Right after the villagers’ press conference on March 22, the victims of police hammer violence on March 19 had a press conference in front of Island government hall. The victims holding the signs with the photos of injuries on them strongly demanded the punishment of police personnel in charge of the accident and claimed an introduction of Special Prosecution System on the matters of the Jeju naval base. (# The Special Prosecution system was first initiated by people’s lawyer Shin Yong-In on Feb. 27, 2012)
Here are some excerpts from people’s statement :
‘The reckless police operation (of hammering down on the PVC pipes activists were putting over their arms to tie themselves one another, for the purpose of non-violently stopping the moving of the explosives to the Gureombi Rock ) was continued despite the crying of shocked women.
Because the diameter of each PVC pipe was narrow to no gap when the two hands by two people were held together inside, the shock of hammering was directly felt to activists while the broken fragments made wounds in the hands of activists. The hammering was continued despite the cry of activists who felt direct suffering.
During that unreasonable process, activists were injured small and big: the back of woman hand(s) was torn by broken PVC fragments with blood, being swollen while a man’s thumb was directly hit by hammer with a upper part of nail be torn and flesh peeled off.
Especially the riot police unit NO. 1300 [of the Seogwipo Police Station] that were in charge of arrest in the incident field pushed back even the news reporters and lawyers; folded arms of a citizen who were taking record of the situation based on the rule of the police duty on protection of human rights and even attempted to throw down him by hooking his foot for prompt arrest. Further they even made an arm of a man who protested against the police attempt to arrest the citizens outside of barricade broken by pushing him-he is now waiting for operation while his swollen arms to be soothed down. We are shocked by policemen’ such wielding merciless violence to help the illegal business (* Jeju naval base project) of Samsung and Daelim.’
[ Video on April 20, 2012] The navy guarantees its own fraud of the Jeju naval base project
Go Gwon-Il, Chairman of the Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base explains how the navy has distorted the base layout to enforce the project, by showing maps in the navy’s investigation and test report (Jan 2010) on the matters of ship transportation and mooring safety. The below is the summary translation of the video.
1. With a drawn circle of 2km radius from the center of the naval base project area (so called Beautiful tourism port for mixed civilian-military use or Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty), the navy cannot avoid to include the UNESCO Bio-sphere Reserve and buffer zones in its base project area.
However, the navy, being aware of such reality, has made a shortcut of setting up environmental impact area around the project, in rectangular not circle.
More ridiculous thing is that the navy, finding that the rectangular form still includes those zones, distorted the square again to a bashed one, only to be looked as if the base would not affect those zones.
2. In the harbor and bay layout (time code, around 1:44), cruise and aircraft carrier are shown to moor in a same dock, which brings only laugh. Further in case of cruise–docking, the ships moored inner side of dock go through difficulty in entry and exit of port, are in need of skillful naval shipbuilding, and are even recommended to use another dock.
It means the cruise should not enter the dock when military vessels already moor. By the propensity of defense facility, there could be no civilian-military dual use port in the world. That is why the navy cannot but conduct such series of frauds in enforcing the project.
3. In the table on the subjective navigation difficulty degree (time code, around 2:50), which ranges from the easiest to the most difficult, the entry & exit of big military vessels are evaluated ‘difficult,’ or ‘very difficult.’ What a waste of tax! It could be interpreted that the navy wants to warn cruise that are bigger than military vessels not to enter such dual use harbor.
Mr. Go Gwon-Il says ( time code, around 3:30)
“The navy sends the villagers in favor of naval base in travel abroad; cheats them as if it would give them with tremendous compensation fee; and makes villagers estrange within themselves. The naval base project is being irrationally driven despite violation of law on cultural assets and of environmental impact assessment, and layout flaws. The project would only profit Samsung and Daelim.”
As you all may know, today we here in Gangjeong have suffered a huge shock. Finally we see the result of the over aggressive and illegal actions of the police. Father Moon was almost murdered. It is a miracle that he is still alive.
