Save Jeju Now

No War Base on the Island of Peace

Month: November 2012

  • A totally new president candidate? No. people’s cry was buried again.

    ‎

    Ahn says, “yes, naval base, unless I access to  ‘high class’ information.”

    On Nov. 2, Ahn Chul-Soo (independent), one of the big three Presidential candidates along with Park Geun-Hye (ruling Saenuri Party that is also called, New Frontier Party) and Moon Jae-In (Democratic United Party), for the 18th South Korean President election, dropped by the village for less than an hour, after his visit to the April 3rd Peace Park in the Jeju City.  He was the first of the three who visited Gangjeong. For the background of Ahn, see here.

    Lots of media reporters that we have seldom seen during our years’ protests. From where did these reporters come while there have been only a few of them during the years the village has suffered?

    Photo: Jeju Sori, Nov. 2, 2012
    People picketing as Ahn walks out of the village office, pickets shown in the above photo read, “108th police’s roughing out and beating! Come to the construction gate,’ “Save the Jeju as the world peace Island!,’

     

    In the talk meeting with the villagers in the village association hall at 11am, he is told to have stated that:

    “It seems that, in the Jeju naval base project, there have been many problems in the process, including  removed procedure  seeking for the agreement with the villagers. The President [Lee Myung-Bak] and government personnel should apologize to [the villagers], visiting the Gnagjeong village themselves. ‘If I am elected as President,’ I, myself, will be the first to apologize to you, visiting your village again, even though it would be the affair by the predecessor government.”

    Photo: Jeju Sori, Nov. 2, 2012

     

    Sounds good. Right? However, his ignorance shines here. Never new. He has already repeatedly mentioned this all along this year:

    “There exist difficult points for general citizens to decide whether the naval base is needed or not. By now, various [precedent] governments reached to same conclusion.  Even though I am not in the possible situation to access to the ‘high class’ information, if [the past governments] have reached to the same conclusion despite different ideologies and international situations, I cannot but agree with [the talk] that naval base in the Jeju is necessary for national security.’

     

    Some says his words are calculated not to provoke the conservatives. However, Cheong Wooksik, representative of Peace Work has criticized on Ahn’s such remarks. See here. The below is a translation of parts of Cheong’s writing in July, this year.

     

    I feel very sorry to hear ‘Ahn Chul-Soo who said that “If the four [ex-] governments of different [political] characters had reached to the same conclusion that naval base is necessary, it is right to accept the decision when there is no other information.”

    Above all, he is lack of correct understanding on the facts. Even though it is a fact that the Jeju naval base project has been ‘examined’ from the Kim Young-Sam government (*1993 to 1998), it is fully different from ‘decision.’ Even though the project was reflected in the National Defense mid-term plan 1997-2001 in 1995 as its need was newly decided in the meeting of Joint Chiefs of Staff Council in 1993, it was merely that the military authority asked to the government.

    Even though many projects are included in the defense mid-term plan, there are also many projects that are excluded during the government policy decision process and National Assembly discussion process on budget. In case of the Jeju naval base project, it was decided to be suspended at the ending term of Kim Dae-Joong government (1998-2003) in December, 2012. It was only 2006~2007, at the ending term of [ex-Roh Moo-Hyun] government that the project on which the military request and government suspension had been repeated was finally decided.

    To be sorry, Ahn did not even grasp such basic facts. Therefore he became to conclude that the four ex-governments made “highly politic decision based on the information and resources related to the difficult national security matters,” regarding the Jeju naval base project and to assert that we should accept it. It is far from ‘responsibility’ that he emphasized himself. Further he could have gotten “other information” without limits if he had a little further laid one’s heart such as contacting with Gangjeong villagers.

     

    On Nov. 3, the next day of his visit, villagers stated as the below. See the original Korean script here.  (translation in parts)

     

    If numerous problems  such as  matters of procedure, environment, conflict, base layout, [navy’s] failure to carry on National Assembly’s attached conditions, human rights violation, US base, had already made public, Ahn should not have covered various critical minds only with the reason of [so-called] national security that has not been verified, reasoning no access to ‘high class’ information yet.

    Will there be any national disturbance if the Jeju naval base is not completed before 2015? He should have at least talked on the measure of solution on problems after tentative construction stop. It is because if construction is not stopped NOW, there is a high possibility that we meet irrecoverable situation. If then, consolation to villagers and ‘correct decision,’ that candidate Ahn says could be empty words with no meaning as a result. In that vein, we are DISSAPOINTED that candidate Ahn TURNED DOWN the village’s repeated urgent request on construction stop.

