Tomorrow, August 15, 2013, the 3rd meeting of the movement to demilitarize Jeju “Jeju, the Demilitarized Peace Island” will meet. This meeting open to everyone will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Moseulpo, on the southwest cost of Jeju.
Moseulpo is an important place in the history of military and anti-militarist struggles on Jeju. During the Japanese colonization, the residents were forced to large caves out of the coastal cliffs of Mt. Songak to store torpedos to be used for attacks on allied forces in WW2, a part of Japans broader massive military build up of Jeju in anticipation of a stand off that fortunately never happened. Nearby is the abandoned Alddreu Airfield, also set up by the Japanese military for bombing China.
Caves along the cliff face of Mt. Songak.
Later during 4.3 and Korean War, Moseulpo, like most of Jeju was also the site to several massacres including the Massacre at Seotal Oreum. In 1950, The Moseulpo Police had arbitrarily detained 344 people in the police station, a fishing storage, and a potato storage. 211 of the detained were eventually slaughtered without any legal process and secretly buried. 20 people were killed on July 16 and 193 on August 20. 41 other people went missing.
Later from 1987-1989, the Korean government attempted to build an air-force base on Mt. Songak, but strong local resistance won after a two year struggle and the plans were scrapped. However, the Korean Ministry of National Defense still owns land in the area and recently there was has been rumors that they again plan to build an airfare base there, perhaps on part of the old Alddreu Airfield (part of which has been declared a national heritage site). Meanwhile, the ROK MND has a small radar base in Moseulpo, formerly the U.S. owned Camp McNabb (for 53 years until it was taken over by Korean in 2005.
Moseulpo Radar Base, formerly U.S. Camp McNabb.
In light of this history of oppression and resistance, Moseulpo is a key location for the movement to demilitarize Jeju.
Peace loving people from across Jeju and Korea will come together to tour the historical sites, hear about the successful struggle against the air-force base and discuss and plan the demilitarization of Jeju. Join us!
On August 3rd, the International Dialogue Conference on “Seeking Peace from Oceanic Perspectives” was held in Taipei, Taiwan. Emily Wang was one of the speaker in the secession of “An Oceanic Deconstruction of Geopolitics” to share about Gangjeong and the idea of Inter-Island Solidarity for Just Peace.
Distribute the Gangjeong NewspaperPeople were writing the messages to Gangjeong
The following is the speech draft of Emily Wang.
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By Emily Wang
My name is Emily Wang. I am an island peace activist from Taiwan Island and also I’ve ever lived and worked for peace on Timor Island for 1 year, and Jeju Island for almost 2 years, and I just got deported by the South Korea government in April 2013 due to my involvement in the Peace Movement in Gangjeong Village, Jeju Island where a major naval base is being built up. Thanks to the deportation, I got depressed for a while because I had to leave my friends and family. But also it gives me a chance to move forward in my next steps as an island peace activist.
Today’s topic is “An Oceanic Deconstruction of Geopolitics”. I would like to begin by sharing about “islands”, and I think the long suffering of many islands will provide an inspiring source to deconstruct geopolitics and for the peace in our region.
One of the crucial challenges of many peaceful and beautiful islands face is the trend of military expansion and militarization, largely by the U.S. Military. This has led to conflict, suffering, and environmental destruction in such places as Okinawa, Hawaii, Diego Garcia, Sprately Islands, Jeju (Korea), Guam, and others.
The situation which the islands face has been getting worse since the US launched the “Asia Pivot” strategy. Many islands are going to be further militarized, for example in North East Asia, Jeju and Okinawa. Besides Northeast Asia, there is other bad news to worry about. For example, The Philippines’ government now plans to invite back the US military they once kicked out to use their base again. The US is strengthening its partnership with these countries and following the strengthened partnership, these countries self-colonize themselves from the center to further marginalize and victimizes the small islands.
These islands are like “LilyPads” in the ocean used to allow military bases encircle the land to prepare for possible war in the future. Compared to a huge base, lots of small bases are spread across these lily pads, a strategy that is more flexible, attracts less attention, and allows for easier defeat of grass-roots resistance. In the past continuing until now, we have seen many islands face hardships in resistance due to the isolation of these small islands. Therefore, we need to develop inter-island solidarity for just peace among vulnerable islands and their peoples, for the protection of their lands, cultures, and traditions, as well as to find common strengths and resources for peace and just life. “Just peace” is our pursuit. We want to stop the current on-going militarization and while preparing other islands to prevent this possibility in advance. These struggles are not NIMBYs. One success shouldn’t come through another island being victimized.
I was a peace school teacher in Timor Island in the past, and recently I visited Timor again to share this idea of inter-island solidarity for just peace. During this visit, I heard that the US had a plan to use Timor-Leste’s Atauro Island for a base, while promising to build lots of infrastructure for this newly-independent country. So far, the government rejected, but this worry remains in my mind. Now, I am at the Northeast Asia GPPAC meeting, but I am also talking about another beloved island far away. These islands are too spread out, too small, and have so far mostly faced lonely struggles. I think especially for islands, we should not let national sovereignty divide the continuance of ocean.
In Northeast Asia, we dream of first starting with a Peace Island Triangle consisting of Okinawa, Jeju and Taiwan. What I mean by peace island is demilitarized peace islands. No bases, no militaries, no conscription, no state violence, and no domestic colonization or marginalization…
A long time ago, Jeju, Okinawa, and Taiwan were embraced by the ocean and developed unique cultures. Then influence and exchange came from the main lands or big islands. Mostly islands have been “marginal” places for the “center” of the main lands or big islands, but islands as their own center have gone on their own paths from generation to generation. Then western imperialism struck our region and most of the world. Still Islands often had distinct experiences from the main lands under imperialism.
