants of "Korean laborers taken, many of them forcibly, to Japan during World War II," according to a flier distributed by protesters. Following the war, Nissan took over the land and the company that employed the Koreans.

The workers lost their jobs and gained no compensation or assistance from the Japanese government, according to the flier. "These dislocated Koreans formed a small, close-knit community called Utoro that has lasted until today," the flier said.

In 1987, Nissan sold Utoro "for $2 million without informing its residents" and "the developer now wants Utoro residents off the land," the flier said.

Tae-Hui Kim '93 and Eunice Yoon '93, who organized students from Harvard and other colleges in the Ivy League and Boston area for the

proud, said the main objective was inquiring about negotiations between the Japanese government, Nissan Corporation and the Utoro Koreans.

"One reason we are rallying in front of the consulate's office is that we feel that it's primarily the government's responsibility that the people are where they are right now," Kim raid. "Secondly, we feel that it's Nissan's responsibility. They are the ones who own the land."

"Kim said the government and Nissan have not yet responded to the movement to protest Utoro.

Nissan is ignoring the issue because they feel that it's a straight business transaction. They sold the land and they've washed their hands of it," she said. "The government is ignoring the issue because they say they don't own the land."

Takashi Kikuchi, the Japanese vice consul said the consul-general was away from the office, Kikuchi, who said he was performing security duties while watching the protest declined to comment on the issue.

"I hope things will be done peacefully," Kikuchi said. "That's all I'm thinking."

In, addition to the rally and the fliers, Kim and Yoon organized a letter-writing campaign last week. After the rally, they hand delivered about a thousand letters to the Japanese consulate. "They didn't even want to speak to us," Yoon said. "They wanted us to just drop off the letters through a slit in the glass."

Two representatives from the consulate, however, met with Yoon and Kim after they demanded that they speak to them. Yoon said the representatives did not respond to their charges.

Kim and Yoon said they should continue collecting signatures to send to the prime minister, the Japanese consulate and Nissan.

Linda T. Kang '95, president of the Korean Students Association (KSA), said the protest forced the Boston community to become aware of the discrimination against Korean's in Japan.

"I think it's reflection of the political stance KSA has taken in response to criticism that it's only a social organization," Kang said. "I think it shown Koreans have a common unity wherever they one."

But Koreans were not the only students participating in the rally. Larry W. Cheng '96, a Chinese American, student who protested, said, "This isn't a Japanese-Korean issue. It's about racial prejudice, hatred and ignorance. It should be every decant human being's concern.

proud, said the main objective was inquiring about negotiations between the Japanese government, Nissan Corporation and the Utoro Koreans.

"One reason we are rallying in front of the consulate's office is that we feel that it's primarily the government's responsibility that the people are where they are right now," Kim raid. "Secondly, we feel that it's Nissan's responsibility. They are the ones who own the land."

"Kim said the government and Nissan have not yet responded to the movement to protest Utoro.

Nissan is ignoring the issue because they feel that it's a straight business transaction. They sold the land and they've washed their hands of it," she said. "The government is ignoring the issue because they say they don't own the land."

Takashi Kikuchi, the Japanese vice consul said the consul-general was away from the office, Kikuchi, who said he was performing security duties while watching the protest declined to comment on the issue.

"I hope things will be done peacefully," Kikuchi said. "That's all I'm thinking."

In, addition to the rally and the fliers, Kim and Yoon organized a letter-writing campaign last week. After the rally, they hand delivered about a thousand letters to the Japanese consulate. "They didn't even want to speak to us," Yoon said. "They wanted us to just drop off the letters through a slit in the glass."

Two representatives from the consulate, however, met with Yoon and Kim after they demanded that they speak to them. Yoon said the representatives did not respond to their charges.

Kim and Yoon said they should continue collecting signatures to send to the prime minister, the Japanese consulate and Nissan.

Linda T. Kang '95, president of the Korean Students Association (KSA), said the protest forced the Boston community to become aware of the discrimination against Korean's in Japan.

"I think it's reflection of the political stance KSA has taken in response to criticism that it's only a social organization," Kang said. "I think it shown Koreans have a common unity wherever they one."

But Koreans were not the only students participating in the rally. Larry W. Cheng '96, a Chinese American, student who protested, said, "This isn't a Japanese-Korean issue. It's about racial prejudice, hatred and ignorance. It should be every decant human being's concern.