Villager Yoon Chung who has been jailed since Sept. 11 under the charge of damage on private facilities was released on Oct. 24, with the fine of 2.5 million won. It was his 44th day in prison.
He was jailed on Sept. 11 when he being drunken broke the glass doors of a pro-base shop people in the village. It is known that he is one of the villagers to have his land victimized because of the naval base project (The navy forcefully expropriated 49% of the villagers’ land with much cheaper price. Please come by later for the details on it.).
‘According to the result of the ‘mental health condition,’ that the Seogwipo Daily newspaper researched on the Gangjeong villagers from Sept. 2 to 11, 2009, people that were described of mental abnormality such as antagonism feeling, depression, anxiety, compulsion occupied about 75.5 % of the whole villagers. Among the views on the mental abnormality, antagonism feeling was the most. About 57% of the whole villagers were suffering seized with antagonism. The people who feel suicide impulse reached to 43.9% of the whole villagers, which is 5.4 times higher, compared to 8.1%, the average value of suicide impulse of the Jeju Island people. In fact, the villagers who responded that they have attempted to commit suicide or have planned were 34.7%. Because of the Jeju naval base issue, the villagers’ mental status has become devastated.‘
The village that has been proud of more than 450 years community by which they kept their traditional forms of respecting elders and caring children has been broken apart with the naval base project that has sneaked into their village in April 2007. Majority of the villagers are still infuriated that small sum of the villagers were bribed by the navy and sold their village to it at the time.
It is remarkable that the villagers have been making very hard efforts to recover their community since this year, such as through May 18 Parents Day which was interrupted by the navy again.
On June 20, 2012 when there was a forum on the measure on the victims of the April 3rd massacre and uprising(1947 to 1954), some panelists have raised a issue on the Gangjeong villagers that the villagers whether pro or anti have the right to use the trauma care institute since they were all the victims of the state violence.
A woman activist, ‘Deulkkot,’ appeals to Ku Seul-Hwan, an infamous Seogwipo Police staff member with a humorous note. More Photos by Cho Sung-Bong, here.
The daily struggle is going on in front of naval base project construction gates. The numbers of committed people who daily appear are usually small-less than 20. They are daily roughed out and carried by police 10 times or even 12 times even by the night. They are hurt with bruise in all parts of their body or scratched by police women’s nails during their resistance process. As sometimes their cloths are taken off during the process of the police forcefully pulling off their bodies, humiliation is what they risk to bear, too. Seldom is time even for going to the communal restaurant for meals. Meals are carried to be taken with street dusts. Still they hardly leave the field. Blocking and delaying cement mixer truck is more important for them, even though they will be dragged and bruised, soon. Street art and graffiti are everywhere: on the street, on the wall, on the poles.
A male policeman is grabbing a woman peacekeeper’s wrist even after roughing out on Oct. 23, 2012. Photo by Kim Gami.
The construction (destruction) is being accelerated with the completion of the giant caisson production frame on the Gureombi Rock coast. It is told that the contracted companies finished test operation for producing caisson on Oct. 23. Caissons that need more than 450 ton cement mixer truck for one by filling the giant mold frame with cement will be rapidly produced soon. About 200 workers from the Vietnam and Philippine will be brought into the construction site with cheaper wages to be exploited for 24 hours. That has been the case of Hwasoon where the Samsung C & T sub-contracted companies enforced the production of 9,000 ton caissons, of which 10 are now floating, whether broken or not by typhoons in the Gangjeong Sea.
It is told that the navy has requested more policemen to enforce construction for 24 hours!The people’s struggle will be then for 24 hours in shift, too! Even the policemen think the navy is crazy. It is expected that the numbers of the policemen will increase at least by the end of this week: From about 250 (3 police companies) to 500 (6 police companies) daily. The government has been pouring the people’s tax to enforce this illegal construction (destruction). 24 hours police watch, seldom precedent since the military dictatorship of Park Chung-Hee during 60s and 70s.
On Oct. 19, 2012, the Jeju press reported that Ku Seul Hwan, the Security director of the Seogwipo Police Station got a medal from the Jeju Provincial Police Agency on the Day of the Police, being acknowledged for his exploit in his security duty for the VIPs in the WCC. But he is an infamous man for the peacekeepers in Gangjeong. He is the one very well known to direct his policemen to use hammer and electric saw to the cut the PVC pipes with which the peace keepers have connected their arms one another to block the explosive cars and cement mixer trucks on March 19 and April 16, this year. Forget human rights Gangjeong.
Despite all those, it is encouraging to hear that as of September, the navy could use only 50 billion won of the 107 billion won allocated for the base project budget, 2012, which has law-evasively been transferred from last year. The navy has planned to use 78 billion won by September. The not-executed 28 billion won is what the field protesters could bring for all of us. Their daily dedication is bringing the result.