Okinawa, Jeju, and Taiwan were colonized by Imperial Japan and become the stepping-stones for the expansion of Imperial Japan. In the final moments of World War Two, Imperial Japan further fortified these islands in expectation of invasion by the US Allied Forces, dragging these marginalized islands into the war as the frontline to protect the centers of power. It brought disastrous ground battles in Okinawa and air raids in Taiwan. Jeju was highly militarized through forced labor as well but following the battle in Okinawa, did not see war at that time. However they later faced the terrible extended 4.3 Massacre.
Due to the geographic location of the island, during Japanese colonization, perhaps 200,000 Jeju people at one time or another were moved back and forth between Jeju and Osaka, the foremost industrial city in Asia at the time. There they found jobs and, for some, better education than was allowed in Korea. Frequent ferries, some organized by Jeju transportation cooperatives, carried people to Osaka from eleven ports around Jeju. In Osaka, some Jeju residents were active in organized labor and Japanese socialist and communist organizations even in leadership positions. Some 60,000 people returned from Japan to Jeju within a short time of the Japanese surrender in August 1945. The experienced and educated returnees played an important leadership role in the emerging governmental structures on Jeju.
However, soon the division of the Korean Peninsula by the United States and the Soviet Union turned Jeju into a battlefield for subsequent cold war conflicts on the peninsula. In 1948, with U.S. and U.N. support, South Korea held elections that established a separate state in the south, thus solidifying Korea’s division. When the US tried to install a Pro-US government in the south with a separate election, the Jeju people bravely stand up to protest and boycott this election and the division of Korea. When U.S. backed leader Syngman Rhee took power following the elections, he initiated a massive “Red” cleansing campaign targeted the Jeju general population. Thousands of people were killed. It is estimated that 70 percent of entire island’s villages were razed to the ground and 30,000 people—ten percent of the island’s population—were murdered.
For years, any mention of the massacre could lead to imprisonment and torture. Relatives of those who had been labeled as Communists were prevented from taking public service positions or jobs in many companies. Many are still afraid to talk about what happened. For 50 years, successive governments in Seoul silenced the Korean people’s memories of systematic murder, rape and torture. It was not until 2006 that the late President Roh Moo-Hyun officially apologized for the massacre and designated Jeju “Island of World Peace”. As one exits the Official 4.3 Peace Park Museum, a sign reads: “The Jeju April 3rd Incident will be remembered as a symbol of the preciousness of peace, unity and human rights.” But the government’s memory is short. Plans for a major naval base on Jeju had been in the works since 2002 at different locations, but opposition from local residents’ halted construction several times. The struggling of the islanders to defend their lives, lands, community is again leading to them being painted as “Reds”.
This sad history once led the people to dream of making this island a Peace Island, but we realized that without continuous non-violent efforts to realize this goal and to carry on peace education, even the islanders themselves can erase these precious memories through public education and mainstream media. Also, we learned that without walking together with the international community, our peace cannot be a just peace.
I am an islander. I’ve talked much about the victimization of islands but it is not because I hate people from mainlands or big islands and I don’t deny the suffering of mainlanders as well. The reason that I promote island peace building is because I want to build peace as who I am. Actually, my island, I mean Taiwan, itself is also a “big island” which marginalizes and victimizes smaller islands like Lanyu, where our government shamefully secretly throwsaway nuclear waste. Unlike Okinawa, Jeju, and Taiwan which have relatively long histories through the storms of power-shifting between surrounding powers, Lanyu had long been a self-governed island without interruption from outside until its colonial encounter with Imperial Japan and the Chinese Nationalist government. Social activism on the Island began from the suffering of this small island. I expect Lanyu, the Chinese name, or Ponso no Tao, as its called by its indigenous islanders can become a light to connect Taiwan to the Peace Island Triangle.
Only if peace and justice become a common goal among us, can we break our current boring and rigid situation, and blossom our creativity through peace-building.
The suffering islands are our hope. We should hold hands together with these islands regardless if you are foreigners or mainlanders. I want to emphasize that talking about Islands and Islanders is not to make division. I just want to remind us that there are some people who are embraced by the ocean but sadly this embrace by the ocean turned into the isolation by the ocean. These are issues that we should face together. I hope that islands will not only again be embraced by the ocean but also be embraced by the surrounding big lands.
I truly hope we don’t make a stupid fake peace in our region by holding hands with the US while refusing to face the historical issues that caused our region to become one of the most militarized in the world. There are many things we islanders can do as we dig through the layers of our history and seek to find a common future peace across the ocean, between the islands within it.
In this month’s issue:
Arrest of Dr. Song and Brother Park, August 4th Human Chain, Timor and Lanyu Solidarity, Peace Pilgrimage, Prisoner and Trial Updates, Dr. Song’s article from Prison, Art Activism, and more!
At the end of 2013Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace (July 29 to Aug. 4), there is a huge and memorable human chain event for two hours in Gangeong village from noon to 2 pm on Aug. 4!
The human chain is a succession of people’s daily human chain in front of the Jeju naval base construction(destruction) gate after daily Catholic mass and Gangjeong dance in protest to stop the Jeju naval base construction.
Two more prisoners of Dr. Song Kang-Ho and Br. Park Do-Hyun! All four prisoners including Yang Yoon-Mo(the court added him fines of 2 million KRW on June 25, which means he would spend 39 days more of prison labor. Because of that, he would be released in May, 2014, not April, 2014) and Kim Young-Jae (the court dismissed people’s appeal for bailing on him on July 8) ! The daily struggle to stop the Jeju naval base project is being continued in Gangjeong.
Peace-loving internationals, even though you may not be able to physically join, please join our human chain in spirit! HOW?
_ You may hurry to mail us some souvenir such as your t-shirts or whatever that can represent you with your name/ messages put on those. We will put those in our human chain. Please see the photos and videos below. OR
_You may send us solidarity messages(up to 100 words)/ photos/ videos no later than July 20. Please see last year’s here.
_Contact: gangjeongintl@gmail.com
We especially encourageall the peace-loving internationals who have been forcefully deportedby ROK government orbeing threatened to be deportedto join us! (To see the status of deported internationals, see here)
All the names will be put at the ending credit of Director Cho Sung-Bong’s documentary, “Gureombi Wind blows.” Dir. Cho plans to take air shot of huge human chain event on the day.