     

    Am I wrong if Ahn reminds me little Obama? What does he mean by the words of ‘high class information?’

     

    While Ahn is focused, the hard situation of field is under reported by the media.

    When Ahn visited the village on Nov. 2, many young peacekeepers that could not sleep many days since the start of 24 hour construction on Oct. 25 were heartbreakingly fighting and roughed out by the police. A male peacekeeper was twice choked in his neck by the police on the day. His sleeve was torn. While a young female peacekeeper was crying appealing pain on her shoulder after the police roughed out people, an old policeman laughed looking at her.

    Personally I saw three female activists were crying in an hour…I say, in an hour. A female activist says her upper cloth was lifted during the police’ roughing out people. Peacekeepers are suffering. They fall back while their shoulder joints are in great pain during the police roughing out of them. Their hearts are being broken with increasing bruises due to repeated police’s human rights violation on them.

    It is told that navy and their buses were parking in the parking lot from the morning (emergency probably because of Ahn’s visit?) while many policemen were mobilized, too. It is told that a monstrous construction vehicle loaded with many funnels entered into the construction site early in the morning.

    Nov. 2, 2012/ Young peacekeepers are making pickets upon Ahn’s visit. As they heard that Ahn may not come to the construction gate, they appealed and protested to Ahn, “Come to the gate. We are already experiencing 108th police roughing out and beating (since the start of 24 hour construction).”

    In the front yard of the village hall where Ahn was meeting with the villagers, some of female peacekeepers were writing slogans on the cardboard with markers. They were crying with hoarse voice. “Ahn Chul-Soo, please come to the construction gates,” “Today, it is already 108th police’s roughing out and beating (since the start of 24 hour construction on Oct. 25)

    To people’s fury, many media reports did not even know the location of construction gates.

    Nov. 2, 2012/ People including Catholic fathers eat lunch in front of construction gates

     

    The important thing is the wisdom and will of people. Politicians will not save us. Their steps depend on the power and demand of people.

    Nov. 2/ As Ahn left construction gate, police arrive to rough out people, People could not even finish their lunch.

     

    And invisible though, we have still five prisoners.

     

    As of Nov. 3

    Kim Bok-Chul (No. 598): 144 days in prison since June 14

    Rev. Jeong Yeon-Gil (No. 187): 58 days in prison since Sept. 6

    Mr. Park Suk-Jin (No. 188): 58 days in prison since Sept. 6

    Mr. Park Seung-Ho (No. 290): 49 days in prison since Sept. 14

    Fr. Lee Young-Chan: 11 days in the detention room of the Jeju Police station since Oct. 26

    (Please mail to Jeju prison, 161 Ora-2 dong, Jeju City, Jeju, the Peace Island, Korea)

     

    Free all the prisoners!

    Immediately stop illegal naval base construction!

     

    ( Source on prisoners: Cho Sung-Bong. Click here)

    Nov. 2, 2012/  In the candle vigil in front of construction gate at 8pm, people console one another with massages. Here is Gangjeong where police do not attack them when a high politician comes. But as soon as the politician leaves, people’s  lunch time is even robbed off by the police.

    ………………………………………………………………..

    Reference

     

    http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001760045&PAGE_CD=ET000&BLCK_NO=1&CMPT_CD=T0000
    해군기지, ‘사과 없는’ 문재인과 ‘사실 곡해’ 안철수
    [정욱식 칼럼] 문재인과 안철수, 그리고 제주해군기지
    12.07.23 20:22l최종 업데이트 12.07.23 20:23

     

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=163968

    안철수 “제주해군기지 문제 대통령이 사과해야”

    강정주민과 대화…”제가 대통령되면 방문해 사과하겠다”
    “해군기지 왜 강정이어야 하는지 주민동의 구했어야”

    2012.11.02  13:17:35

     

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122047

    안철수 “대통령이 강정주민들에게 사과해야”

    2일 ‘빅3’ 대선후보 중 처음으로 강정방문…“대통령되면 저도 사과”
    ‘고급정보 한계’ 전제로 “국가안보상 필요”…입장변화(?) 해석 분분

    2012.11.02  12:38:24

     

    http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=36258

    강정주민 보듬은 안철수… “대통령 사과해야”

    강정마을 방문해 주민 위로… 해군기지건설 전면 재검토 주장엔 “글쎄”

    2012.11.02  16:15:17

     

    http://www.seogwipo.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=83105

    안철수 후보, 강정마을‧토평APC 방문

    2일 오전 주민간담회… “대통령‧정부가 직접 사과해야”
    오후 선별 포장 체험… “한중 FTA는 식량안보 개념으로”

    2012 년 11 월 02 일 (금) 15:36:30

    http://www.sisajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=162861

    안철수, 제주해군기지 철수야? 안 ‘철수’야?

