Regis Tremblay, director of the movie, “The Ghosts of Jeju,” wrote on June 29: ‘Bruce Gagnon, my friend and coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, screened the film for his international board meeting in Sweden this evening (6/29/13). Here are his remarks:
“It was a smashing hit….people were crying and they were clapping at the end…..I handed out the DVD’s strategically to key leaders in various Swedish cities, and from Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Mexico…..people passed the hat to send money to the village but I insisted they keep the money towards sending a representative from Sweden to the village ASAP……they loved the music, the story, and the resistance…..many people sent congrats to you….it’s was a European opening night showing……5 stars” (source)
See also audience response, in Maine, in May, this year, here. The Ghosts of Jeju is screened at the Grace Episcopal Church in Maine, United States, from 3 to 6 pm, on Sunday, Aug. 18, too.
‘It is SUCH a moving film – strongly recommend it.’ (Lindis Percy)
‘A fantastic movie-I plan to show it at home in Ireland this summer!’ (Fr. Pat Cunningham)
Please order the DVD and spread to your communities.
1. McNabb, a returned US base in Jeju, is most oil-contaminated among
16 returned bases in Korea
A radar in the McNabb US base, Moseul Peak, Hamo-ri, Daejung-eup, Seogwipo City, Jeju (source)
The Jeju Sori, June 3, 2013, reports that the vicinity soil of a returned US base, McNabb, located in the peak of Moseulpo, Hamo-ri, Daejung-eup, Seogwipo City, Jeju, is seriously contaminated by the oil leaked from the base. The McNabb is one of 16 returned US bases in Korea on July 15, 2006.
It has been the only remaining US base in Jeju until its returning back to Korea.
According to Jeju Sori, the CBS Nocut News reported on June 3 that the degree of TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) was measured 42,500 mg/kg, in the vicinity area of the base, as a result of the investigations on basic environment twice, from Oct. to Nov., 2011 and from Dec. 2011 to March 2012.
The number of 42,500 exceeds about 85 times of 500 that is the standard TPH in the area. Its soil contamination by oil is proved out to be most serious among 16 returned bases in Korea, by the investigation by the Ministry of Environment.
The TPH not only brings serious environment contamination. It makes impossible of plant survival itself but also contains poisonous material fatal to human body.
The investigation on environment basis on the 16 returned US bases has been carried out twice respectively from April 2008 to March 2012.
Those 16 US bases are among 23 US bases returned back to Korea in 200[6] and are the bases sold to local self-governing institutions or decided to use for other usage.
Reference:
According to Jang Dong-Hoon, an Island Provincial Council member then, has mentioned on July 25, 2006 that the amount of soil contamination of the whole area of the McNabb base was 2,938 ㎥. The TPH was 17,415 ㎎/㎏, greatly exceeding the standard of 500 ㎎/㎏. He also reported that part of underground water was also contaminated by oil belt.
“According to the report by the Ministry of National Defense in May, the degree of soil contamination of 24 of 27 US bases planned for returning back to Korea, proved out to exceed standard and the underwater contamination of 15 of those are serious.” (Source: Jeju Ilbo news on July 26, 2006)
The McNabb US base in Moseulpo (*named after captain McNabb, vice-general of Alddre Air field in 1953. Source) was built in 1953 with the creation of ‘UN Air Force Base,’ in 1952.
Its whole size is about 39,000 ㎡ (* You may compare the size with the real area of the Jeju naval base project, which is about 480,000 ㎡). It was actively used as a radar base from 1958 to 1973 and its numbers of working military force used to reach to maximum 150. It was used as guerilla training and rest facility for the soldiers of the Eighth United States Army (* which commands the US Army forces of Korea) and 2nd United States Infantry Division (* which stations in Korea) since the building of the Jeju training center for the Eighth United States Army.
However, as the residing US military withdrew from the McNabb base in 1995 and name was changed to the Jeju rest home of the welfare center of the United States Forces of Korea , it was used more as a rest home rather than training center. As four residing managers there were moved to the welfare center of the Eighth United States Army in January 2005, the rest home was closed.