Noon on Aug. 4, 2013
Jeju naval base main construction gate -naval base project committee building complex gate-Peace Center at the Sageori( four way intersection)-Gangjeong port
People in happy faces are to go ALL to Gangjeong to Join the HUMAN CHAIN to HUG GUREOMBI ROCK!
(translation of poster)
Photo fwd by Choi Hye-Young. people’s daily human chain in front of the Jeju naval base construction(destruction) gate. Let’s see all in Gangjeong on Aug. 4. All of you can join us in spirit!Photo by Kim Dong-Won/ Gangjeong is endangered. A peace keeper hung a photo of a villager in his childhood. We dream every life visible and invisible to join our grand human chain event on Aug. 4! For more photos, see here.Photo by Kim Dong-Won/ Every t-shirt or whatever souvenirs you mail to us can represent you. The t shirt is owned by a peace keeper who struggles daily. In that way, we want to represent all the prisoners, deported internationals whom we want to be together in our huge human chain event. For more photos, see here.
People’s promotion video: Please join our human chain to stop the Jeju naval base project on Aug. 4!
On Jeju Island, a small paradise off the southwest coast of South Korea, protests have occurred on a near daily basis for almost three years.
Although somewhat unusual for an island known for its popularity as atourist destination for honeymooners, a segment of local residents, joined by domestic and transnational activists, remain staunchly opposed to the construction of a South Korean naval base on an “island of peace.”
Among several their several grievances, opponents of the base argue that its construction may trigger a naval arms race in the region, while increasing tensions with China.
Most South Koreans have dismissed these concerns as either a classic not-in-my-backyard type protest or a politically motivated agenda driven by leftist activists and opposition party members. An August 2011 piece in The Diplomatabout the Jeju base, for instance, dismissed opponents’ concerns about the purpose of the naval base and its ties to broader U.S. military objectives in the region. As farfetched as activists may seem in their protests, however, their concerns are worth considering amid the worsening strategic environment in Northeast Asia.
The South Korean government began discussion about a potential naval base on Jeju Island in the 1990s, and during the Roh Moo-hyun administration (2003-2007) the base was approved as a way for the ROK military to transform itself into a more self-reliant defense force – that is, one less dependent on the United States.
Currently, the base remains consistent with South Korea’s future plans to modernize its military by building a blue-water navyby 2020.
The base also helps secure South Korean national interests amid China’s growing maritime ambitions. Given South Korea’s reliance on exports and imports, the vast majority of which are transported by sea, South Korea cannot afford to have its sea lanes disrupted. And, contrary to claims by some opponents of the Jeju base, the base is not a de facto U.S. base but unequivocally a South Korean one.
Where opponents are on more solid ground, however, is in drawing a link between the base and U.S. strategic interests in Asia. Although the U.S. military must first make a request and have it accepted by the South Korean government, it is reasonable to assume that the U.S. Navy will eventually gain access to the base. After all, the emerging U.S. force posture in the region is aimed at securing access to allied bases rather than committing to any large-scale, permanent ones. And, given the importance of the U.S.-ROK alliance to South Korea, there is no reason to believe that Seoul would reject a request for port access.
This is what makes the base so potentially destabilizing for its detractors as they believe that giving the U.S. access to the base will provoke China. Of course, South Korea does not want to antagonize China, or see tensions rise between Beijing and Washington. Unfortunately, state behavior in international relations is often driven by (mis) perceptions. In this particular case, Chinese perceptions of the U.S.-ROK alliance are what worry peace activists. They fear that the Jeju base will trigger a regional naval arms race.
Protests or no protests, construction of the Jeju Naval base is in full swing and quickly becoming a reality. The conflict scenarios which concern activists are often built on worst case scenarios and tend to fall on the alarmist side.
Nevertheless, as base construction proceeds, policymakers should consider some of the broader geostrategic implications of the base. Although China has registered any major objections to the base as of yet, mid-level bureaucrats have referenced base construction in relation to the China-ROK territorial dispute over the Socotra Rocks.
South Korean policymakers therefore need to reassure China that the base exists solely for defensive purposes, and tread carefully if it chooses to negotiate basing access rights with the United States. Beyond enhanced South Korean diplomacy, Beijing, Seoul, and Washington may want to include the Jeju base in future trilateral dialogues. As long time peace activist Joseph Gerson argues, the aim is to seek “common security” among East Asian actors rather than pursue “zero-sum resolutions to the region’s conflicts.”
‘Independence FROM America’ 4th July at Menwith Hill, Yorkshire, England. This US military spy base is managed by the discredited NSA and linked to Missile ‘Defence’ and drone killings.
Peace flag photo from the Menwith Hill, UK “Flying every week at demo at Menwith Hill x” (Sent by Lindis Percy on June 18) . “The person in the photo is Martin Schweiger – a medical doctor who comes straight from work each week to the demo. He is also a Quaker, activist and….CAAB! The winter was hard with a lot of snow, then a lot of rain but now…summer time! It can be very rough up there.”
Upon the year marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, people’ steps for peace amid the escalating war threat in Korea are marking their ways such as through petition, peace tour and peace pilgrim.
One of those steps have been the Peace Tour, organized by about 60 people of domestic and international scholars on the Korean War and civic activists, from June 28 to July 1. Another step of peace pilgrim started on July 4, which ends on July 27, the 60th anniversary date of Korean War Armistice. The latter was organized by an international grand peace march group composed of organizations such as the Citizens’ Act to Oppose War and to Realize Peace and the Jeju headquarter of the South Committee for the Practice of 6.15 Joint statement.
The former ended its peace tour in Gangjeong on July 1 while the latter started its peace pilgrim in Gangjeong on July 4. Gangjeong is now one of people’s ‘pivots’ to face against Obama’s ‘Asian pivot:’ A peace pivot, a peace outpost to realize the peace in Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.
