On September 19th, there was a four day international peace camp held at Okinawa. This gathering succeeded the previous one held in Gangjeong of Jeju last year, and we anticipate the next one to be established in Taiwan.
These meetings are conducted with the overall intention of solidifying the triangular line of peace among the three mentioned islands (Taiwan, Jeju, Okinawa). This act seems urgent and timely, given the current global politics that has jeopardized marine life and imperiled communities nearby the Asian seas. To protect these fragile ecosystems, over 70 concerned individuals from the three islands have gathered in Okinawa to share stories about their respective struggles, learn about current military situation in Camp Schwab, and canoe in the Henoko sea. I believe that each 70 personnels have come out of the camp with wider knowledge over the matters in Okinawa and a deeper appreciation of the Asian waters that connects all us despite the geographical divide.
Photo by Ppyongharin/ Early as 7 am on Sept. 16, an Aegis Destroyer, Sejong , the Great, made the 1st entry in the Gangjeong Sea. It met protesters’ signs.Photo by Ppyongharin/ A kayak heading toward the 1st aegis that entered the Gangjeong Sea on Sept. 16.
On Sept. 16, Aegis destroyers made their first entries into the currently built Jeju naval base early at 7 am. The navy reasoned the entries were for the test of their coming alongside the pier. There were two aegis destroyers on the day- named Sejong, the Great and Yang Man-Choon, which wereaccompanied by a connvoy and a rescue ship. On the day, a military helicopter flew low with heavy noise. It was the next day that the last remaining Sejong, the Great finally left.
It is told that the navy is planning to send total 22 military ships by the mid October for safe mooring test etc. Is it for the 47th ROK-US Security Consultative meeting in mid-October? Ora kind of missile defense test with the excuse of North Korea rocket launch supposedly on Oct. 10? Whatever, we felt really tragic on the day… and determined.
No Missile defense!
No ROK-US-Japan trilateral military alliance!
No War base in the Peace Island!
Photo by Park Jijo, Yonhap news/ a kayak countering an aegisPhoto by Park Jiho, Yanhap News, Sept. 16/ The media reporters could see and hear the protesters above a breakwater which is distant from the pier
Photo by No Base Stories of Korea, 2011/ An art work by Choi Byung-Soo in 2007. The Aegis-shaped cut steel plate used to stand on the Gureombi Rock which was closed for naval base construction on September 2, 2011.
The below was reported on the night of Sept. 15-16.
We just got the news above tonight. The source is mainly from Inchun Mpark who has daily monitored navy’s illegal construction on the sea near for three years by now. It is told that an Aegis (of Republic of Korea) is to enter into the almost completed harbor of currently being built Jeju naval base, early morning of Sept. 16. The reason is told that it is for the aegis to test coming alongside the pier. If you remember, there stood on the Gureombi Rock in 2007 a sculpture of Aegis-shape relief-cut on a steel plate which watched over the Gangjeong Sea. It was a kind of warning for today eight years ago. The ROK-US-Japan trilateral military alliance cannot be built without missile defense. The appearance of aegis on the Gangjeong Sea, a part of missile defense system, means Gangjeng would stand in the center of such disastrous trilateral alliance. We say no!
No Aegis in the Gangjeong Sea!
No missile defense!
No ROK-US-Japan military alliance!
Jeju is not the toy of the US military!
Photo by Park Inchun/ A kind of preparatory military ship, Haenam, a day before the entry of the aegis on Sept. 16Photo by Park Inchun/ A kind of preparatory military ship, Haenam, a day before the entry of the aegis on Sept. 16
Sung-Hee Choi reports from Gangjeong village on Jeju Island, South Korea:
[Sept. 5] Bishop Kang U-Il says, “The real struggle starts from now on.”
On a gently rainy day, about 500 priests, sisters, laymen, villagers, and peace activists gathered to celebrate the opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in the village. The event organizers had expected about 200 crowd.
The four story building, of which the idea was first initiated by Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyeon and Bishop Kang U-il, is hoped to be ‘an outpost for the peace of Northeast Asia’ (Bishop Kang)
On the day, the words by Bishop Kang, the Board President of the Center, was resolute, touching and inspiring.
The Jeju Sori, a local media, excerpted some of his long speech. Thanks to it, here I also translate some of his words as well.
……………………………………………………
“There are people who ask whether the struggle has finished with the naval base [that will port US warships aimed at China] being almost completed. No. It has not finished. The real struggle starts from now on.”
“In April 2005, I expressed my opinions, for the first time, against naval base construction. There are five reasons following the public teachings.”
“Firstly, war is disaster. It cannot be a solution between nations. It is because such thing did not happen in the past and would not happen in the future, either.”
“Secondly, when a state power takes arms force, it can be justified and get citizens’ sympathy only by strict conditions. The mobilization of state power against the struggle in opposition to the Gangjeong naval base can never be a self-defense. “
“Thirdly, modern arms are weapons of massive mankind-killing. The increment of arms cannot be connected to peace.”
“Fourthly, we are dumping tremendous budgets into arms production. What if it is used for the nation progress, for the poor..?”
“Lastly, why there should be a military base in Jeju, the far-most from the Korean truce line and the tainted by the wounds of the April 3rd incident? Jeju is the Peace Island designated by the government. The relationship between any military base and the Peace Island is like water and oil.”
“With the construction of the naval base, the death of the April 3rd spirits has become meaningless…”
“Sixty-seven years ago, more than 30,000 people, more than 10% of the whole population of the Jeju Island people lost their lives for the April 3rd incident. [A massacre of Jeju peasants directed by the US military.] They were mostly innocent Island people nothing to do with ideology conflicts. They died without knowing the reasons of their deaths.”
“There are people who say that there is no more need of struggle since the Gangjeong base has been almost completed. No, the real struggle starts from now on.”
“The people we counter is not those who covered the Gureombi Rock with concrete. Nor the youths who come to the naval base to fulfill their duty for national defense. It is those who consider war positively.”
“It is the struggle against those who justify war preparation disguising their violent spirit with the logic of national security. On any basis, war is not right.”
The overflow crowd outside of the grand opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in Gangjeong village/ Photo by Choi Sung-Hee
The overflow crowd outside of the grand opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in Gangjeong village/ Photo by Choi Sung-Hee
In this this July and August Special Edition:
Reflections on 2015 Gangjeong March (domestic and international/ writings and photos), Gangjeong as the co-recipients of the IPB award, U.S. Ships and Fighter Jets are are here, the 23rd Global Network conference in Kyoto, Connecting Bath and Jeju, Returning to Jeju, Taiwan anti-nuclear activist’s solidarity with Gangjeong, The Ghost of Yasukuni Cancelled by Jeju City, a miracle in relation to the Sewol Ferry incident, trial updates, anti-naval base struggle shown in numbers, Peace for the Sea international Sea Camp in Okinawa, 2015 , navy’s outrageous move, Captive dolphins return to Jeju Sea, Jeju’s soft coral suffering from damage, ‘Black Eagle’ Airshow invades village, international solidarity, and more!