As a result of the 9th ROK-US SPI (Security Policy Initiative) meeting in Seoul from July 13 to 14, 2006, it was returned back to Korea along with other 15 bases nationwide on July 15, 2006. (source: Hankyoreh, July 15, 2006)
The US bases in Seoul, Dongdoochun, Ujungbu, Hanam, Paju and Jeju, returned back to Korea (Source/ Original source; Ministry of Environment)
The Island people demanded at the time, “The McNabb base was used as a Japanese base during the Japanese occupation of Korea ( *1910 to 1945) then as the 9th regiment of the ROK National Defense security unit that suppressed the 4.3 uprising during the term of the US Military Government after the liberation of Korea from Japan, then used as the US base for 53 years after the Korean War. It is a vivid site of 100 years’ modern history of Jeju. We hope the facilities can be used in the future to contribute for the image of Jeju, the “Peace Island.” ( Source: Hankyoreh, July 15, 2006)
The government stated on July 14, 2006, that “The 15 US bases nationwide returned back to Korea would be returned back to local self-governing institutes again after the curing of contamination there.”
However, it was about one and half month later that the Jeju Ilbo reported that the Ministry of National Defense stated in relation to the returning of McNabb base that the Ministry would neither transfer nor sell the base to the local self-governing institute (Jeju Island) but the ROK air force would utilize it.
Despite the Island people’s opposition, it was returned back to the Ministry of National Defense on April 13, 2007 and it was decided that the camp McNabb is used by the ROK air force base in April 2008.
At the time, personnel in the US base relocation team of the Ministry of National Defense, clearly stated that “since there has been a ROK air force unit (radar base) inside the camp McNabb, the military’s usage plan on the base has already come out. The Ministry has no plan to sell or hand over it to the Jeju Island.”
Even after the returning back of the base, the area is still restriction-controlled as it is owned by the ROK Ministry of National Defense and used by the ROK air force (Source: Ohmynews, Dec. 3, 2009)
Though the air force headquarter personnel stated that it has no concrete plan on the usage of the base in the future, some suspected that the McNabb base would be a powerful candidate area for the idea of creation of the Jeju unit of the ROK air force search and rescue corps, reflected in the mid term national defense plan from 2007 to 2011.
Anyway, the decision to hand over the McNabb base to the Ministry of National Defense was different from the other returned bases that were handed over to the local self-governing institutes, some of which were to be developed into history or civic parks. (Source: Jeju Ilbo, Aug. 30, 2006)
Such decision also affected to the delay of the basis investigation on environment, in the vicinity areas of provision zones from the US forces of Korea.
The basis investigation on environment on the vicinity areas of Camp McNabb, located in Jeju, was barely carried out at the latter part of 2011, after 4 years since the government measure on it was set up in October, 2007.
Further the investigation target area was also limited. The investigation was to be carried out within 100 m areas from the border lines of air force base. The inner area of military unit became to be excluded from the investigation in 2011, for the reason that the inner area belongs to air force.
And eventually, the result of the investigation turned out that the vicinity of the McNabb base is the most contaminated among 16 returned based, compared to the investigation on soil contamination in 2005 when it was reported that while the inner area of the base was partly contaminated, the outer area of it was not. (Source: Jemin Ilbo, Aug. 18, 2011)
3. Will the McNabb base be used again for militarize Jeju?
As mentioned above, the returned McNabb base is currently OWNED and managed by the ROK Ministry of National Defense. There has already been a suspicion that the McNabb would be used for the creation of Jeju unit of search and rescue corps, reflected in the mid term national defense plan from 2007 to 2011. The future usage of the base could be very related to the old Alddre Airfield located in the south of it, nearby.
The old Alddre air field has never been completely returned back to the Jeju Island, but owned by the Ministry of National Defense and is suspected to be used for the active military air field if Jeju is to be militarized.
Old Alddre air field, to be suspected to be planned for a new air force base (source)
It was the old Alddre air field that mattered along with other 9 articles on April 27, 2009 when Kim Tae-Hwan, ex-governor of the Island signed on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Related to the Construction of the Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty with the Ministers of National Defense and Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs then. The MOU itself turned out to be dual in September, 2011 when Kang Chang-Il, Jeju-based National Assembly man disclosed that the title of the document owned by the Jeju Island and Ministry of National Defense (MND) were different.
In the document owned by the MND, the words of ‘Jeju naval base,’ was clear with the words of Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty in parenthesis, which made people make sure that the currently enforced naval base project would be PURE military base. For the whole translation of MOU, see here or here.
It was in that fake MOU that the condition on the use of Alddre Airfield was stipulated.
