▲ The police colliding with the protestors. Photo provided by news.joins.com

The clash between the police and demonstrators during large scale protests is becoming increasingly common these days. Generally, the media has portrayed the cruel side of the police when it comes to suppressing the protesters. However, it is now time for people to question the way in which the police officers and the protestors have been portrayed and start wondering about the well-being of those who unwillingly stand on the other side of the turmoil. 

 

We are just soldiers who follow orders,” said one of the conscripted policemen. “We have no say over most of our actions.”

 

A majority of male students in Korea have a common issue as they turn 21 or 22—military service. Given no option but to spend up to two years of their lives as soldiers—unless exempted for special reasons—male students seek for ways to complete their military service with the least amount of stress and work. 

 

Completing the military service as conscripted policemen has therefore been gaining in popularity among students who wish to finish their military service with ease. According to statistics collected early in the year, only one in 27 people become conscripted policemen. The biggest attraction of becoming a conscripted policeman is having more control over oneself. “There is a smaller workload than being a soldier, and you get to have more free time than other armies,” said student Lee (’15, Statistics), a student who is expected to become a conscripted policeman in the near future.

 

However, it is questionable whether the rights of conscripted policemen are being respected. One of the main jobs of conscripted policemen is to prevent the protests from getting too violent and suppress them if they do. The most recent data from the National Police Department shows that in 2014 there have been 45,319 protests, most of which conscripted policemen had to be present, and some of them had to go through a lot of painful experiences. 

 

How the Policemen have their Rights Ignored 

 

The 10th article of the Korean Constitution states that “all citizens have the right to happiness and be respected.” This, of course applies to all human beings, including conscripted policemen. However, a lot of controversies have arisen bringing the validity of the article into question. 

 

“A lot of protesters severely insult policemen during protests,” said one of the conscripted policemen, “it’s common to hear all kinds of curses that demean our character, and we can’t do anything about it.” He also questioned “whether protesters should have the right to say whatever they want to people who do not deserve any punishment.”

 

Another conscripted policemen labeled himself as a “meat shield,” vulnerable to various kinds of violence from the protesters. He stated that, “When protests become violent, it is common for the policemen to be physically assaulted, and I have seen several policemen have their bones fractured or be hospitalized as a result.”

 

Despite the large number of physical and psychological assaults, the conscripted policemen have to endure, as they generally have no right to properly defend themselves against such violence. One of the conscripted policemen commented that, “The rule is to not react to the protester’s violence or provoke them in any way,” leaving them completely exposed to various kinds of assaults. Also, another conscripted policemen said that, “In cases of social minorities like disabled people, they are free to commit a lot of illegal actions against us.” 

 

Even though conscripted policemen suffer much during violent protests, the media is more likely to portray the protesters as victims by referring to the police’s “violent” action. In reality, conscripted policemen do their best to avoid using much violence against the protestors. 

 

“We react to the protestor’s violence in order to prevent any further casualties caused by the protest,” said another conscripted policemen. “The capsaicin we use are generally portrayed as vicious weapons, but we only use them for protection. Also these liquids might be a little bit painful, but they are completely harmless. However, our actions are generally portrayed as being violent. So all we can do to protect ourselves is to rely on our shields.”

 

Need for Improvement 

 

Due to severe infringement of rights, there have been voices arguing for improvement in the conscripted policemen system. According to Professor Choi Eung Ryul (Police Administration), “Conscripted policemen are not experts in managing the protests.” He also added that, “these non-professional policemen cannot even give traffic tickets. So I personally believe that frontline police officers should be mobilized whenever their presence is needed.”

 

He commented that deploying the conscripted policemen into such hazardous place “will make the job more difficult since the frontline policemen will have two jobs to do— guarding against the protestors and taking care of the unprofessional police force.” He also added that, “Increasing the number of police officers to take over the job is more ideal to increase safety for everyone.”

 

The Center for Military Human Rights had similar opinions regarding the deployment of conscripted policemen at protest sites. According to Hankyorae, they claimed that “People’s rights are violated because conscripted policemen are deployed at protest sites due to duties that are not clearly spelled out.” They also commented that “Although conscripted policemen are encouraged to arrest people, this should be done by professional police officers who have legal rights to do so in order to protect people’s fundamental rights.” 

 

   
▲ One of the conscripted policemen being physically assaulted by the people. Photo provided by huffingtonpost.kr

The Fates of Conscripted Policemen

 

Some people argue that the system of recruiting non-professional policemen among university students should be abolished. Due to limited legal rights of conscripted policemen that lead to infringement of fundamental rights, Professor Choi commented that, “It is more reasonable to get rid of non-professional policemen and replace them with professionals.”

 

Currently, the only given assignment of conscripted policemen is “assisting maintenance of safety.” Yet the provided mission seems to be a little bit ironic, considering how the presence of non-professional in the absence of professionals might put the safety of both the policemen and the protestors at risk. 

 

The abolishment of the conscripted policemen recruiting system might sound a little bit cruel, yet if we take a look at how some conscripted policemen have to blindly follow orders commit actions that compromise the rights of the protestors and their colleagues, then abolishment could be a reasonable solution. Nevertheless, Professor Choi insists that a breakthrough is needed in which professional forces are utilized instead of conscripted policemen.

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