How you can help them? Please pressure the ROK National Assemblymembers to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project .( *The government says that the total cost for the Jeju navy base project is about 1.7 trillion won)For example, ENGLISH@ASSEMBLY.GO.KR or Moon Jae-In, Permanent Advisor, Democratic United party, Presidential candidate: moonriver365@gmail.com.
Gangjeong and the Naval Base Issue stir up the IUCN’s WCC 2012, New U.S. Links to the Naval Base found, ROK Government ignores the UN on Gangjeong, Interviews with Prisoner Kim Bok-Chul and a WCC participant, Articles from several Veterans for Peace visitors to Gangjeong, and more!
[Oct. 15] The National Police Agency replied to the UN human rights inquiry on oppression on Gangjeong without consultation to the Jeju Police Agency.
According to the National Assembly inspection resource material that Park Nam Choon (Democratic United party), a member of the Administrative Security Committee of the National assembly, has gotten from the Jeju Police Agency, the agency has not gotten any consultation from the National Police Agency regarding the reply letter to the UN human rights special rapporteurs’ joint inquiry on human rights violation in Gangjeong [on May 30.]
It means the National Agency has made the reply letter in the way of the arbitrary.
It was also exposed that the Jeju Police Agency has recognized on the existence of joint letter only through media and it has only become to know that there is the Gangjeong-related contents only by the preparation process on the National Assembly inspection at the end of September.
Pak Nam-Choon (Democratic United Party), member of the Administration and Security Committee of the National Assembly, has compiled and released data received from the Police Office, as part of the National inspection on the Police Office on Oct. 15:
Approximately a total of 130,000 mainland police persons have been stationed in Gangjeong village between August of 2011 and the present. A budget of 4.2 billion Won (about $3.5 million USD) was spent for primarily for food, accommodations and transportation by ferry.
According to documents submitted by the police for the parliamentary inspection on October 15, a total of 194 police units have been mobilized and an average of 352 police officers per day have stationed in Gangjeong village, reaching a total of 128,402 officers
At the same time, [during the period between Jan. 2010 to Aug. 2012] , a total of 586 villagers and activists have been arrested, and among them 493 have been taken to court or put on trial.
A big smile from Dr. Song on his release from prison. Image: Jung Da-Woo-Ri
On September 28, in the late morning it was suddenly and unexpected announced that after 181 days of imprisonment, Dr. Song Kang-Ho would be released from Jeju Prison on bail. Dr. Song was originally very violently arrested on April 1st, his birthday and held ever since then in Jeju Prison, about an hour from Gangjeong village. Dr. Song had been refusing bail in protest of his unjust imprisonment and show trial and was only two weeks away from the legal prison limit without being convicted of a crime (Oct. 13 was his expected release date).
Father Moon and Dr. Song embrace. Image: Jung Da-Woo-Ri
Despite this, to everyone’s surprise, he was suddenly released in the late afternoon. Although many people were not in Gangjeong village because of the Chuseok Harvest Holiday, a small group of friends and supporters from Gangjeong gathered in front of the prison to greet him and celebrate his release. Upon his release he was embraced by Father Moon Jung Hyeon and then ate tofu, as is customary, and then greeted those that had eagerly gathered to celebrate.
Brother Song is free at last! Hurray!
Dancing while waiting for Dr. Song’s release. Image: Jang Hyun-WooMayor Kang helps Dr. Song eat the customary Tofu. Image: Jang Hyun-WooDr. Song embraces supporters and friends outside the prison. Image: Jung Da-Woo-Ri
On September 22nd, a benefit concert was held for Dr. Song Kang-Ho, who was violently arrested on his birthday, April 1. September 22nd was the 175th day of his imprisonment. The concert title was ‘A Song for Gangjeong and Hope.’
Dr. Song sent a lengthy letter from Jeju Prison where he is being held, to be read at the concert, briefly excerpted here:
The hope of Gangjeong is the hope for justice and peace. The people have sung a song of hope for more than six years. Your concert is to spread the song of hope. I think your concert is beautiful. It is because the most beautiful song is the song of peace.
[…]
The prison that confines me is what jails our church and nation. You are jailed with me, too. Please sing a song for freedom. Please call for justice. And please sing a song for peace. Please sing the most beautiful song in the world, which defeats the evil spirits of violence and war that bind us.
Song Saem, Dr. Song’s daughter plays cello at the concert. (Image: Lee Daegwi)
A book by Dr. Song, titled, “Peace, walking on hope from far-off: Song Kang-Ho’s Stories of Peace from Rwanda to Gangjeong” will be published by the Intervarsity Press Korea on Oct. 8, 2012.
(Information and pictures provided by Choi Hye-Young, Lim Ho-Young, and Abigail Yoo)
Today, The National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island published two issue reports regarding the Jeju Naval Base construction.