1. Peace Tour: Marking the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice (June 28 to July 1)
Source: PSPD/ The ending day of Peace Tour, June 28 to July 1
The former, the Peace Tour hosted by the Organizing Committee for Peace Tour marking the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice were composed of the Institute for Korean Historical Studies, Human Rights Foundation “Saram,” People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD), The Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea(ASCK), and The May 18 Memorial Foundation.
The Peace Tour that started with keynote speeches by Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyeon and J. T. Takaki, in the former KCIA site in Namsan, Seoul, went through Korean division sites such as Jeokgoonmyo (enemy’s Cemetery), Story Firing Range, Gwanghwa Peace Observatory; US base sites such as Pyeongtaek, Daechuri; and war and dictatorship massacre sites such as Nogeun-ri, Geochang, Gwangju.
Seminars were held three times during the tour: 1. Division, Life: 2. US Military and the Korean peninsula; 3. War and Massacre.
In the tour’s last spot in Gangjeong, a Peace Declaration concluding tour was read in front of the naval base project committee building complex. Please see herefor the whole statement and following resolutions (Please mouse down until you see the English part)
Here are some excerpts:
[..]On the 60th anniversary of the armistice, the “peaceful solution” called for in Article 60, Section 4 of the Armistice Agreement has yet to be realized. Instead, without a peaceful resolution, the physical and psychological pains from the war persist to this day.
[..]Gochang and Jeju Island, we visited the sites of extreme state violence not just in wartime, but also in the years leading up to and after the Korean War; and in Gwangju, we saw that similar violence was repeated under the Armistice system. Witnessing the construction of a new naval base in Gangjeong, we were reminded of how the state of war between North Korea and the U.S., and between the two Koreas, provides justification for future conflicts, with islands in the Asia Pacific, including Jeju, serving not as bridges of cooperation, but as frontline bases.
Source: Save Jeju Now/ The Peace Tour team had a talk meeting with the Gangjeong villagers and peace keepers in the evening of July 1.
2. An international peace march to realize the ‘Peace Agreement’ (July 4 to 27)
Photo by Save Jeju Now/ International peace pilgrim’s launch ceremony in front of the Jeju naval base construction(destruction) gate. For more photos, see Voice of people
About 20 people of the international peace march group started 25 days’ great march after their launch ceremony for the ‘international great peace march to realize the peace agreement, upon the 6oth anniversary of Korean War Armistice,’ in front of Jeju naval base construction main gate in the morning of July 4.
They demanded ‘prompt conclusion on the peace agreement,’ and ‘resumption of posed talks and negotiations with North Korea.’
They saying that, “under unstable cease fire regime, you cannot stop the horror of war and cannot realize peace,’ claimed that ‘peace agreement should be definitely concluded to completely finish the war in this island.”
They also added that talks and negotiations such as six party talks, NK-US talks and ROK-NK talks should be promptly resumed for the peace of Korean peninsula.
The march spots include sites of pain from war and massacres , including cobalt mine in Kyungsan, Nogeun-ri, Choongbook, and Jiri Mt. (source)
The below is a re-blogging from here and here. The statement includes a content on Gangjeong.
To see the report from High North Space Conference, see here.
To see ROK’s involvement on the Arctic development, see here.
For more details on the Kiruna conference, see here.
PROTECTING THE HIGH NORTH, DEMILITARISING OUTER SPACE AND REMOVING THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION
The International Conference on the High North and International Security was held in the city of Kiruna, Sweden, on 28-30th June 2013. Representatives from a wide spectrum of civil societies and public movements from a number of Scandinavian, European, Asian and Latin American countries, Russia and the United States of America attended and agreed the following:
Conference members recognize:
that we are facing major threats to our survival through the continued pretence that security can be obtained through aggressive foreign policies and military action;
that the ultimate consequences of these policies is the continued development and threatened use of nuclear weapons and the exploitation and militarization of environments that should be protected for the benefit of all humankind – such as the Arctic and outer space;
that the High North is being used by an expanding NATO as a military practice ground in which to rehearse future war fighting strategies and to test and develop new killing technologies;
that the US has established a satellite ground station in the Svalbard islands in Norway which is used by the military and therefore violates the Svalbard or Spitzbergen Treaty that requires that the archipelago is not used for military purposes;
the rapidly increasing deployment of space based military systems and the global network of ground based stations (including radars, downlink and surveillance facilities) that support and supplement them;
that the uncontrolled and irresponsible use of outer space has resulted in that environment being littered with debris that could eventually render it impenetrable;
the destabilizing effects that the deployment of space based, ground based and sea based missile defense systems have on undermining international stability and that they are risking the possibility of reaching further agreements on nuclear disarmament;
that all states who have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should honour its Article VI and “pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a Treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control”;
the negative consequences stemming from the stationing of US tactical nuclear weapons in a number of European nations;
that US President Obama’s focus on his “pivot to Asia”, the sending of missiles and warships to the region and the encouragement of the construction of support bases in the region (such as the one threatening the lives of the Gangjeong villagers on Jeju Island, South Korea), is aimed at containing China and is increasing international tension.
We therefore call on all governments, political parties, members of civil societies and public movements all over the world to share these concerns and urgently request them to call upon:
the leaders of the Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to arrange an urgent meeting on the revival of stalled arms control processes and to embrace all key areas, including nuclear weapons, missile defense and conventional weapons stationed on the ground, at sea, in the air and in outer space;
the members of the United Nations to firmly work towards the adoption of a Nuclear Weapons Convention, leading to nuclear disarmament, and we call upon the nuclear weapon states not to obstruct the discussion of the Nuclear Weapons Convention in the General Assembly of the UN;
all nations possessing or about to possess missile defense components should recognize their destabilizing nature and seek instead, through diplomatic processes, to reduce international tensions and work towards a situation where cooperation, mutual trust and understanding;
all space-faring nations should engage immediately in high level talks on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space and the adoption of outer space as a de-militarized zone;
all states to respect and renew their commitment to protect the unique and vitally important regions of the Earth, such as the Arctic and Antarctic, and reconfirm that they are not the property of any one nation, and never should be, but are to be protected as a common heritage for all humankind and never used for military purposes.