Today is Good Friday according to the Christian calendar. Because of this, at 11 a.m., the ocean team, the catholic fathers, other catholics, and other activists joined together to perform the “Stations of the Cross” traditional catholic ceremony. This ceremony involves 14 “stations” marking the last moments of Jesus’ life before his death. We adapted it and made 14 stations all around the edge of the destruction site. At each stop the Fathers led us in prayer and short meditations related to Jesus death and also to our struggle here. We began at the Naval Base Office gate and ended on the west pier of Gangjeong Port. It was a very beautiful and moving time.
During the final station, #14, an activist went down the huge concrete tetrapods to the water to swim. This area is a public area and none our actions were even close to illegal. As the activist attempted to enter the water, a coast guard officer very aggressively chased him, despite both of them being on the dangerous tetrapods. This scared and angered many of the people attending the mass, and several people walked out onto the tetrapods to see, and also to ask the coast guard officer to be more careful.
When this happened, another coast guard officer came and also began acting very aggressively, trying to illegally block our access to the public area of the tetrapods and the surrounding water. As the coast guard officer tried to block another swimmer from going down to water, Father Moon, tried to help the swimmer and block the coast guard officer. Shockingly the officer was very aggressive even though they were both dangerously at the top of the tetrapod pile (and he was a young man, while Father Moon is elderly and walks with a cane). Many people called for the officer to be reasonable and careful and that Father Moon could fall down. As they struggled, suddenly the coast guard officer accidentally caused Father Moon to lose his balance and fall.
The next moments were a terrible shocking nightmare to all of us watching. The young coast guard officer regained his balance but Father Moon could not and fell into a huge hole between the tetrapods. As he dropped around 5 meters, his body bounced off the tetrapods below three times, before he landed at the bottom. All of us were totally shocked at this horror that had happened for absolutely no reason, and many of us thought that Father Moon was dead. Although several people went down to him, it was very deep and we were afraid to move him in case of spinal injuries.
Finally, the 119 (Korean Emergency Rescue) came and after around 30 minutes lifted him out. He was taken to a hospital in Seogwipo for tests and treatment. He has been conscious this whole time. Very, very happily, he did not die. As has been reported, according to initial tests and scans he broke several vertebrae in his back quite seriously and will need to stay in the hospital at least 3 months. He has been moved to Jeju University Hospital in Jeju City. We are still waiting for the final report about his condition after a complete medical exam, but its seems that he didn’t hit his head. Of course he is very weak and shocked and in a lot of pain. When we met him, he asked about Brother Song and when he heard that Brother Song has developed a ringing in his ear because of police violence, he cried. We are all in a state of shock here.
Finally to add to our shock and sadness, the coast guard has decided that our lives are not important and that they are going to lie to cover their mistake. They are claiming that Father Moon pushed the coast guard officer and then the officer didn’t touch him and he fell on his own, losing his balance because of the push. Of course, in the moments after it happened, you could see very clearly in the face of the officer that he knew he had made a huge mistake. And even if this story were true, why was he even there and why was he aggressively blocking us from a public area? But now the police are going to lie to cover it all up! Are they really human? Have they no sympathy for suffering? Do they not care about human life? Unbelievably shameful.
Please pray for Father Moon. Please pray for all of us here. And please pray for the hearts of the coast guard, that they will not lie about what they have done.
Update 1: April 6, 11:44 p.m.
We are still waiting for more details but a slight update: apparently Father Moon has broken 4 vertebrae in his back (earlier 3 were reported) and also broken one of his hands. Also he will need to stay at least 6 months in the hospital to recover (before 3 months were reported). More updates as we hear them…
Update 2: April 19, 11:44 p.m.
Father Moon is out of the Hospital! 13 Days ago we watched this 71 year old man fall 5 meters to what we thought was his death. He said he thought it was his death too. He broke 4 vertebrae in his back, he broke his arm, he was bruised all over. The doctors said, that two other patients who were in their 30s and fell only 3 meters were paralyzed. The doctors said he would have to stay in the hospital for 6 months. 13 Days later, and he’s walking around, smiling! Tomorrow, he will go to his hometown to rest for around a week. Amazing and unbelievable! If you don’t believe in miracles, now’s your best chance…Hurray!!!
Article 8 (Exclusion of the limitation in the exercise of rights) In constructing the civilian-military complex harbor, the Minister of National Defense, despite the article 4 in the Military Bases and Installations Act, shall not designate the outside areas of the fence border in the civilian-military complex harbor on the ground and of the seawall in the military harbor on the sea, as the protection(restriction) areas for the military base and military facilities; and shall not do the activities that condition the exercises of the villagers’ survival rights such as passage, altitude, farming, fishing & architecture and their property rights.
According to the Jeju island government on April 4, the navy defense command headquarter of the Jeju sent it an official letter titled, ‘Inquiry on the opinion of the [Jeju] self-governing province regarding the matter on designation and management of beautiful tourism port for mixed civilian-military use as military facility protection zone,’ on March 12.
The navy’s point was to inquire the Island government whether it is OK to define the current naval base construction (destruction) zone as military facility protection zone.
The Island government rejected the navy’s letter, saying it is a violation of recommended items in the report by the sub-committee on the investigation on the Jeju naval base project (which was under the special committee on budget and balance, National Assembly) in 2011.
The ‘military facility protection(restriction) zone’ means a zone defined by the Ministry of National Defense to protect the facility in direct common use for the military purpose and to carry on smooth military operation. By the designation, these are not allowed: entry without permission; capture and collection of marine products; picture-taking, description, recording, measure of military base or facility; and publication and duplication on documents or books on them
The 1st clause of the report by the sub-committee of the National Assembly on Oct. 22, 2011 reads: “The Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) should revise the ‘Enforcement decree on the Port Act ( law on harbor and bay),’ by June, 2012 and alter the basic plan of the harbor and bay so that the water area of cruise and facility can be designated as the ‘TRADE PORT’
The report also reads that the Ministry of National Defense(navy) should revise the ‘Enforcement decree on Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act,’ by June, 2012 and [the three parties of] the MND(navy), MLTM, and the Jeju Island should promote the conclusion on the agreement on the common use on the civilian-military harbor and bay until June 2012 so that those steps should wipe out concerns that the Jeju naval base would be operated primarily as military harbor.”
The position of the Jeju Island government, rejecting the navy’s report is that if the construction area is to be the military protection area when the Enforcement decree on Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act and agreement on the common use on the civilian-military harbor & bay are not concluded yet, it does not fit to the recommended items by the sub-committee of the National Assembly.
People here are suspicious that the navy attempts to thoroughly block the entry by the villagers and peace activists in the construction (destruction) area during the remaining construction(destruction) period. It is because more strict control than current would be possible once the project area is designated as military zone.
Problem is that there is no way for the Jeju Island government to stop the navy when it promotes the designation on the military facility protection zone, completely ignoring the MOU in 2009 and National Assembly report in 2011.
The MOU on April 27, 2009 reads:
Article 8 (Exclusion of the limitation in the exercise of rights) In constructing the civilian-military complex harbor, the Minister of National Defense, despite the article 4 in the Military Bases and Installations Act, shall not designate the outside areas of the fence border in the civilian-military complex harbor on the ground and of the seawall in the military harbor on the sea, as the protection(restriction) areas for the military base and military facilities; and shall not do the activities that condition the exercises of the villagers’ survival rights such as passage, altitude, farming, fishing & architecture and their property rights.
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Here is an excerpt translation from the Headline Jeju on April 5:
‘Even though the details of type of military facility protection zone and scope of control, regarding the Jeju naval base project, were not given, it was confirmed that the navy’s inquiry to the Island government is a suggestion of the whole area of the Jeju naval base project area(* 480,000 square meters)
By law, military facility protection zone should be defined within 500 m distance from the most outside barrier of military facility.(* therefore more than 480,000 square meters of land and water area)
If the Jeju naval base is designated as military facility zone, the area of the Gangjeong village becomes the military zone where ordinary people’s entry is prohibited.