Issue Report I is “Human Rights Violations on ‘No Jeju Naval Base Campaign’”. The report includes entry denials of foreign human rights defenders, freedom of peaceful assembly and associations, excessive use of force by the police and impunity for police violence, major human rights violations. The cases have been collected by the Gangjeong Human Rights Violation Investigation Team. The report gives recommendations to the Government of Republic of Korea and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This report was also presented to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association on 4 September 2012 during the 5th Asian Human Rights Defenders Forum which was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The full report will be published in September.
Issue Report II is “Environmental Disaster by Jeju Naval Base Construction”. The report is on how the suggested sea route creates environmental disaster, flaws in the environmental impact assessment conducted by the Government, and change of absolute preservation zone by the Governor of Special Self-Governing Province. It also includes recommendations to the Government of Republic of Korea and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the raised environmental concerns. This second report was jointly published by The Gangjeong Village Association, The Jeju Pan-Island Committee for Stop of Military Base and for Realisation of Peace Island, and the National Network.
On September 6th, the opening day of the 2012 WCC in Jeju, 5 anti-base activists climbed a 10 meter high, 8,800 ton caisson in Hwasoon Port, about a 40 minute car ride from Gangjeong village. Samsung is making these massive concrete caissons there and shipping them to Gangjeong, where they plan to use them to build the huge piers of the naval base.
Given that it is clear that the Jeju Naval base to be built in Gangjeong Village will be a military outpost of the United States, we cannot stand for our Gangjeong Village, Our Jeju Island to be in the middle of a conflict between an expanding China and the United States containment efforts. We know that the destruction of Gangjeong Village and Jeju, the Peace Island, will become the suffering of all our people. […]
Because of the recent typhoons, all seven caisson [brought so far to Gangjeong], the symbol of the Jeju Naval Base construction, were completely broken to pieces and left under the Gangjeong Sea. Still the Navy and [construction companies] Samsung and Daelim continue to eagerly produce new caisson in Hwasoon Port […]
Many villagers, religious figures, and peace activists have been injured, arrested, and imprisoned to stop this naval base construction (destruction) in the village.
Even though our power might be small, we will fight with all our strength against this enormous dominating power, symbolized by this caisson.
Therefore we will eventually REVOKE the Jeju naval base project, save the peace of Gangjeong and the peace of all humanity
The action began around dawn, with the 5 protestors scaling the caisson and displaying three large banners, two in Korean, on in English which said, “No! Naval Base in Jeju!” At approximately 7:30 a.m., construction workers violently assaulted the occupiers and began destroying the banners. The police began arresting the protestors by 8:30 a.m. 3 were arrested first as two of the protestors had chained themselves. Finally by 9 a.m. all were arrested and are, as of this posting, in police custody in the Seogwipo police station. Two of them are complaining of strong back pain as a result of assault by the workers. As of this time, the charges appear to be “Group Trespass of a Facility”.
The aforementioned caissons are a subject of major contention by the anti-base activists and Gangjeong villagers. In the late 90s, years before the Jeju Naval base construction was even begun, the South Korean Ministry of Construction and Traffic declared that, due to the topography and weather of the South Jeju Sea, caissons were not proper to be used for construction in this area.
Completely ignoring this statement, the Navy/Construction company plan calls for total of 144 caissons to be dropped in the total conservation area of the Gangjeong Sea of Southern Jeju. These massive caissons are also being dropped only 1km from a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and amidst Korean some of the worlds largest soft coral habitats. Soft coral is also a natural monument and endangered species in Korean.
When Samsung first began to bring the caisson to Gangjeong, it was discovered that they had not even done a simple and legally required inspection of the giant floating dock which is used to transport them. Samsung was later fined for this highly dangerous action.
Finally, two recent typhoons have been completely destroyed the 7 poorly made and dangerously placed thus far in the Gangjeong Sea. Their wreckage has litered the sea floor and contaminated the famously clean waters of Gangjeong. Learning nothing from this, Samsung continues to produce the caisson and will not change their plan. The Gangjeong sea is in a state of environmental emergency and if these unstable, unfit, and dangerous caissons continue to be dropped in this precious environment, the destruction could turn catastrophic.
In light of this new emergency, and the ongoing emergency of the illegal, unjust, and environmental destructive construction of the Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong, the Gangjeong Village Association applied for a booth at the WCC 2012, to spread the word of this disaster. However, this booth was rejected by the IUCN under pressure from the South Korean Government and Samsung, a major sponsor of the WCC and primary destroyer of Gangjeong.
Please spread the word on this action and the Gangjeong Struggle. Especially, IUCN members, we appeal to you to listen to the cry of Gangjeong!
In this month’s issue: The navy pushes to steal more land, water issues, London Samsung Boycott, Construction Mocks Environmental Standards, Prison Letter from Dr. Song Kang-Ho and more!
