Save Jeju Now

No War Base on the Island of Peace

Month: June 2012

  • Hearing with recorded voice? Villagers dissipate navy’s hearing again

    Photo by Jeom Jombbae

    [June 15 report and Video] In an absolute opposition to the navy’s military housing project, the villagers occupied the navy’s hearing stage of it for the 2nd time. The navy could NEVER process the hearing. Still the navy attempted to enforce hearing with a sudden RAID of ‘RECORDED VOICE,’ which were absolutely and fiercely protested by the villagers. The Jeju media reporters say that the hearing was ‘crept.’

    The Jeju Sori even used the phrase such as, ‘approaching the climax’ in its article title to describe navy’s such incredibly naked fraud behavior that has been in fact nothing new since the navy sneaked like thieves into the Gangjeong village in 2007 when it bribed a few villagers and made a false propaganda through TV broadcastings that the villagers were in favor of naval base. The use of ‘recorder’ for 20 minutes in the small rocked studio room in the back side of hearing stage for the navy to evade furious people’s protest and to fake the fact as if the hearing was done on June 15 will remain one of the most scandalous and shameful traces throughout the South Korean military history.

    The villagers having succeeded to completely dissipate the navy’s hearing on May 29, gathered in more numbers this time when the navy attempted the 2nd hearing in the same place of the Kim Jung Cultural Hall which is about 10 minute car distance from the village. The hearing was specifically focused on the draft on the prior environmental review for the military housing project.

    About 200 villagers and peace activists gathered even before the start of hearing at 5pm, in resolute spirit to end navy’s such bald-faced behavior to forcefully drive the project.

    As soon as people saw the naval base project committee personnel and workers of their contacted companies, they were in great fury. Civilian-costumed policemen and a few villagers who are in favor of naval base also were shown.

    Navy’s holding a hearing in the place that is not in the village was already infuriating thing. If they are honesty and dignified, why they cannot hold a hearing in the village?

    The navy had even the banner that reads, “Who would be responsible for a village elementary school being disappeared when students are 80 among 1,900 Gangjoeng villagers?” It was to threaten the villagers, meaning that the villagers can only sustain their home town by accepting more populations of at least 616 households of military family members.

    Does the navy conspire to make the small village with the military-friendly electorates? The banner was soon taken down by the furious villagers.

    Mass protest began when the contracted companies’ workers began to attempt to distribute propaganda materials. Villagers furiously tore glossed papers of them full of sumptuous colors and false rhetoric; and throw down them on the floor in front of the two navy officers who don’t seem to recognize their wrongdoings of stealing villagers’ hometown. One of two was a lieutenant commander Jung who had been detected to secretly hang a banner in the village last year, which was to falsely impute the protesters as pro-north leftist.

    It even appeared that the navy side (policemen?) stealthily took photos on the protesting people in the rocked studio, which provoked villagers. Mayor Kang and villagers demanded a police intelligence officer to identify the men inside but the police officer rejected it. People blocked the window of the studio with banners.

    Further preposterous thing happened around 5:10pm. People were shocked by the sudden recorded voice heard in the hall, that the hearing started. Of course, people protested demanding to stop it.

    Infuriated mayor Kang heightened voice, “This is the navy’s another fraud. What on earth hearing being done by recorded broadcasting! The men inside the close studio should show up themselves!”

    The recorded voice (talking on the purpose and content of hearing) went on for about 20minutes and the navy officers withdrew from the hearing hall around 5:30pm as people’s protest became stronger. People were more infuriated by their attitudes to attempt to evade the site without proper explanation on recorded voice. People surrounded them and fierily protested to them: “It is totally betraying of villagers!”

    The navy left out the hall around 5:45pm. People followed them to their car and continuously protested them.

    Mayor Kang said, “We the villagers have made an agreement that we absolutely oppose the military residence in our village. We will never allow it!”

    It is expected that the navy would still enforce the project as it asserts that the hearing ‘has been done.’ Can you believe? It plans to finish the housing project by 2015 when the base is planned to be complete. In more detail, after today, it plans to work on the document on prior environment review, to complete the work-ordering on it in August through consultation with the Ministry of Environment next month and to start on environment impact assessment on the other hand. If the Ministry of National Defense approves the project in October, it will begin to purchase lands from November.

    However, if it enforces the project, big controversy on scandalous procedure matter will surely arise. The navy should remember that there were about 200 witnesses of people today, who clearly remember ‘recorded fraud,’ OPERATED by the navy.