By law, forceful leaving is applied as measure in case of trespassing, and more than two years’ imprisonment, if there is damage on military facility.
The problem is that there is no way for the Jeju Island to deter the navy if the navy attempts to promote the designation on the military facility protection zone, completely ignoring the MOU in 2009 and recommended items by the National Assembly in 2011.
It is because, by the law on the military facility protection, the designation on the military facility protection zone is done by the examination committee on the military facility protection zone by the Ministry of National Defense.
It is not an item that should be permitted by local self-governing province but ‘consulted’ with administration agency for designation. However, the opinion of ‘OK’ is not mandatory but merely ‘procedural’ item.
Therefore if the navy ignores the MOU and National Assembly advice, and enforces designation, there is possibility that [the navy’s conspiracy] works.
It is why the Jeju Island government demanded the navy to carry on the National Assembly recommendation, ignoring the navy’s official letter.
The matter on designation on the military facility protection zone would be led to controversy on serious violation of the two documents, along with the promise of the docking capacity of two 150,000 cruise.
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The villagers and activists reject the idea whether it is a so called beautiful tourism port for mixed civilian-military use or military base. Woo Keun-Min, the Jeju Island governor, should revoke the resolution by the ex-Island government that cancelled the designation of the absolute preservation area ( * the Gangjeong stream and Joongdeok coast of which most part we call it as the Gureombi Rock) in Dec. 2009 ; and should revoke the navy over the license on reclamation on public water and its adjacent surface(coastal area) of the Gangjeong village, if he truly wants the stop of current destruction by the Jeju naval base project and don’t want to see his Jeju island as a war base.
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For Koreans: 해군은 군사 시설 보호 구역 지정 시도를 통해 어떻게 아래의 계약을 스스로 위반하는가?
1. 2011년 10월 22일 국회 권고 사항: ‘무역항’ 이란 단어 및 제주해군기지가 군항 중심으로 운영될 것일는 우려를 불식시키도록 할 것’이란 귀절에 주목
‘2011년10월22일 국회 소위원회가 채택한 보고서 1항에는 “국토해양부는 크루즈항만수역과 시설을 ‘무역항’으로 지정할 수 있도록 2012년 6월까지 ‘항만법시행령’을 개정하고, 항만기본계획을 변경하라”고 적혀있다.
또 국방부(해군)는 크루즈 선박이 출입할 수 있도록 2012년 6월까지 ‘군사기지 및 군시설보호법 시행령’을 개정하고, 국방부(해군)•국토부•제주도는 ‘민•군 항만 공동사용협정서’를 체결을 2012년 6월까지 추진해 제주해군기지가 군항 중심으로 운영될 것일는 우려를 불식시키도록 할 것”이라고 명시돼 있다.’ (제주 도민 일보)
2. 2009년 4월 27일 MOU (국방부, 국토부, 제주도): ‘군사시설보호구역으로 지정하지 아니하며, 통행․고도․영농․어로․건축 등 주민의 생존권과 재산권 행사를 제약하는 행위를 하지 아니한다.’ 에 주목
제8조(권리행사의 제한 배제) 국방부장 관은 민․군복합항을 건설함에 있어 군사기지 및 군사시설보호법 제4조에도 불구하고 육상의 민․군복합항 울타리 경계와 해상의 군항방파제 밖의 지역에 대하여 군사기지 및 군사시설보호구역으로 지정하지 아니하며, 통행․고도․영농․어로․건축 등 주민의 생존권과 재산권 행사를 제약하는 행위를 하지 아니한다.
