By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Religious groups are joining forces in their criticism over the government's crackdown on protestors in their showdown with the police in the redevelopment area in Yongsan, Seoul, last month.

The Catholic Priests' Association for Justice, the Buddhist's Jogye order and protestant Christians groups, said they will hold events to protest the incident, which led to the deaths of six people, including a police officer.

Several religious services are planned to press President Lee Myung-bak and his administration to take responsibility for mobilizing SWAT teams to evict 40 former tenants holding a sit-in at a five-story building in the area to demand more compensation.

``The tragedy drove all of us into thinking where we are going, where this country is heading and where it will all end,'' Kim In-guk, a spokesman of the Catholic priests' association, said.

Kim, whose group led mass rallies against the resumption of U.S. beef imports, said the group will hold a Mass Monday and that there would be a candlelit vigil for the victims Saturday. ``Last year, we showed our willingness and gave the president a chance to repent, but we can't take it anymore,'' he said.

An association of 20 Buddhists groups will hold their own ceremony Thursday to denounce the crackdown. The largest Buddhist order in Korea, Jogye, will hold rituals to soothe the souls of the victims.

Won Buddhists will hold a service on the 49th day after their deaths.

Some protestant Christian groups are to hold prayer meetings to press the government to verify the truth behind the Yongsan deaths.

Jeon Jong-hun, the head of the priest's group, has said that he wants the president to apologize for his hard line policies. ``It's time for religious leaders to raise their voices,'' he said.

Police are aware of the possibility that the incident might turn into a series of massive candlelight vigils similar to those that shook the nation last summer following Seoul's decision to resume importing American beef.

Hundreds of thousands joined the vigils and gathered more than 100 times, forcing President Lee to express regret over the ``hasty'' decision to resume importing U.S. beef.

Prosecutors have concluded that National Police Agency Commissioner nominee Kim Seok-ki had not orchestrated ``excessive suppression'' and will not summon Kim. They announced that the Molotov cocktails thrown by protestors were responsible for the fire.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr