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!
Save Jeju Now
No War Base on the Island of Peace
Tag: arrests & imprisonment
use for all things related to arrests and imprisonment
-
March 19 Victims’ Press Conference
Photo by Headline Jeju, March 22, 2012/ People’s press conference on March 19 incident 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 by Dungree on new conference (Source)
…………………………………………
Reference
Whole statement
http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145681
“‘화약운송 저지 인간띠 ‘망치질 체포’ 책임자 엄벌하라”
인간띠 시위 참가자 연행과정 망치질 체포 규탄
2012.03.22 17:31:09http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=29772
“비명 지르며 울어도 망치질 계속됐다”
‘망치질 체포사건’ 피해자 기자회견…“경찰서장 퇴진하라”
2012.03.22 18:09:55http://www.sisajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=143146
‘망치질 체포’ 규탄 기자회견…서귀포경찰서장 퇴진 촉구
2012.03.22 14:53:53
-
April 5 People’s news conference on police violation on human rights; History is repeated 64 years later
Source: Lee Sang-Min, Jeju Domin Ilbo, April 5, 2012/ A disabled woman holds a banner depicted of police violence on people during the April 5 press conference 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
Source: Lee Sang-Min, Jeju Domin Ilbo, April 5, 2012 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)
-
Lim Ho-Young’s Account on Illegal and Violent Police Arrest of him on April 2, 2012
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.
*******************************************
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)*******************************************
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
The activists’ account can be seen here and here.
Mr. Lim Ho-Young’s handwriting received on April 2, 2012. He was injured in his forehead when he was arrested on March 29, 2012.
-
Dr. Song Kang Ho’s Handwritten Statement Regarding his Violent Arrest on April 1st, 2012
(Translated from Korean; Click here for original Korean version)
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.
April 2, 2012,
Song Kang Ho
-
[Immediate Release] Repeal the deportation order against Benjamin Monnet and Angie Zelter!
Photo by the village international team/ Benjamin Monnet and Angie Zelter in the Dongbu police station on March 14, 2012. 
Photo by the village international team/ On March 14, 2012, In front of the Dongbu Police station, Benjamin Monnet and Angie Zelter are met by the Jeju Immigration Officers who noticed them that they would carry the two to the Jeju Immigration Office to get investigated on the matter of deportation [Immediate Release] Repeal the deportation order against Benjamin Monnet and Angie Zelter!
By the Gangjeong Village International Team, March 15, 2012
(Translated by Jooyea Lee. See the Korean statement here.)
On March 14th, Jeju District Public Prosecutor’s Office released 13 who had been arrested two days before, but requested an extension for the arrest of Ms. Seri Kim. At around 4:00 p.m., they transferred the French activist, Mr. Benjamin Monnet and the peace activist from the U.K., Angie Zelter, to Jeju Immigration on the basis that they would decide on deporting these two activists.
Lawyers for Democratic Lawyers’ Association, along with the Gangjeong International Team had previously met up with the three individuals at 10:00 a.m. Ms. Seri Kim was wearing a neck support for the injury that occurred when two Daerim contractors violently restrained her. In addition to her neck pain, Ms. Kim complained of pains on her left shoulder and also on her knees. The toes on her right foot were also twisted, according to her. At 2:00 p.m., Mr. Benjamin Monnet visited the local hospital, also complaining of the pains caused by injury when Daerim employees pushed him: on his legs; the back of his neck; muscle pains on his upper and lower back. The inside of his left knee occurred when Jeju coast guard overturned Mr. Monnet’s kayak and rapidly advanced the guards’ rubber boat. Doctor said it will take two weeks for the injury to heal completely.
On March 12th, both Ms. Seri Kim and Mr. Benjamin Monnet had crawled under into the barbed wire side of the Gureombi rocks, where they sustained 2 and half hours on an excavator, in order to avoid potential violence from the Daerim employees. As for Ms. Angie Zelter, she had cut the barbed wire—installed illegally by the Korean navy. The Police charged Ms. Kim for obstruction of business on March 12th, as well as for obstruction of traffic on March 7th—she had held out in front of the vehicles, which belonged to those who set barricades, to stop the blast). For Mr. Monnet, the police charged him with: unlawful interference with official duty (for the event that occurred on Feb. 27th); misdemeanor, infliction of injury, obstruction of business (March 12th). For Ms. Zelter, misdemeanor for entering into the construction site over the fence (March 9th); so called group damage with dangerous tool (* which means wire cutter to cut the wire razor fence) and misdemeanor (March 12th).