As daily sit-in was continued on April 5, the people in the village had a news conference in front of the naval base business committee building complex at 10:30 am, April 5, 2012. The title of the statement by the Gangjeong village was “Are the police taking the citizens as rioters even until the 64th anniversary of 4.3? The police should try to get public trust.’ Cho Hyun-Oh, the Chief of ROK Police Agency visited the Jeju, bringing clash with the Gangjeong villagers who demanded meeting with him, in front of the Seogwipo police station (# He is to meet local officers on April 6)
In the statement, the people pointed out that:
“Like the main land policemen 64 years ago who led the massacre of the Island people on April 3rd, the police that have been led by Lee Dong-Min who came from the main land have made a record of accidents in a month since his inauguration, which is more than the whole numbers of illegal and unjust police behavior in Gangjeong village in the past.” ( # Lee Dong-Min, the new police chief is also the one who allowed the navy to blast the Gureombi rock)
“When the male policemen arrested women, the male policemen indiscriminatingly took away them touching their thigh, taking off their clothes. The police broke citizens’ fingers, arms and legs, wielding violence to them. Citizen’s hands were swollen by hammers, wrists were broken off, teeth were smashed, and chin was torn. Since the start of the blasting the Gureombi Rock, more than 90 people were arrested while 20 people, swooned, were carried in ambulance. We are living days like being slaughtered dogs and pigs.”
The numbers of 90 within less than a month are compared to 164, in the whole last year. The numbers are in detail; 19(near the naval base committee building etc on March 7), 20 (in the Gureombi Rock etc. on March 9), 16( in the Gureombi Rock on March 12), 9 (in the explosive storage etc on March 31) for example. The charges have been obstruction of business, obstruction of government affairs, general obstruction of traffic, property damage etc.
The people demanded police of open hearing regarding police mal practice of fake charges against people; halt of illegal taking camera shots of citizens that provoke citizens; and fairness.
Full translation of 3 page statement comes later. You can see the original Korean script here.
In the conference, a disable woman also testified on police’s metal harassment and physical injuries to her and on arrest of a man who protested against such violence on her.
There were two banners in the news conference: one about police violence and the other, painting by Natasha Mayers
You can also watch the news conference video here. Dungree, the video editor put the scenes of mentioned cases on March 29(when Mr. Lim Ho-Young was arrested) and April 1 (When Dr. Song Kang-Ho was arrested) beside the cases of March 19 (police hammer violence), March 25(police trampling down a villager’s garlic field and arrested citizens protesting to it) and March 26( When the Jeju island government officers forcefully demolished people’s tent to an injury of a woman head. (Video source)
Photo by Lim Ho-Young on March 29, 2012/ In the Police Station right after his arrest
On March 29, 2012, Lim Ho-Young, media team leader of Gangjeong village was arrested under the charge of ‘obstruction on government affairs’ while he protested against police who ordered unidentified civilian-costumed men to take camera shots of people, which was illegal. During the arrest, he was kicked in the knee and hit in the face with camera, bleeding in his forehead. On April 2, Wooki Lee has visited Lim currently being held at the prison in the Jeju Dongbu Police Station. On the day the court made decision to imprison Lim and he is moved to be prison on April 6. The following is a transcript of the handwritten letter Lee received from Lim on April 2.
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I’m doing all right. They’ve issued a warrant for my arrest today and for some reason, I feel all the more composed for it. Even as I was being arrested two days ago, I didn’t think anything too serious would happen. But once the police investigation began, I realized that the authorities had plenty of charges already prepared for me.
I’m beginning to come to terms with the actions of the Navy and local police, since I must have been quite the nuisance for them all this time. The police have assessed my charges as having “deliberately caused aggression with the police by recording video footage, manipulating this footage in a malicious way, and spreading this distorted information to the public by posting it online.”
I couldn’t help but laugh for a while on this note. Is this really how far Korea’s police intelligence has declined? I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t possess any video-editing skills. And I have no memory of posting any footage of conflict with the police online. Furthermore, I haven’t had the time to post any kind of footage online since late last year. All I can think of relating to footage would be the few instances in which I provided on-site footage to Dungree.