The money and material assets that will be gained from the above steps and other arms control and disarmament measures should not then be redirected to other military projects but used instead to help convert our militarized societies to peaceful ones that work for the betterment of the social and economic well being of all people – for human rather than state security – and for dealing with our common problem of climate change.
Photo by Save Jeju Now/ Ultra right wing veteran group arrived at the main construction gate.Photo by Save Jeju Now: Mayor argues with Koo Seul-Hwan, director of the Seogwipo Coast GuardPhoto by Save Jeju Now/ mayor barely stands up after mess.
On July 1, Son Jeong-Mok, Vice-chief of the Joint Naval Operation visited Gangjeong for ‘reconciliation,’ saying he wants to talk with both of pro and con base villagers. However, on the very day, two people, Dr. Song Kang-Ho and Br. Park Do-Hyun were illegally taken away and arrested on the sea when they monitored illegal construction (destruction), by the coast guards who should do the very job of monitoring on illegal construction (destruction). A world being reversed too grotesquely.
It was around 1 pm when the people ended the press conference in protest to the illegal arrest of two in the morning and had a break following Catholic mass and human-chaining in front of construction gate. A large size VIP white bus that reads ‘Choongnam branch of the Vietnam War Veterans Association’ (an ultra-right wing group) suddenly stopped in front of main gate and then it vomited its tens of members in a pale green uniform t-shirts.
It was even heard that a thug(so called company ‘security’ guy) said to them that it is not the main entrance but the main gate of the naval base project committee building complex is. Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun who happened to see them strongly protested to their unwelcoming visit to his village. Then some veterans rushed to him and rudely touched their hands to his body, slandering him as “commie”-such astonishing and dangerous situation! It was such suspending and anxious situation from the worry of possible injuries of people!
Please imagine. Not only mayor Kang himself, but many Gangjeong villagers, and Jeju island people have suffered from the unreasonable and violent label of “commie family,” put on them while their innocent members of families and relatives were falsely accused as “commies” and killed during the 4·3 incident. The truth is that they were only innocent farmers or fishermen. Now the Gangjeong villagers who merely aspire to save their hometown suffer from the dual bridles that connect the past and current, being called as “Pro-North Korean” as if a nightmare is revived.
The ghosts of Won Sei-Hoon and the Vietnam War veterans’ such unreasonable and violent remark is a kind of ideological oppression to break down people’s will for peace and democracy. It could be called as ‘psychological military operation.’ During the 4·3 and Vietnam War, the oppressors labeled people as “commies,” and mass massacred them, as if they are following ‘textbook.’ However, the Vietnam War veterans seem not to know that they are also the victims of history by the manipulated ideology. The traces of ROK veterans’ atrocities in Vietnam are still vivid.
In Gangjeong, it is a thing to put nail to the villagers’ hearts that already suffer from the destruction of Gureombi Rock and sea which are like mother’s bosom. Further many villagers feel pain for the news of arrest of two on July 1.
The protest by villagers, including mayor who insisted truthful apology from the veteran who committed such slander, facing the veterans and policemen who attempted to hide the man of remark and to pacify incident, was strong. According to Fr. Kim Sung-Hwan, Koo Seul-Hwan, Security director, and Yang, Intelligence director of the Seogwipo Police Station threatened villagers who were to enter inside bus for protest that they would ‘accuse’ them and said to them they should not do ‘illegal activity.” Fr. Kim points out though, “However they just leave the illegal construction (destruction).”
The policemen eventually forcefully removed villagers who were protesting in front of bus to demand apology and were to make bus enter inside the naval base project committee building complex. The villagers fought hard till 3 pm when the incident ended. Following the arrest of two on the first day of July 1, July 2 was another hard day for the people in Gangjeong. The village siren rang again. Mayor who happened to be surrounded by the policemen fell on the ground and could not be seen of his appearance for a short time, to people’s concern.
The positive thing is that many villagers appeared. The people in the field could more confirm their solidarity will and human love. The people who crave for justice are beautiful and shining.
Maybe the traitors of history forgot the fact that the people rise up for democracy and justice if there is oppression!
As of July 8, 2013,
Yang Yoon-Mo(prisoner No. 301), 158th day of imprisonment and
Kim Young-Jae(prisoner No. 435),88th day of imprisonment.
Dr. Song Kang-Ho and Br. Park Do-Hyun, 8th day of detention in the Jeju Coast Guard. The court made decision to imprison both on July 5.
Release all the conscientious prisoners!
Immediately stop war base build-up of environmental destruction and infringement of human rights!
Emily, the Deported Gangjeong Peace Activist, has just visited Timor-Leste to share (1) the Gangjeong’s struggling stories and through this sharing, she also talked about (2) the ideal of Inter-island Solidarity for Just Peace.
This video, Gangjeong in 2012, is translated into Tetun, the most popular language in Timor-Leste, and was used in the sharing in Timor-Leste.
Inter-Island Solidarity for Just Peace from Timor-Leste
From this visiting she also learned that the American navy has tried to take the Atauro Island of Timor-Leste to be its naval base, but so far, not yet succeeded to persuade the government of Timor-Leste. This is an alarm for the newly-independent country Timor-Leste in this trend of islands’ militarization.
Emily met the Human Right Group, Group of Women Peace and Leadership, and the university students and graduate students in the University of Timor Lorosae. These Timorese friends were really amazed by the ongoing struggle of Gangjeong and be more aware about the issue of the militarization in lots of islands.
The following is Emily’s speech especially on inter-island solidarity for just peace in Timor.
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Dear friends of Timor,
I am Emily Wang, a peace worker from Taiwan but I have ever worked in Timor island, Jeju island and Taiwan island. Today I am especially happy to be in Timor-Leste again as Timor is where I started to dream to be a peace maker.
Among the places where I have ever stayed and worked for quite a while, there’s one obvious common element. Is there anyone noticing about it?