    4.3 눈물‧신공항 건설은 침묵…해군기지 해법은 “…”

    2012.11.02  21:20:07

    http://www.mediajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=136220

    강정 찾은 안철수 “대통령과 정부가 주민들 말씀 듣고 사과해야”

    “여러 정부에서 같은 결론 … 국가안보 차원에서 필요하다는 결론 동의할 수밖에”

    2012.11.02  12:53:24

     

  • 1st caisson made on the Gureombi Rock costs human rights and nature environment.

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ First Caisson built on Gureombi. . . Bigger caissons (8,800 ton)have been built on Hwasoon port. Now the floating dock has located near Gureombi rock to move caissons to Gangjeong sea. For more photos of Cho Sung-bong, see here.

     

    It was Oct. 30 that the first 3,000 ton caisson supervised by Daelim Co. was made on the Gureombi Rock. To build this one, there was 24 hours construction since Oct. 25. No night construction for three days of Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1, as the workers needed time to dry it, move it to the coast near to a floating dock on the sea, and resetting for building new one.

    On the same day of Oct. 30, Jeju Island government submitting to the central government(Prime Minister Office)  its final opinion on the simulation verification on the entry & exit of 150,000 cruise, related to the Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty (Jeju naval base project), stated that it requested to the central government not to execute construction on stationing caisson until there is a simulation of which the Island government opinion is accepted. What the Island government should do is to immediately ORDER the navy construction stop, not delaying its critical decision without delusion on the so called civilian-military port (which is in fact a pure military-only port)and 150,000 ton cruise. (See here)

    What was the cost of the 1st caisson?  The navy-contacted company, Daelim plans to build 82 numbers of 3,000 to 4,000 ton caissons to put into the Gangejong Sea, the UNESCO-protected soft coral zone. Given that it takes 5~6 day to build one, it needs minimum 410 days’ 24 hour construction because of cement character, no choice, the navy says (See here)

    However, villagers’ rights to sleep in the night have been robbed off. It was at the price of human rights violation. There have been at least 6 people who were carried to hospital during 24 hour construction so 24 hour protests from Oct. 25 to Oct. 30. See here and here. Many were injured, too. The waste of tax to mobilize 500 policemen every night is speechless. If it was a righteous and reasonable construction, the government does not need to mobilize such stunning numbers of policemen. It is for the navy to get the budget on the naval base project, 2013 (the Ministry of National Defense has proposed 200 billion won for the Jeju naval base construction in 2013) by rapidly moving up construction (destruction)! The navy has promised the National Assembly last year that it would not get the budget if its work rate does not reach 30 % this year.

    It was also at the price of nature environment destruction. See here.

    In the field, many young peacekeepers’ painful efforts go on.   Some sketches during the day of Nov. 1 here.

    Around 11am, Nov. 1. Bishop Kang U Il held the mass in front of construction gate. Recently a Catholic priest, Fr. Lee Young Chan was imprisoned on Oct. 25. interview with an international reporter.
    Around 2:30pm, Nov. 1. Music and dance are people’s positive way to overcome the police violence that they would go through during the police’s roughing out them.
    Around 3:37pm: Fr. Kim Sung-Han and Catholic sister nicknamed Joan D’arc. Right before police’s roughing out people.
    Around 3:30pm, Nov. 1. Another police’s roughing out people. We saw at least two young female activists had tear in their eyes… Many women peace keepers are upset when they are circled around by male policemen. The policewomen are insensitive to the same sex women peacekeepers. Why they are so slow when women need them? Scratch by policewomen nails have been usual … Male peacekeepers commonly appeal pain in their right shoulder. Two of them have been carried by ambulance for it. The photo is the scene that the police take apart people in front of construction gate.
    Around 4pm, Nov. 1. After police roughing out, eating roasted tangerine is a joy though.
    Around 4:30, Nov. 1. Another police’s roughing out people. For 4~5 detained women, there are only three policewomen shown in the photo. The others are policemen who walled against us with multiple layers. The policewomen were to exit often but we protested to them so that they should be with us.
    Around 8pm. People’s candle vigil. Massage one another.

     

    How you can help us? Please pressure the ROK National Assembly members to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project. For example, ENGLISH@ASSEMBLY.GO.KR or Moon Jae-In, Permanent Advisor, Democratic United party, Presidential candidate: moonriver365@gmail.com.