If this is what the police have reduced me to, what more could I possibly expect from them? Even at a stretch, no more than 30% of their claims against me are true. I’m sure most of these charges will be cleared in court, but nevertheless I have been arrested and must prove myself before a judge. I’ve been placed in a dire situation in which I cannot gather enough information and evidence to prove my case. This is an unjust treatment by the face of justice itself, to say the least.
How the Navy has handled the matter is even more appalling. On March 8th, a scuffle broke out with Navy soldiers by the main gate of the naval base. Captain Tae-yang Lee of the Korean Navy has falsely testified that I assaulted him during this incident, hitting him with my fist once on the face, and twice with my camera. That bastard! Tae-yang Lee is the one who assaulted Dr. Kang-ho Song on June 20th last year, kicking him over ten times when he climbed up a barge. And on March 8th, he just started to attack me the moment he saw me, hitting me on the face with his fist despite the fact that I had glasses on. He eventually broke my glasses and the lens fell out. I was indeed furious at his irrational behavior, which led me to thump him a few times on the head with my right hand, the hand that had been holding my camera. I did not hit him with much force, let alone downright assail him as he had done to me and Dr. Song. Why is it that every single time, the Navy refuses to acknowledge their own mistakes and claims that they were the ones getting assaulted?
Captain Lee also testified that I damaged federal property by tearing off a large part of the fence surrounding the naval base. It’s a steel-plated fence that sits two meters high, which they claim originally cost about \500,000 ($500). This may seem an absurd price for a flimsy fence, but keeping in mind that this is the same Navy that managed to pay a whopping \1,000,000 ($1000) for a lousy USB drive, I guess such things might not be so absurd after all.
Truth of the matter is, I didn’t tear down that fence on purpose and with my two hands. I was clutching onto the fence when Navy soldiers on the other side of it kicked me repeatedly, causing part of the fence to tear in the process. This can be clearly seen in the video footage the police have recorded as evidence of the scene. This ridiculous pincer operation between the police and the Navy has led to my official arrest today.
I fear that I will have to remain like this for at least another two months. I believe they’re trying to stop us and weigh us down by imprisoning our bodies and ultimately abusing governmental authority. If we were to let such things strike us with fear and break our spirits, then we’d be doing nothing more than falling in according to their calculations. It will prove a struggle, no doubt, but we need to stand strong against their unwarranted actions. Authority and arrest is not what we should fear.
Writing this letter has helped me come to terms with my frustrations. I’m sorry for not being able to stand among you all, and the townspeople of Gangjung, but I have hope and I believe there will be something I can achieve in my place here. What pains me the most is that I won’t be able to keep the promise I made to my son, to go and see him when he enters sixth grade next week. I find comfort in knowing that my son is a strong, good-hearted child who will understand the situation his father is in. Still, it would have been nice to have been able to congratulate him in person for becoming vice president of the student council…
I’m planning to spend my time on reading books now. It was something I had always wanted to do during my time in Gangjung. I’ll reflect upon all the moments I had in Gangjung, and every single person I met there. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to be with you all. The past eleven months I spent in Gangjung have truly been the most meaningful moments of my life, and I know all of you feel the same way. I know it’s a tough struggle, but let’s not lose hope and keep going strong. It may not be the time right now, but in the end, there will come a time when we can all smile together.
Sincerely,
Ho-young Lim
March 31st, 2012
(Translated by Stefanie Hong)
(Thanks to Jungmin Choi to arrange translation request)
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It was known to be later that the violence by the Gwangju riot police was one of the worst that has occurred in the struggle against naval base. On the day, the police broke off fingers, arms of a man and threw down him who protested against violent arrest of Mr. Lim. The police also ignoring women’s human rights, brutally carried away women as part of attempt to scatter people, touching their bodies. The police also took away a woman’s mobile phone and hit her back head when she protested it. The police also used slanders to protesters and scolded a villager whose garlic field was trampled down by them, saying, “Why are you agitated for such minor thing?”
