The Britain-Korea Friendship Association said this in a statement on May 17 on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the Kwangju Popular Uprising in south Korea.

The Kwangju Popular Uprising was a heroic one to realize the desire for independence, democracy and reunification against the U.S. colonial rule over south Korea and the military fascist dictatorship of the puppet authorities, the statement said, and went on:

The uprising recorded a proud page in the history of the south Korean people's struggle for independence, democracy and reunification.

Courage and devotion displayed by the uprisers greatly inspired a lot of people in the world struggling against neocolonialism and dictatorship.

Their heroic self-sacrifice is always remembered by resistants and people and deals a heavy blow to the enemies.

The uprising proved that independence and social change can never be achieved in a peaceful way and counterrevolutionary violence should be met with revolutionary violence.

We pay high respect to the heroic fighting spirit of the uprisers on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the uprising.