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    Video by Dungree

    http://youtu.be/sLzrXDP8gUw
    http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/JWOn/295


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    Photos

    By Jombbae Jum
    http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/496a/477
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    Reference with photos

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=116603
    ‘녹음기’가 해군기지 APT 사업설명…점입가경
    2012.06.15 17:18:50

    http://www.seogwipo.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=79755
    해군기지 아파트 주민설명회 ‘파행’
    15일 오후 5시 김정문화회관서 2차 개최
    반대 측 저지 속에 해군은 녹음으로 맞대응
    2012년 06월 15일 (금) 18:34:12

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=152800
    ‘녹음기’ 기습…제주해군기지 군관사 설명회 파행
    군아파트 설명회, 강정주민 반발하자 해군측 ‘녹음기’ 설명 강행
    해군측 녹음된 설명회 강행에 강정주민 분노 “이건 완전한 기만”
    2012.06.15 18:04:30

    http://www.sisajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=149599
    해군기지 APT 건립 설명회 또 파행 …해군측 녹음기 설명 ‘논란’
    2012.06.15 20:34:15

     

  • Navy plan on military housing project and designation of military restriction area

    [June 10: Important] Navy plan on military housing project and designation of military restriction area

    People have fiercely protested on May 29 when the navy attempted to hold a hearing on Military housing project without informing or consultation with the villagers. The navy hearing failed because of fierce protest by people who occupied the stage of the event with banners right before the event.

    The navy is told to secretly hold a meeting again on June 15 that should be definitely blocked by people this time, too..

     

    1.As you see in the map, the navy plans to expand the military area by building a military family housing (about 616 households, about 100,000 m2) in one of A to F areas and entry road (about 66,000 m2) along with already illegally and violently expropriated lands of about 280,000 m2 for the naval base project area (total 480,000 m2, including coastal reclamation of 200,000 m2).

     

    Navy’s military housing project in the Gangjeong village

    Since it is about 600 military households, you can imagine at least 1,200 military family members would be the new members of the village then. Please remind the whole population of the Gangjeong village is only about 1,900 (including 1,050 electorates). The village will be eventually swallowed into the military-friendly electorates.

    The navy is to build those of military households and entry road with transferred money of about 100 billion won from last year ( About 75% of Last year’s was transferred to this year) Please remind that the National Assembly has made a tremendous 96% budget cut for naval base project for 2012. Only 4.9 billion won just for layout compensation fee etc. for 2012 was allowed by the National Assembly, while ALL ACTUAL construction (destruction) budgets for 2012 were cut.

     

    2. The navy is also planning to designate a military restriction zone in the planned so-called civilian-military dual port, that will be eventually a military-only a port for 20 war vessels including a US nuclear aircraft carrier.

     

    Navy plan on the military restriction zone

     

    It is illegal as you cannot designate such zone while construction (destruction) has not been completed yet. It is known that the navy officially told the work rate was 13% (the amount of budget used) as of March this year. By June it is expected about less than 20%. However, excluding compensation fee for expropriated lands, the ACTUAL work rate is expected only 8~10%, currently. The navy could not even accomplish its original construction plan for 2011 even at the time of June, 2012, because of ‘most of all, people’s strong obstruction on project,’ in its own words.

    What would happen with such dangerous designation on military restriction zone?

    _The navy can expand its control area to 500 meter surrounding the area, except for settlement area (which is limited to 300 meter then).

    _ People cannot build, rebuild, repair their houses in their own will. Everything is controlled by the military.

    _ Further the navy will far expand control area under many excuses. The case of Daechuri, Pyeongtaek well explains. The military zone of Pyeongtaek was originally 11,550,000 m2 long years ago but it is now 33,000,000 m2, about three times fold.

    The navy will first build the naval base of 480,000 m2. Then gradually increase its area size for all the war vessels, war planes and other advanced tech weapons.

    _The navy says, with the influx of population by the military housing project (that they want to build in an area of ‘good view, easy traffic, easy securing of land,’ which is of no consideration on the natives), the numbers of children in an only elementary school in the village will be increased. And the market’s economy will soar, it says. Do you think the people will keep their children of high school ages in such a small village in Korea where competition is so high? Do you think people will still buy goods in local markets when there is PX inside a base, which sells goods in much cheaper price? The navy’s such false propaganda should be strongly refuted.

    Therefore the village will disappear from a map but shall be transformed into a military city where people can only depend on military for economy.

    -Struggle will be much harder. With such designation, you have to risk of at about three year prison term for your protests.

    Those are why the people here have no time to break. We should stop such conspiracy.

    Please take some actions appealed for in the ‘Take action’ section of our weekly news letter.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/nonavalbase/doc/10151172608724815/

    ( # The summary here is much owed to speech by Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun and Mr. Go Gwon-Il, chairman of villagers’ committee to stop the naval base)

     

     

  • Gangjeong Village Story: Monthly News from the Struggle | June Issue

    In this month’s issue:
    6000 bows for peace in front of the Governor’s building, special international solidarity feature, harassement of village elderly, Father Mun wins the 5.18 Human Rights Prize, a letter from Guam and more!