Dungree video on the day, including the scene of arrest of Mr. Lim Ho-Young
On April 1st, at around 2 p.m., I was on Gureombi to protest against the heavy construction equipment that is destroying Gureombi. From outside the razor-wire fence on the western side of Gureombi, I was shouting, “Don’t Destroy Gureombi!” and “Stop Construction!” and “Stop!”
In that place, I was not alone but together with Priest Moon Jung Hyeon, Priest Kim Sung Hwan, and [former Jeju Assembly woman] Hyun Ae Ja, venting our pent up anger. Despite our protests, about 10 meters inside the fence, two huge hydraulic excavators were break rocks and loading the broken rocks into a dump truck. I felt deep despair because even though we yelled and shouted, the construction workers didn’t listen. Because of my despair, without knowing what I was doing, I found myself grabbing the fence, pulling it down to the ground, and stepping across it, wanting to shout at them near the excavators. In front of me, around 30 riot police blocked the way with their shields and their captain sneered mockingly. As soon as I crossed the fence, I was surrounded and isolated. When I tried to resist, the police beat me, pushed me to the ground and held me down with their feet. They twisted my left hand and pinned it behind my back. One police officer painfully jabbed his finger into my ear. The ground was covered with sharp, broken rocks but their feet pushed my feet forcefully downward. While they carried me, my head hit the rocks on the ground two or three times.
Around 2:30, I was delivered to a naval jeep and transferred to the Naval base office gate. There, a police car was standing by. Around 100 police officers made a big wall and blocked the villagers and activists who came to protest, making a space for the police to move me into the police car. I thought that my arrest was unjust, so I resisted being put in the car. During that time, the police tried to force me into the car. While doing so, my body was turned upside down at the open car door and my upper body fell to the ground and under the car. Because of this, I tried to hold anything that I could grab causing my upper body to be pulled underneath the car. Several police officers pulled my legs but my head became stuck between the car and the asphalt ground. I yelled that my head was stuck, but the police officers were not concerned, and pulled my legs more strongly. From the left side of my chin to the middle of my chin my neck was stuck on some metal structure underneath the car.
My lower body continued being pulled by several people and because of the pressure on my neck, I couldn’t speak anymore, only groan furiously. As the police pulled my body more strongly, the edge of my teeth began to crack. I could feel and chew tiny sand-like grains of tooth inside my mouth. I heard the bones in my neck popping and became afraid that my head was separating from my body. To protect myself from dying or at least protect my head from separating from my neck bones, I frantically tried to escape to my left. During this whole time, the police just continuously pulled my legs and several times some of the police officers even pulled my genitals. I couldn’t see their faces but I could hear their mocking laughter. Behind me, I heard Priest Kim Sung Hwan protesting their cruel treatment towards me. After 5-10 minutes of fear and pain, I pulled myself towards the left with all of my strength, to release my chin from the metal structure where it was stuck. I could barely release my neck and then police pulled me out.
After the police put me into the police car, I spit out my broken teeth, which the police complained about. Behind the driver’s seat, one police officer with the last name of “Goh”, punched me with his fist. I felt pain from his fist on the left side of my stomach.
After that, in the Seogwipo Police Station, I appealed about the pain in my chin, neck, right shoulder, and back. I was lying down at that time and asked them to borrow a cell phone to make a phone call. However, they derided me saying that since I was lying down, I must just be sleepy, so I should just sleep. After giving this answer they disappeared. I had requested that they call 119 [Korean emergency medical number] but they didn’t call for 30 minutes.
I am filing a lawsuit with the Korean National Human Rights Commission against the police officers who arrested me. I request legal punishment and penalties for the police officers who treated me in an unreasonable way, so that the police will no longer trample on people’s human rights, threaten people’s lives, and disrespect people’s bodies.
