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Campaign launched for law banning racial discrimination
By Lee Hyo-sik
A state-funded regional center for immigrants has launched a campaign to call for the establishment of a special law banning racial discrimination.
The move came days after an ethnic Uzbekistan woman, who became a naturalized Korean in 2009, held a press briefing to disclose that she was denied entry to a sauna by an employee because she was a foreigner by appearance.
She also claimed that the sauna worker said foreigners may “make water in bathtub dirty” and “pass on AIDS.”
The Gyeongnam Migrant Community Service Center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, said Tuesday that it has been collecting signatures across the country from migrant wives and workers, as well as from their family members and friends who support the legislation of the law prohibiting racial discrimination.
“Nearly 1.3 million immigrants reside in the country. They are our neighbors and friends. Discriminating against them just because they look different or they came from other countries that are less developed than Korea is something that we have to renounce,” said Jung Moon-soon, a coordinator at the center. “The nation has to establish laws and systems necessary to protect and support immigrants.”
Jung said the center has been gathering signatures from immigrants and their supporters, stressing it will file a petition to lawmakers asking them to legislate a special law banning racial discrimination against immigrants.
Subtle discrimination
“We will also file a complaint to Cheong Wa Dae, demanding it push the National Assembly to initiate the anti-racial discrimination law. The recent sauna incident in Busan attracted a great deal of public attention, but the more important thing is that many immigrants here face more subtle forms of racial discrimination on a daily basis. We have to stop that,” Jung said.
The controversy began on Sept. 25 when Ku Su-jin whose Uzbek name is Karina Kurbanova tried to enter a sauna in Busan. The employee turned her away, saying foreigners are prohibited.
She reported this to the police. But police officers said there is no law to regulate such racial discrimination and advised her to go to another sauna.
Ku filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission against the sauna and held a press briefing at the support center on Oct. 13.
According to Ku, the sauna employee said foreigners are not allowed there because Korean customers do not like using the facility with foreigners because in the town there are many foreign women working at bars and there were rumors that some have AIDS.
Ku also said she will file a civil suit against the sauna owner for mental distress if the rights commission sides with her.
The commission said Tuesday that it is currently looking into the case.
“We will question Ku, the police officers at the scene, and the sauna employee as well as the owner. We will make a decision within three months on whether Ku was discriminated against or not,” a commission official said.