All these allegations are arbitrary and malicious interpretation/application of the law, considering the customary violence against the villagers and activists who protested against the naval base construction. No action has been taken towards Mr. Benjamin Monnet’s lawsuit against Daerim employees and the police respectively—Mr. Monnet was beaten on Nov. 9th 2011 by Daerim employees; and by the Police on Dec. 26th, 2011. On April 6th, 2011, despite the police assault against the film critic Mr. Yang Yoon-Mo, no investigation so far, as for the accountability. Mr. Monnet only pushed the policeman in order to protect himself, rather than injuring the police as he had been charged as such. As for the charges that were brought upon himself regarding the incidences on Feb. 27th and March 12th, Mr. Monnet strongly claims that they are lies and excessive charges.
On March 6th, Jeju Provincial Governor Mr. Woo Keun-Min, jointly with representatives of Jeju—both the ruling and the opposition parties—had requested the provisional pending on the Gureombi blast as well as for the construction itself, expressing regrets at the unreasonable execution of the construction with all the design errors. But the navy, ignoring the needs of these Island representatives forged ahead with the blast to destroy Gureombi—Korea’s one and only costal wetland and the bedrock inhabited by where rare flora and fauna; an area that deems to be connected to Gangjeong Stream that provides 70% of drinking water to Seogwipo residents. The construction site is the country’s only UNESCO soft coral habitats and also where Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins make appearances, which are designated by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as endangered species.
The three individuals—Seri Kim, Benjamin Monnet, and Angie Zelter—devoted themselves through consistently non-violent and peaceful measures under international law: the principles of peace: against the construction of naval base and militarization, they simply tried to prevent the destruction of the Earth through another military base.
But the Jeju Immigration Office, after investigating nearly three hours ordered deportation for Mr. Monnet at 8:00 pm, when ten Immigration Office employees entered the office. Female employees, as if they had been prepared to do so, started collecting evidence with their cameras. The three-hour investigation on Mr. Monnetwas all an act. Lawyers for Democratic Society representative, appalled by this, urgently raised the complaint but the staff arbitrarily transferred Mr. Monnet, unfed and still in his prisoner’s uniform. Their excuse was being that Mr. Monnet should be on the last flight out of Jeju.
Angie Zelter, who is also confined at the Jeju Immigration Office will be investigated around 3:00 p.m. on March 15th. Around 11:00 am or 1:30 pm, Seri Kim’s case will be examined to issue an arrest warrant against her. In solidarity with the film critic Mr. Yang Yoon-mo, Angie Zelter is temporarily fasting. Benjamin Monnet is also fasting in the prison of Hwasoon Immigration Office, Gyunggi province against illegal destruction of the Jeju naval base project and illegal arrest.
We strongly condemn the Lee Myung-bak government who, in addition to the illegal construction (destruction) and arrests, is forging ahead with the forceful deportation of international activists who are dedicating themselves to protect the Island of Peace, Jeju. Lee Myung-bak regime’s human rights abuses are unscrupulous, as it ignores the potential diplomatic criticism. In addition, the construction and the human rights violations in relation to the construction cannot be explained without the United States’ undue desire for domination as it tries to utilize the Jeju naval base as a springboard to contain China. It is also the move to undermine the international solidarity against the Jeju naval base construction. The struggles against the Jeju naval base construction has already evolved into international struggle. Capitalism and government and any other forces that resist the contemporary needs for peace cannot be sustained.
Immediately release those arrested and;
Repeal the deportation order against Benjamin Monnet and Angie Zelter;
Stop the illegal naval base construction immediately!March 15th, 2012
Gangjeong International Team
…………………………………………………….
We have just heard that the entry by the three members of the Veterans for Peace, US. Who were supposed to visit the Gangjeong village on March 14 has also been denied. We strongly denounce the Lee Myung-Bak government who shamelessly commit violation on human rights internationally.
…………………………………………………….
Reference articles and videos
Video by Dungree: Letter to deported Benjamin (April 18, 2012)
Articles
http://space4peace.blogspot.kr/2012/03/people-keep-coming-to-gangjeong.html
MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012
PEOPLE KEEP COMING TO GANGJEONG
http://www.space4peace.blogspot.com/2012/03/deportation-from-jeju.html
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012
DEPORTATION FROM JEJUhttp://www.space4peace.blogspot.com/2012/03/three-vfp-leaders-denied-entry-into.html
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012
THREE VFP LEADERS DENIED ENTRY INTO JEJU ISLANDhttp://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/03/117_106941.html
Arrest warrants sought for 2 foreign protestors on Jeju
03-14-2012 18:31http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2012/03/14/14/0302000000AEN20120314007800315F.HTML
Police seek first arrest warrants for foreigners in naval base protests
2012/03/14 17:15 KST