Article 5 (Use of the Alddre Airfield etc.) (1) The Minister of National Defense allows the Jeju Self-Governing Island, through the discussion with the Jeju Self-Governing Island, to use the area of the popularly known as the Alddre airfield that is located in the Daejung-eup, City of Seogwipo and in the jurisdiction of the City of the Ministry of Defense, for the regional development of the Jeju Self-Governing Island, according to the legal procedures. (2) The Ministry of National Defense confirms that he has no plan to deploy fighter airplanes in the Namboo (* meaning ‘southern’) Search & Rescue troop unit of the air force
The old Alddre air filed was built on the wide field under the Songak Mt (84m), Sangmo-ri, Daejung-eup, Seogwupo City, Jeju, by the Japanese military in 1930s. In 2002, it was designated as No. 39 modern age cultural heritage by the ROK government in 2002.
The Japanese built large size military facility in the Jeju Island since 1920s (Some say the beginning year was 1926). The Alddre air filed was completed in Daejung-eup in the middle of 1930s and fighter planes sortied from there bombed Nanjing, China 700 km distance from it in 1937 when the Sino-Japanese War occurred. ( * Therefore some people used to call the Moseul Peak as the Kookje bong meaning ‘international Peak’)
200 mm rockets arranged before the destruction of Alddre air field, Daejung-eup. Moseulpo (source)
Total 20 hangars of 20 m width, 4 m height, and 10.5 m length were built there. Akatombo, a training airplane was also secretly stored there. (Source)
The old Alddre air filed is currently a tourist place, part of the route 11 in the Jeju Olle. Many parts of the field are used for farming such as growing potatoes (Jiseul in the Jeju dialect) as the MND has rented the land to farmers. However, the suspicion on its revitalized military usage in relation to the matter of new airport location has been raised at least twice in the National Assembly, by now.
Map of the Olle route 11 (source by the Jeju Island government)The old Alddre air filed now used for farming (Photo by Save Jeju Now on April 7, 2013)
A sign of restriction by the ROK air force. It says it is a military zone. Some people said they couldn’t see it before. Still the visit of the area was OK in April, this year. (Photo by Save Jeju Now on April 7, 2013)
Roh Hoe-Chan, Progressive United Party, has made a remarkable claim in the National Assembly inspection session in May 2007, that “the Ministry of National Defense and Jeju Island have agreed that the Island provides 300,000 pyeong (about 99 ha) to an air force in case the 2nd new air port is built on the condition that the air force concedes the Island old Alddre air field of about 600,000 pyeong (about 198 ha). It meant the Air Force is ready to use the Alddre Air field as an area for the South zone search and rescue corps unit unless the Jeju provides an alternative area to the Air force. (* For reference the Jeju naval base project is of about 48 ha.) (Ohmynews on Sept. 3, 2012/ See here or here for the source of citation)
It was Oct. 18, 2012 again that the issue was raised in the National Assembly inspection on the ROK air force on the ‘South zone search and rescue corps’ that is being discussed to be installed in the old but currently unused Alddre air field, Moseulpo.
Kim Jae-Yoon, Democratic United Party, a member of the Defense Committee of the National assembly claimed that it is a tactic ultimately to build an air force base. He claimed that the Jeju, the Island of peace is at the risk to be degraded as the ‘Island of military base.’
Saying that “when I demanded the air force on the material on the ‘South zone rescue and search corps unit, the air force replied me that it is planning a creation of it for national security and people’s safety,” Kim interpreted that “However, given that rescue and search corps unit is a non-combat corps that is in charge of search and rescue, its words that it creates it for the securing of national security connote that the rescue and search corps unit is, after all, combat corps.”
Will the Jeju be militarized? The matter has already been concerned about. With the recognition on the McNabb base near the Alddre airr field, the issue has to be more considered in coming future.
Source of maps: See here or here. (Please change the word of Alttre to Alddre)
To remind, it is important to note that the vicinity area in the McNabb base and Alddre air field is one of the big massacre sites of 4.3 period (1947 to 1954)
During the Korean War (1950 to 1953), it was the site where about 210 innocent, many of them in their 20s were brutally killed and buried, stamped as communists and arrested by the vicious law on preliminary detention-the trace of Japanese imperialism- under the US puppet Rhee Syng-Man government. The tragedy of 4.3 was lingering throughout and even after the Korean War. It was only under the civilian government in the 21st century that their honors were finally recovered., with the common tomb nearby cherished by their descendants.