Yes, Jeju, Taiwan, Timor all of them are island! But today, I will more focus on the island in North East Asia, including Taiwan, my hometown, and Jeju where I’ve lived for almost 2 years, and Okinawa. Even though I haven’t got chance to visit Okinawa for deeper understanding, many Okinawa people have visited Gangjeong and shared their stories. These three islands are geographically close to each other, and thus when we review the island history by viewing the interaction or relation between these islands and other big powers, you may also get some clue about the reason why I and my co-workers are working to contribute for inter-island solidarity for just peace, and then hopefully, from my sharing, there will be some seeds to grow in the future among us.
Not until my life journey was trapped in Gangjeong, I have been forced to realize and learn lots of hidden stories in the history I used to learn. You know what I am so much surprised that I’ve never realized about Taiwan and Korea’s connected past and present, and I can say most people in Taiwan or Korea haven’t got chance to realize it. Actually, we don’t learn the Korea and Japan’s history in our compulsory school education. Only if the Korea or Japan appeared in the history of China, then the book may have some space for that incident. The history student learned in school in ROC (Taiwan), ROK, and Japan are written on the unnaturally isolated basis of state. Which means we are forced to view our history on the isolated basis of state, and unconsciously, we are divided unnecessarily. The stories which I should have noticed are stolen by an invisible hand.
For I started to realize that, I was motivated to study about the missing history from a missing angle, and I will bring you to a quick history journey in our region through the angle of Island.
For the presentation in Timor, I made the form to compare the history of islands. Thanks for you guys! Because the desire to share our history with you gives me a chance to learn again my history and I just realized a lot of parts of histories before I came to Timor!
Taiwan
Jeju
Okinawa
Timor
In the past, independent island with diverse indigenous people’s tribal culture. Some Han people immigrate to Taiwan.Colonization by Dutch, Spain, and then Chinese regime with lots of Han people’s immigration to Taiwan.
In the past, independent island regime until 12, 13 century, swallowed up by mainland.In the long time ago: battle ground of big countries (China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia…)
In the past, independent island regime. Tributary state to China. In 1609 Satsuma from Japan invaded Okinawa, then Okinawa deftly served both China and Japan.Diverse culture: local culture plus big influence from China and also Japan.
16th century, Portuguese came17th century, Dutch came. West Timor and other island colonized by Dutch between 17th-19th were known as the Dutch East Indies.
Japan imperialism’s colonization(1895-1945)
Japan imperialism’s colonization(1910-1945 ):
Japan imperialism’s colonization(1879-)
Japan imperialism’s colonization (1942-1945)
During war time: Kominka movement(Assimilation policy and a campaign to totally transform the Taiwanese, Okinawa people and Korean into loyal subjects of the Japanese Emperor between 1937 and 1945.)
Island colonies to be militarized, to be exploited for the war preparation and to be used as bases and then victimized
Towards the end of World War II, Taiwan as the colony of Japan became the target of Allied, for example, Taipei Air Raid. The number of deaths totaled more than 3,000, Tens of thousands of people were displaced or became homeless, and many buildings were destroyed either by the attacks or by the fire caused by the attacks. After the conclusion of World War II, because of its pro-American political stance, the government of Republic of Chinatoned down the attack and excluded it from the media and history textbooks.
Towards the end of World War II, the Japanese heavily fortified the island, deployed 70,000 soldiers, and forced the islanders to construct coastal defenses in anticipation of a U.S. invasion.
Towards the end of World War II, the Japanese fortified Okinawa in hopes of thwarting the Allied advance on mainland Japan. U.S. forces, prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, saw Okinawa as an ideal location from which to launch potential ground and air attacks against Japan.Okinawa experienced the only ground battle in Japan during World War II. Lots of Okinawa people died and dislocated, lot land…
The end of World War Two:- The end of Japanese colonization- Expectation to build up a new society but…
The end of World War Two:- The end of Japanese colonization in both Korea peninsula and Jeju.- Expectation to build up a new society but…
The end of World War Two:- expectation to build up a new society but…
The end of World War Two:- 1945, Portuguese Timor
– Civil War in China- KMT’s exploitation was like a second colonizer. – In 1947, 228 Massacre – 1948 KMT government launched martial law, Pro-US military dictatorship was establishe– 1949 KMT lost civil war and retreated to Taiwan._ 1950 Korea War broke out, and US Seventh Fleet was send to Taiwan Strait
– Soviet Union and US occupation of north and south Korea – North Korea government firstly built in 1945 but US dislike it. In 1948, with U.S. and U.N. support, South Korea held elections that established a separate Pro-US government in the south, thus solidifying Korea’s division. – In 1948, 43 Massacre
– Occupation by US military- Under the impact of Cold War, the budget for US base construction in Okinawa was passed.- The United States would administer Okinawa but its inhabitants would retain Japanese to svoid criticism of colonization which is good for Japan and US
Okinawa is excluded from the Peace constitution. The history in Okinawa after world war two is very different from the history in other region of Japan
– The Okinawa people started movement to be returned back to Japan
– ?
– Cold War
– Since middle of 1950’, all the military bases in Taiwan provided for US military to use, especially during Vietnam War (1965-1971), around 20,000 US soldiers stationed in Taiwan.- Since 1967, Taiwan was designated as a holiday place for US Army.- White Terror- Economic growth because of War
– Because of Cold War, lots of US army and base in Korea.- Korean army also sends to Vietnam war…- White Terror- Economic growth because of War
– Important US base during Cold War- 1972 US relinquish Okinawa to Japan but the base remains. It shows Okinawa’s victimized role in the US-Japan Security Relationship. Okinawa people realized returning back to Japan is not the point, but military base is the point to fight.- Impoverished by US military administration and started “Base economy” which means islanders relied on the base to survive as the original way of living was destroyed.
