The statement referred to the fact that the south Korean Committee for Settling the Past History for Truth and Reconciliation would suspend its work by late April this year due to the authorities' moves to prevent the settlement of the past history.

It noted that thousands of cases still remain unsettled among those of massacres of civilians applied to the said committee for clarification and, moreover, there are many cases that have not yet been notified.

The statement urged the authorities to extend the period of the activities of the committee in order to finally probe the truth behind the past history that has been distorted or concealed and thoroughly investigate many cases of massacres of civilians committed in all parts of south Korea.