If the Jeju is militarized again and war breaks out in Korea, we will see another repetition of history in Jeju. That is why it is important for us to make efforts for the Jeju to be demilitarized.
For more photos on the massacre site called Seotalorem and the common tomb called Baekjoilsonjimyo (meaning 100 ancestors but one common descendants) , see here.
On June 24, 2013, around 2 pm, an activist, member of SOS (Save Our Sea) team and an international took a kayak to monitor along with a silt protect belt outside west breakwater being built as part of the Jeju naval base project in Gangjeong, Jeju. It was around 3 pm that they discovered a dredge barge, Woosung GD No. 2 of the Woosung Industry Development Inc. ( * sub-contract to the Samsung C & T) was working on dredge in the condition that silt protectors were not properly installed. Therefore a SOS activist demanded coast guards in a monitoring ship nearby to stop that construction (destruction). However, the coast guard said that they cannot do because they cannot find proofs of illegal construction. Even though the SOS activist told the coast guards that he would directly show how the dredge works by corporations are poor and illegal, the coast guard ignored his words.
Photo by Song Kang-Ho, SOS/ The ship GD No. 2 enforced maritime construction without proper facilities to reduce pollution. Further the supervising committee of the construction group made an explanation of lies that it permitted construction after confirmation together with the Samsung C & T (source)
While the activist was to access a dredge barge crossing the line for the prohibition area for maritime leisure activities, their kayak was turned over, hit in the left side by a silt-protector-monitoring ship owned by the construction groups. Right after it, the international was carried out to the port by a ship owned by construction group and the SOS activist approached to the dredge barge by swim.
While he swam to the silt protectors, the sea water was full of hazy floating material for him not to be able to distinguish front and there were no canvases under the silt-protectors, which must be there. In other words, fake silt-protectors with no function had been being installed [..] It means the supervising committee of the naval base construction has been conniving it and the cost guard has been in dereliction of their duty. Even though the SOS team informed such illegal dredge work to the coast guard, the work continued by 5 pm on the day. Even the coast guard personnel said that, “such thing happened as the construction groups were too hurrying from anxiety, facing typhoons.”
Photo by Song Kang-Ho, SOS/ There were no canvases underneath those fake silt-protectors. Pollution stuffs were floating, hazy to sight.Photo by Song Kang-Ho, SOS/ No canvases to reduce pollution underneath fake silt-protectors.
2. Bubbles of sea contamination
Here is another post by Mongye, member of Save Our Sea team, on June 25 activity:
‘In the Samsung work area, silt protectors are not installed to surround the lines of caissons (huge concrete structures), but they are installed at the both side of them (* What is the use of those silt-protectors, then?)
On June 25, the working company did not take out water inside caisson when they worked on putting cement in those. They were hurrying. As a result of it, lots of contaminating stuffs such as muddy water flew into the sea.
We witnessed that lots of bubbles were formed near the caissons. When we took kayaks on the sea, they were already widely spreading. They were even flowing into the port.
When we approached close to caissons with monitoring camera, the company workers were careful not to leak contaminating stuffs when they were doing same works.’
3.The supervising committee of the naval base project committee even lies to the Island government: Is it for protection of illegal destruction by Samsung C & T?
Joan Kim, peacekeeper in Gangjeong, wrote in Ohmynews on June 27, 2013. Here is an excerpted translation:
[..] On June 24, the Samsung C & T was working on dredge work despite damaged dual silt-protectors in its work area on the sea, the 1st work area of the naval base project. However, the supervising committee of the project ignored it and allowed Samsung’s construction (destruction) even though it confirmed the fact that silt protectors are being damaged before its work.
Photo by Save Our Sea team/ The non-restored damaged silt-protectors never properly function to reduce contamination. Muddy water is flowing to the pollution of the sea.
Further the committee lied to Island government officer who was to check the situation, saying that, “this work is not a dredge work bur related to caisson work,” and “as a result of our confirmation with Samsung C & T, there is no problem in dual silt-protectors.”
The Island government confirming the fact that there are no canvases underneath the protectors through a June 24 video taken by a SOS activist, made a directive to the project committee to pose the related dredge works until dual silt-protectors are properly installed.
However, the next morning of June 25, the Samsung C & T still enforced maritime construction(destruction) despite still damaged silt-protectors.
On the day, the Samsung C & T having crane in the ship of Woosung GD No. 2, worked on dredge and carried dredged earth to the ship of Samyang No. 13. At the time, two silt-protector-monitoring ships of the supervising committee were in operation nearby. In other words, the supervising committee ignored the Island government directive. As on June 24, along with its connivance on illegal destruction, the committee intended to hide the situation on June 25.