– In 1974, after the fall of Portuguese fascist regime, independence was encouraged by the new democratic Portuguese government.- legalise political parties in preparation for elections to a Constituent Assembly in 1976.- Fretilin was criticised by many in Australia and Indonesia as being Marxist. The United States had also expressed concerns over Portuguese Timor- 1975 Indonesia Invasion
China Growth or China Threat / How to face China and how to face each other in our region where the decolonization process was intervened through violence? By holding US’s military hand, we don’t need to face each other!
– 1971, ROC(Taiwan) was kicked out from UN- 1979, US Taiwan Relation Act (US continue to sell weapon to Taiwan and promise Taiwan that in Emergency situation to secure Taiwan)- Taiwan is in a weird situation… (for example: buy the weapons from US and support the US’s war even contributed to the killing in East Timor…)- China and US both cannot tolerate Taiwan to be militarily used by each other,
– US base in Korea’s function is not only for North Korea but largely for China.- Relocation of the base in Korea for the strategy flexibility (eg. Pyeongtaek base)- Jeju Naval Base
– US base in Okinawa’s function also for China
President Obama: Asia Pivot (Rebalance the US focus to the Asia pacific area)- Islands in Asia Pacific area will be more highly militarized- Missile Defense System – an important part of America’s first strike strategy. It serves as a shield for US to prevent the retaliatory action if the first strike were launched.- Who are the targets?# Russia owns the richest natural gas provision and a large portion of the petroleum# America is getting difficult to compete with China economically. How to control China’s economic engine? China imports over 60%’s petroleum through the shipping.- Korea, Taiwan, Japan are all part of the MD system, and the MD system’s Aegis Warship will be stationed in Australia, Japan, Guam, South Korea. Jeju island will be the naval base with Aegis Warship.
– How about Timor-Leste?- Are you safe?- Atauro’s future?
Before the world war two, many of the people in East Asia had been experiencing a common struggle against the imperialism. But after world war two, the common struggling against imperialism was split into two under the cold war. During the World War Two, Islands like Taiwan, Okinawa, and Jeju were unwillingly militarized as the colonies of Japan, but these victimized islands were attacked by America military, the Allied, for attacking the mainland of Japan.
After the World War Two, no time and no need to face peace and justice issue in our region as all of us have to face the cold war together with the US. During the cold war, dividing and dominance in our region was the strategy of US. North East Asia was divided into two sides, and to foster the side of the US partners in our region during Cold War, the Pro-US governments were demanded by the US. That’s why the US installed a new Pro-US government in South Korea and contributed to the division of Korea. And also for US’s interest, the partner countries of US had better to be stabilized to be the US side. Thus, the Pro-US government must have the ability to eliminate the different voices, so the US backed up the Pro-US government’s bloody dictatorship by supporting lots of weapons and military, and money!
Under that background, Pro-US military government in Taiwan and South Korea both suppressed the decolonization effort with the excuse of anti-communist, and the people in Taiwan and Korea both experienced the massacre, 228 massacre and 43 massacre in Taiwan and Jeju, which was both stigmatized as communist rebellion but long time later after both Korea and Taiwan ended the White Terror Era and went on democratization process, both truth of 228 and 43 incident were disclosed more and more.
For the effective social control, in South Korea, the US military and Korea dictatorship even worked together with the Korean vested interests who had served for Japanese colonizer to exploit the other poor Korean. So after world war two, these people back to their power again but this time, worked with US and Pro-US dictatorship to continue the strict social control for the reason of anti-communist.
In China, the KMT government lost the civil war in mainland China and retreated to Taiwan, Taiwan Strait between China and Taiwan become the Cold War dividing Line. One thing to notice is that the whole Taiwan island before the world war two was the colony of Japan, and after the war, Taiwan people experienced a very short cerebration and expectation of emancipation, and then got very much disappointed by KMT government as the Taiwan people were just again became the second citizen of government from mainland and the “self-governance movement” which has started since the Japanese colonization time got suppressed again by the KMT dictatorship government.
(One thing to notice is Korea and Jeju were all fell into the Japan’s colony together but Taiwan alone were given to Japan by Ching dynasty in 1895 after a lost of war between China and Japan, therefore during the World War two while China fought hardly against the Japan’s invading, Taiwan people were Japan’s colony second citizen, and Taiwan island was a land to be exploited for Japan’s imperialism war against China and other countries.)
At the moment when Taiwan’s people who settled down in Taiwan before the 1945 haven’t adapted themselves as “Chinese” yet, and then the Pro-US KMT dictatorship government made them feel they are not equal with “mainland Chinese” but second citizen again as “Taiwan Chinese”, and make Taiwan people thought that Japan and China are actually the same as colonizer. Some even hate KMT more.
There’s one more thing to notice here, when I mention “Taiwan people”, it means diverse group of people who live in Taiwan and other small island governed by Taiwan’s government now.
And the KMT’s lost of Civil War and retreating to Taiwan along with lots of immigration from mainland, due to the bad governance of KMT, these new immigrant people after World War Two had long been called as outsiders (people from other province, people who are not from Taiwan province), a discriminating calling mainly resulting from the dissatisfaction of decolonization and emancipation process. Except for the above-mentioned Han people, there’re indigenous people, the most discriminated group, became under the KMT’s governance. The indigenous people are not Japanese, not Chinese, so even in the emotional feeling, to be “returned” back to Chinese government is not a “returning” but simply just a new colonization by a dictatorship KMT government, for them, a worse colonizer than Japan.
In Japan, under the US military power, a pro-US and anti-communist government was built up too. Japan became US’s partner in cold war system, and it froze the Japan’s society to face the decolonization historical issues as an imperial colonizer and an invader in our region. This gave the militarism in Japan a big chance to be revitalized even after the disastrous war experience.