     

    Video by Navi

    Scene of caisson on the Gureombi Rock and a floating dock that is to station caissons in the sea around 2pm, Oct. 31

     

    (Source: Village website )

     

  • A clear violation of the EIA to the concern on soft coral, a Jeju environment group states.

    Amidst 24 hour construction that started on Oct. 25, 2012, the Jeju media reports on Oct. 29, 2012 that the Korean Federation for Environment Movement (KFEM), Jeju, stated on the same day that:

    ” As the navy enforces construction with unreasonably accelerated process, it ignores most of consulted contents in the Environment Impact Assessment [..] The construction site in the coast of the Metboori(east tip of the naval base project) facing the Beomseom (Tiger Island) less than 1 km from it is covered with muddy water and the silt protector layers installed to supposedly block such contaminated materials during construction were damaged and useless.”

    The Beomseom (Tiger Island) itself is the UNESCO Geology Park (Oct. 2010). The vicinity sea area of it is a UNESCO biosphere reserve (2002) and ROK government-designated natural memorial No. 421 (2000) for the soft coral habitats.

    ‘Dr. Katherine Muzik, a member of the current team researching the Navy EIA, says this: “I can state unequivocally, based on my personal observations and a review of pertinent scientific literature, that Jeju’s octocoral assemblages are unique, spectacular, and worthy of special protection. They form the largest and most spectacular temperate Octocoral forests known on Earth.” (See here and here)

    The below is the translation of a Headline Jeju article:

    Given the photos presented by the KFEM, one can see even in one’s naked eye that the muddy waters are occurring to the degree that the color of sea water is changed because of naval base construction.

    Photo: KFEM, Jeju/ Jeju naval base construction site. One can see even in one’s naked eye that the muddy waters are occurring to the degree that the color of sea water is changed because of naval base construction.
    Photo: KFEM, Jeju/ Jeju naval base construction site. One can see the left part of silt protector installed on the sea is empty while muddy water from the construction site is flowing.

     

    The KFEM says, “Even though the sands and stones in the construction field are supposed to be washed on the land, it is not kept. Scattering dusts are seriously blown whenever dump trucks pour down sand and stones. The vicinity coast is being changed into muddy water.” And “Even though there should be daily check on the damage on the silt protectors and related construction should be stopped if damage is confirmed, the navy is enforcing it in violation of the EIA.”

    ‘The sediment site that has been formed beside the east breakwater of the Gangjeong port (west tip of the Jeju naval base project) was reduced without notice and is losing its function. The navy has executed construction to widen the width of bank as the bank has been even collapsed and muddy water was leaked through the vicinity coast. The navy has relocated tetra pods within the construction site. Therefore the size of the sediment size has been reduced more than half compared to March when it was formed.”

     “According to the consulted agreements of the “Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)” it is supposed that sediment /undercurrent site should be 13,000 ton size to prevent leaking of earths and sands. However the size of the sediment site inside the naval base construction area, in fact, cannot satisfy that.”

    “Even though the Jeju Island government mattered it and made the navy pose construction process for a while, it does not even recognize the problem in present.”

    Regarding scattering dusts:

    “Scattering dusts are being blown all over the construction site and filed up earths and sands are covered with dust-protector layers only in part while most of them are left alone. The dusts are blown often toward the vicinity olle trails, residential areas and fruit farms. And the concern about leaking of earths and sands by rain is neglected. Even though earths and sands are filed up like a big hill just above the caisson production site, there is no dust protector cover on them.”

    ‘The navy’s reckless construction enforcement is linked to illegal construction ignored of consulted contents in the EIA. Such things have happened since last year but became more often recently. However the Jeju island government is not even aware that such things are happening.”

    It emphasized that “The Jeju Island government having press conference in the hall of the WCC event last September has shown its position that it is having post environment inspection often and there is no legal problem in the navy’s construction. It must not have said that if it is really thoroughly managing post inspection. The related authorities including the Island government should immediately stop construction and urge legal performance on the related items.”

    Photo: KFEM, Jeju/ Jeju naval base construction site/ The size of the sediment site has greatly been reduced from the past.
    Photo: KFEM, Jeju/ Jeju naval base construction site/ In the photo, earths and sands are exposed without dust protector cover.

     

    …………………………………………….

    Reference

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=163590

    강정 앞바다 제주해군기지 공사 흙탕물로 ‘오염‘

    오탁방지막 ‘무용지물’…범섬 오염우려

    환경단체 “명백한 환경영향평가 협의규정 위반”

    2012.10.29  16:40:58