The Save Our Sea monitoring team called for complaint to Jeju Island government officer. When the Island government called to the supervising committee, the committee said “It is not a dredge work but a work to replace machine.”
However, the committee finally acknowledged the fact that the Samsung C & T has been working on construction(destruction) despite damaged dual silt-protectors only when the Island government checked the fact visiting construction site.
The Island government made directive to the committee again to pose dredge work until silt-protectors are being recovered. [..]
Behind the illegal destruction by the Samsung C & T, there is a supervising committee who ignore its illegality and does not take any measure on it for whatever reasons. [..]
Otherwise the Jeju Island government decided to report the situation to the Youngsan River Environment Office belonging to the Ministry of Environment that the committee not only violates the consultative items of the environmental impact assessment but also repeats full of lies of explanations.
In this month’s issue:
Visit from the UN, Grand March, UNESCO fraud, Summary of Moana Nui, Prisoner and Trial Updates, Gangjeong ocean pollution on the rise, Solidarity articles and letter, Final Court Statement of released prisoner Lee Jong-Hwa and more!
Update: Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa was released from the court after 55 days in jail as of June 21. The court sentence on him at 10:30 am was 6 months imprisonment but two year’s probation.
Photo by Park Young-In, fwd by Lim Wang-Sung and Abigail Yu on June 21, 2013
………………………………………………………………
Magaret Sekaggya, UN Special rapporteur on the situation on Human Rights visited Gangjeong on June 4, 2013. In the press conference on June 7, she mentioned in relation to Gangjeong that the residents’ opinions have been ignored and their greatest complaint is on the absence of consultation by the government with them; that it was turned out that the ROK state power abuses its power through the use of violence and over-excessive arrest, accusation (especially with the charge of ‘obstruction of business’), detention, imprisonment and charge of fines/ damage compensation; that the people’s basic right in rally and protest is limited and expression of freedom is oppressed; and that unjust process of deportation against international activists have been done. Her official report on the situation of human rights including those of Gangjeong is to be reported next March.
Will her points be reflected in the coming days in the fields including court where currently three conscientious prisoners from Gangjeong are among many of the charged for struggle?
Here are summaries on the latest trials on the three. All are currently held in the Jeju Prison. Each of them hit 141 days, 71 days, 55 days, respectively as of June 21, 2013: Mr. Yang Yoon-Mo ( Prisoner No. 301), Mr. Kim Young-Jae (No. 435) and Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa (No. 125)
1. Yang Yoon-Mo’s trial on June 5
Trial on Yang Yoon-Mo was held in the Jeju court around 10:30 am on June 5, the next day of her visit.
It is a different one from the trial that he was directly arrested from the appeal court on Feb. 1, this year. The prosecutor has accused him under the charges that he damaged the gate of the project committee building complex on Sept. 14, made injury on Aug. 15, and made obstruction of business by joint power on Aug. 12, 17 and Oct. 15, last year.
Upon those charges, lawyer Kang Gi-Tak said that it is not by joint power; it is not damage but scratch therefore the demanded repair fee of 800,000 KRW (about $ 800 USD) is unreasonably huge; Yang has never used slanders and grabbed by the throat of personnel. He has neither put injury; It can never be an obstruction of business since it is a self-defense in protest to interruption on Catholic mass, further there was no entry/exit of construction vehicles; there was no direct blow on the victim; it is a self-defense on illegal and unjust naval base construction (destruction). He also expressed disagreement on many accusation items. He also said he could not acknowledge the record by the CCTV since it is in violation of the law on the protection of personal information (He said the CCTV-recorded proof materials submitted by the accusers are illegally collected.) In the next trial at 2 pm, July 17, there will be examination on witness and submission on proof document etc.
2. Kim Young-Jae’s trial on June 10: The matter of the CCTV
There was a trial on Mr. Kim Young-Jae (Jeju Prison, No. 435) who hit his 60th imprisonment day on June 10. The trial is on the cases of climbing a Samsung C & T-built caisson dock in Hwasoon port in protest of naval base building on Sept. 6, 2012, the opening day of 2012 WCC Jeju, and of obstruction business that he was charged in more than 16 cases. In the seat of the accused, Fr. Kim Sung-Hwan who was one of five along with Mr. Kim Young-Jae on Sept. 6, 2012, joined Kim Young-Jae. Another person, Mr. Lee Young was not present for personal reason.