Okinawa, an originally independent kingdom having a diverse exchanging relationship with both China and Japan, became the imperial Japan’s territory in 19 century. And during the World War Two, due to Okinawa’s geo-graphical importance, Japan highly militarized Okinawa island, but still US military succeeded to take over Okinawa to make it an important jumping step to attack the mainland Japan. Thus, Okinawa being victimized by the powerful countries and experienced a bloody ground battle by US and Japan. After World War two, for its importance and convenience of military, Okinawa was continued to be occupied and directly governed by the US military but remained as Japanese citizen, a deal between US and Japan for their state interest. Okinawa, the only place experiencing the ground battle in world war two in Japan, again was sacrificing for the mainland Japan who enjoyed a peace constitution after world war two. During the US military governance period, Okinawa people never stopped struggling against the US military and US base, and thus the movement to return Okinawa back to Japan began in this background. Finally, Okinawa was “returned” back to Japan’s governance in 1972, but the US base remained, which made the movement to “return Okinawa to Japan” an ironical movement.
US intervention frustrated the decolonization process in our region, makes our common struggling history against imperialism to be forgotten, and also make our region still one of the most highly militarized regions in this world and unfortunately, I have to say our region is still invisibly governed or colonized by the US and imperialism but not so many people realized that.
After the introduction of the historical background, I would like to ask you to think of the history background I just shared, and put one more geographic factor- island-into your mind.
As islands, when we face the same big stream of the world, the same stream gives us, the islanders, and the mainlanders some different impact and experiences.
In the history, Taiwan, Jeju and Okinawa all had its own unique and independent culture. Even though the islands have certain degree of the cultural consistence extended from the Mainland, or Big Island due to the exchange and immigration, the unique island culture and geographic condition makes the islands the region distinct from the land but the difference was not often recognized or respect by the government from the mainland or super powers.
In many cases, for the mainland or the big island, the islanders are forced to sacrifice, to be abandoned or be treated differently as second citizen. In the past, each isolated islands faced this common fate but struggled individually and lonely with limited support from outside. In our region, all of us experienced the westerners’ imperialism and many of us experienced the westernized Japanese imperialism. However, as the islands, we usually faced double discrimination and were triple victimized by both the colonizer and from our culturally related mainland.
Actually for myself, to be an islander, to be given a chance to stay around the island, and to be a peace worker, I think the so-called isolation of island is not “isolation”, but the selfish imperialism state has given us the real feeling of isolation. In the past, the ocean embraces us but not isolated us. However the countries, the borders, the capitals, the imperialism isolated not only the islanders but also the mainlanders as we are all isolated from a possible way of peace.
Today, the growing tension surrounding lots of small islands related to the exploitation of natural resources in the sea brought the islands again to become a battle fields for the human’s greed. The government talked about “national security” but the militarization had brought the islanders a very in secure environment in the history. To talk about security in the way of militarization, the island will always be a jumping step of one super power to attack the mainland or another super power. The peace will never come through this way because the imperialism super power’s core value is not peace but national interest, and in fact, the vested interests’ interest. Peace obtained through force and violent means is not sustainable and in time will be forced to surrender to a larger force or power. The just peace can only be sustained through peaceful means and through our strong solidarity with each other. This kind of peace is the only way for the small islanders to survive and to preserve our island instead of relying on the militarized means which impoverished lots of islands already in the world.
Comparing to big mainland or big island, we are small islanders, very small, and very divided right now, so I strongly suggest that inside our own island, we should motivate people to foresee their possible future to be militarized or to be threaten by militarized states, by realizing this possibility, and by feeling the suffering of others, we should motivate people to demilitarized their island in advance and to make an international solidarity with other islands who are struggling to walk in front to be a Peace Island.
When I was in Gangjeong village, I met an international peace activist whose name is Angie Zelter. She came to Gangjeong shortly but did her best to support the Gangjeong peace movement. She joined to the SOS team’s action to go inside the seashore rock of Naval base, called Gureombi, and in front of lots of people and lots of police, she cut the barbed wire which prevent people from entering into the base. Finally, and not surprisingly, she was deported from Korea. There’re many internationals who got deported from Korea including me. But why do I especially mention Angie Zelter in this speech? Anyone knows the answer?
She has been contributed for lots of non-violent direct peace action and among them, there’s one peace action closely related to Timor Island. In 1996 she was part of a group that disarmed a BAE Hawk Jet, ZH955, causing £1.5million damage and preventing it from being exported to Indonesia where it would have been used to attack East Timor. I am really thankful for these inspiring people’s effort to make someone’s struggling in somewhere not alone. It inspires me.
I think as an island peace activist, when we struggle against the militarization which happened in our island, what we are doing is actually earn a chance to let the world peace begin from us. However, to be a more responsible island peace worker to realize the real world peace, we have no choice but contribute our best to the inter-island solidarity for just peace as we should not let any other island which has no tradition of fighting against militarism to receive the military base after our success. No matter the military base or other unjust thing which the mainland wants to dump to the islands should not just move from one island to another weaker island. If so, then, we cannot call it’s a victory of peace because our struggling is not NIMBY! Our struggling is for Just Peace. Not in my backyard and also not in your backyard because we are brothers and sisters!
Through encountering Gangjeong and experiencing deportation by the Korea government, the invisible imperialism and state violence appeared vividly in front of my life. When I faced Entry Denial in the incheon international airport in Korea, I remembered the immigration officer said to me: “Don’t blame us, if it’s Taiwan, the government will do just exactly the same thing to someone like you. Your government is the same.” Exactly, I agree with that immigration officer, so now the story should not just be about Gangjeong or Korea.
Not only Jeju island, but all the islands should not be victimized as part of the military chain to contain the big land, but the island can be an inspiration for the big land or big island of possible progress on world peace when we don’t leave each other alone on the way of peace. I believe People’s friendships are the most important and reliable basis of sustainable peace not a military base. So again, I am so happy to come back Timor, an island like a friend for me, to share my experiences. Since the Timor also face the danger to be militarized and to be semi-colonized again by the militarism after the hard struggle for independence, I hope my speech will help us to walk the way of Peace altogether. Thank you so much for listening my sharing.
Speech in the Peace Study class with Graduate Students in University of Timor LorosaeSharing of Gangjeong struggle with the group of Women Peace and Leadership
