In its statement on Mar. 21 the organization noted that the police authorities kicked up the frantic crackdown on members of the students' economically academic organization that day and walked away at least 50 students protesting against this repression.

The crackdown is a shameless deed and a declaration of war that the authorities would suppress not only the elementary academic meeting but also various political activities of students by invoking the "National Security Law", it charged.

This is also a deceptive move to divert elsewhere the public opinion increasingly critical of the corruption and irregularities of the ruling quarters, it said.

The Youth Solidarity of south Korea, too, issued a statement on Mar. 22 demanding that the authorities set free immediately the students arrested on unwarranted charges.