    Download PDF

  • 2012 Peace Activists’ Conference for the Life and Peace of Gangjeong Village, Statement to the Press

    The Jeju Naval Base Construction that Marches against the Peace and Prosperity of Northeast Asia Should be Immediately Stopped

    Participating in the Peace Activists’ Conference for the Life and Peace of Gangjeong Village held in the Gangjeong Village, Jeju, from May 30 to June 2, we have discussed cooperation measures to save and nurture Jeju as the Island of Peace. During the process, we reconfirmed the overall problems of the Jeju naval base construction which is being enforced against the will of the residents of Gangjeong Village.

    First, the Jeju naval base construction is being enforced in an anti-environmental manner, even though it is clear that it would bring serious destruction to the heaven-blessed natural heritage of the island. Gureombi Rock and the surrounding sea in the coastal area of Gangjeong Village is an absolute conservation area, Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea-designated Natural Memorial No. 442, and heaven-blessed natural heritage which is close to the UNESCO-designated World Natural Heritage Site of Beom Island. However, for the purpose of enforcement of the naval base construction, the government is proceeding without proper evaluation while expediently easing various regulations. It should be obvious that the construction runs counter to the basic purport of the World Conservation Congress that will be held on Jeju Island this coming September.

    Second, the Jeju naval base construction is being anti-democratically enforced, ignoring the opposition of the majority of the villagers. Even though it is a basic role of a government to protect the right of residents to live peacefully, the Government is employing various anomalies and illegalities to deprive the rights of Gangjeong Village residents. By charging villagers as lawbreakers, it is also oppressing those who express their opposition to the illegal and abnormal enforcement of construction (destruction) in peaceful ways with arrest, detention and huge fines.

    Third, in driving the naval base construction, the government is irresponsibly making economic promises to the people of Jeju Island that it cannot keep. The government has made a public pledge to provide economic compensation to Gangjeong villagers and Jeju islanders by constructing a civilian port for the simultaneous docking of two 150,000 ton cruise ships within the military port. However the Prime Minister himself has acknowledged that such a pledge can hardly be kept, considering its economic validity and reality. Also, it has never been verified whether a civilian ship of such size could make a safe port entry to the base without military control. It is becoming increasingly clear that the government has no will to seriously carry out its promise to construct a civilian port.

    Fourth, above all, by militarizing Jeju Island and the Northeast Sea in the name of maritime security, the naval base construction is actually threatening the peace and prosperity of the region. The government and Navy, which has regarded itself a junior partner in the U.S.-led maritime initiative to dominate Northeast Asia of recent years, recently developed ROK-US-Japan maritime military cooperation against China. The Jeju naval base is expected to be utilized as its outpost. It is expected that US nuclear submarines and nuclear aircraft carriers, not to mention South Korean Aegis destroyers, would use the base as a port of call. This is not advisable for the peace and prosperity of the whole of Northeast Asia, not to mention the future of South Korea-China relations which will be marked by the 20th anniversary of good relations in 2012.

    Jeju Island given its location should adopt a central role in Northeast Asia by making the 21st century a true ‘era of peace and prosperity,’ overcoming the era of confrontation and conflict. In designating Jeju as the World Peace Island the stated purpose was to make it an exchange and cooperation hub of Northeast Asia and the Sea of Northeast Asia as the Sea of Peace and Coexistence. The Jeju naval base construction runs fundamentally counter to such a vision.

    The Jeju Forum, an international forum that marks its seventh year this year, aims for the construction of a Northeast Asian community for Peace and Prosperity. In this year’s forum, of which the subject is ‘New Trends and the Future of Asia’, it is known that global corporate personnel, bureaucrats, politicians, and researchers, not to mention Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Shik, will join. To make a sea of horror and tension where the most technologically war vessels would confront each other can never be the future of East Asia. The pursuit of profit through militarism and to be silent on environmental destruction and human rights violations can never be a new trend. We urgently appeal to forum participants to seriously discuss the matters of militarization of the Northeast Sea, environmental destruction and infringement of the human rights of residents.

    For the coexistence and prosperity of Asia into the future, Jeju Island should remain wholly as the Island for Life and Peace. To make the Sea of Northeast Asia as the Sea of Peace and Cooperation, the Jeju naval base construction should be stopped.

    June 1, 2012

     

    All the participants present of the Peace Activists’ Conference for Life and Peace

    Hosting organizations: Gangjeong Village Association, Peace Activists in Gangjeong, Pan-Island Committee for Prevention of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island, Nationwide Committee to Stop the Jeju Naval Base Construction, Preparatory Committee for the Peace Activists’ Conference