Crying out for return of 80,000 abductees
Send my husband and my son back
Mass meeting and protest held on 11th
P.2, Chosun Daily, Mar. 13, 1954

Five years have passed since numerous people were abducted by the communists during the Korean War. Families of the 80,000 abductees have been waiting and waiting for the past five years, hopeful that their loved ones would return on March 1as part ofan exchange of displaced civilians that took place under Article 59 of the Armistice Agreement. They had hoped to see their loved ones released from their prison cells in North Korea and returned home safely. However, the exchange failed as a result of the Communists' cajolement.

The enraged families of civilian abductees staged a protest from 10:30 a.m. on March 11 at Deoksu Palace, demanding the launch of a rescue operation for the 80,000 abductees. They condemned the sinister scheming of North Korea, while calling upon the democratic allies to rescue the abductees even if it meant using force.

The protest started with a tearful prayer by Yang Mae-ryun in the presence of over one thousand family members of civilian abductees. As elderly men and women mourned bitterly and pounded the ground with their fists as they called out the names of their grandchildren, seven-year-old Han Gye-jong lamented at the top of his voice with tears in his eyes:“Father, father. Why won’t you come back? The Japanese apricot flowers you planted in our garden have blossomed, but why won’t you come back?” With this, the protest scene became a pandemonium of lamentation and mourning.

It was decided at the protest to submit a petition to President Rhee and send the following declaration to the democratic allies. As the protest ended, the families of civilian abductees staged a demonstration march and called loudly for repatriation.

Declaration:
1. The UN Forces should take decisive action to rescue the 80,000 civilian abductees.
2. Since they are prisoners of war, not displaced civilians, North Korea should assume the responsibility of repatriating the abductees.
3. Detaining civilian abductees is a criminal act against non-combatants committed by North Korea.