The other two, Rev. Jeong Yeon-Gil and Mr. Park Suk-Jin have had separate trials as they were both imprisoned on the day. Both were released after 98 days last year. Mr. Park Suk-Jin was imprisoned again on May 15 for the charge of violation on bail condition but was released by court decision on May 30. He got three year’s probation.
Considered of the schedule that all three can join, the next trial is 2 pm, Thursday, July 25. On the day, Mr. Kim Young-Jae would hit 105th day in prison unless he is not released on bail.
The points mentioned by a lawyer in relation to the charge on ‘obstruction of business’ were similar to the cases of Yang Yoon-Mo. Lawyer Kang Gi-Tak who is also a lawyer to Yang pointed out that:
There could be a damage for an accused as the accusation document does not mention on specific sites and concrete charges on each individual despite the fact that the Sept. 6, 2012 incident was a joint protest by five.
In relation to other cases charged of obstruction of business, it cannot be called as obstruction of business. Even though it is conceded to the danger and/or influence applicable to the obstruction of business, it was the influence to the 3rd party therefore not direct act to the sufferers ( * truck drivers)
The remarkable point in the trial on the day was the lawyer Kim In-Sook’s investigation on the CCTVs (closed-circuit televisions) and the testimonies by the personnel from Daelim and Samsung regarding the process of recording and collecting photo and video material. (For the issue of the CCTV in Gangjeong, please see the bottom)
Photo by Koh Gilchun on May 15, 2013 (source)/ A CCTV on the gate of the naval base project building complex
There were three witness-two from Daelim and one from Samsung). All of those are the subjects who accused Mr. Kim Young-Jae and probably others, too, for the charge of obstruction of business. Mr. Choi from Daelim has been in charge of interior jobs of the company since Feb., 2010. Mr. Lee is a managing director of construction since June, 2011 and Mr. Park is a director of quality control in the Samsung C & T since Feb., 2011.
The lawyer Kim In-Sook’ investigation to each was focused on the CCTV. While she is informed that there are about 10 CCTVs in the project building complex and parts of those were installed by Samsung and Daelim, she asked them:
_Who MANAGE(s) the CCTV? From when to when? By the word, ‘management,’ she said that it meant everything including recording, zoom manipulation, safekeeping, submission of CCTV-recorded materials to police & prosecutor etc.
_ What is the purpose of the CCTV?
_What is the reason of submitting copies not the original materials? How can you prove that those copies are same with the originals? (She mentioned that there has never been raised an issue of original or copy before)
_How is the process of submitting materials to police and prosecutors?
It was clear to many people that the accusers/ witness were avoiding specific mentions in their testimonies/ replies to her.
But some of their answers were that:
_They do not know well about the matter of installation on the CCTVs.
_It is a security company called “Geoam,” that is in charge of management and has workered in Gangjeong for about two years (* An activist later told us that it has been about a year that the company Geoam worked in Gangjoeng) The Geoam manipulates zoom.
_The purpose of CCTV is to leave the evidence of damages INDOOR from outside
_The original is saved in the machine. They or their junior worker (in that case they confirm the final) or Geoam they ask to find CCTV materials on the specific accused on the specific dates; and they copy the found or received materials in the CD or USB driver themselves. One of them says it is same with the original since he does not know editing technology. Mr. Park from Samsung said that he himself has taken lots of records with camcorder/cameras and original records are kept safe.
Given the testimonies and article in the bottom, it would be interesting to watch the next trial and court’s final decision someday in the future.
Otherwise, Mr. Kim Young-Jae volunteered a remark at the end of the trial. He said to the judge:
“Please know that it is an only protest way for the peace keepers to sit in as a barricade themselves in front of the construction main gate. Since most construction vehicles are used for illegal construction(destruction), my act is a self-defense to protest to such illegal activities. That should be pointed out are: undemocratic behavior, unjust cancellation on absolute preservation area and injustice of environmental destruction.”
Letter from Kim Young-Jae on June 11, 2013 (source)
3. Trial on Lee Jong-Hwa on June 11
On June 11, there was a trial on Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa who hit 45th day in the Jeju prison (No. 125) on the day. He has another trial pending in the higher court.
The prosecutor demanded a sentence of 1 year imprisonment. The court decision will be at 10 am, Friday.
Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa said on June 5, the next day of the visit by the UN Human Rights rapporteur that he had considered fast upon her visit but gave up considering the heath of Yang Yoon-Mo who is recovering from 52 days’ fast that he ended on March 23.
Otheriwse, on June 5, a woman who had been arrested in Seoul on May 31 and then taken to Jeju Prison on June 1 was released from the court on June 5. She is told not to have responded to police call for her protest during the blast of Gureombi Rock last year. She got sentence of 2.5 million KRW fines. She did not want to disclose her name.
Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa (Jeju Prison, No. 125) expressed thanks to the friends who have sent support letters to him in prison. He hits 51th day in prison as of June 17, 2013. (source)
The below is a summary on the trial of Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa on June 5
Judge:
The accused entered into the Jeju for farming in 2011. He is a writer and his activities are nothing to do with the Jeonjoo branch of the Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea. The accused stated that he would act as possible as through legal procedures in relation to the opposition activities against the naval base project.
Lawyer Heo:
The accused was indicted for the charge that he has not responded several times to the police call. But it was because he was in other trial when he could not be present to the police call on April 26, 2013. The reason that he worked in the oil station was because of his plan to live in Jeju. Even though the prosecutor says that he committed obstruction of business by power, what he did was merely to take 100 bows in front of the construction main gates. Further it was merely 3 to 30 minutes that he was sitting there. In other words, the time of obstruction of business was short with small damage.
Statement by Lee Jong-Hwa (This is the summary. You can find his full statement on the day here. You can also see his writing to prepare for trial, here):
‘During the imprisonment, I thought there needed a re-examination on the justice matter on government policy, thinking of the damage that the villagers have suffered from.
I was in charge to educate youth prisoner under trials. They are the ones who became to commit crimes as their parents are irregular or laid-off workers. I feel pain that our children is utilized as the tools by the divided situation of Korea. If we use such lots of resource and money for human beings’ co-prosperity and peace co-existence, that our Constitution states, the children in the juvenile reformatory would get the jobs and painful things would be reduced.
As Gorbachov has visited, Jeju is an Island of Peace to be demilitarized. I came to Jeju for farming but now I do my best for peaceful Gangjeong. I think this place should be a site for communication and I hope prosecutors consider it together. Our anguish together here in this court would be the basis for belief and hope.
Whatever court decision comes to me, I will not give up to express my righteous faith, which is legal right given to me, and to realize human being’s co-existence and peace and “Hongikingan (* meaning ‘benefit all human beings’), the ideology on which our country founded.
The Judge said, The accused has no other crime record except for light fine sentences and no other past record in relation to violation in rally or protest. The court decision will be at 10 am, June 21, Friday.
At the end of trials on both days of June 10 and 11, people held one man protest in front of court for one hour respectively.
At the end of trials on both days of June 10 and 11, 2013, people held one man protest in front of court for one hour respectively. The signs read 1. ‘UN Special rapporteur on Human Rights points out excessive use of state power and unjust arrest and imprisonment (in Korean) and ‘ UN Human Rights Rapporteur demands End to Unjust Deportation of internationals!’
Reference: The Matter of the CCTV
The Newscham, Jan. 30, 2013 reports regarding 24 hour CCTV for monitoring and control of people, installed in the whole Gangjeong village. The below is an excerpted translation of the article.
[..] When it was disclosed on Sept. 13, 2012 that the police installed camera and notebook computer, for recording the area of the main gate of the naval base project committee building complex, it brought a huge shock.
In the areas of the Jeju naval base project committee building complex main gate, construction site main gate, and the fence to the Gangjeong port, CCTVs are installed and operated for 24 hours. The CCTV-recorded stuffs are used as evidence to accuse villagers and activists under the charge of obstruction of business. The Daelim and Samsung C & T accuse villagers with the evidence of CCTV stuffs. However, the CCTVs are being illegally operated and infringe villagers’ privacy.
In the direction board of the CCTV installed in the main gate of the project committee building complex, it reads “it is recording main facilities of INNER site for the facility safety and crime prevention for 24 hours.” However, different from the direction board, the CCTVs are recording toward OUTSIDE not the INNER field main facilities. Not only that. It is manipulated in recording and monitoring by option such as by zooming or continuous focusing on one-man protest. It is in violation on the items of prohibitions on discretionary manipulation and filming others than those for purpose, stipulated in the law on the protection of personal information.
The subjects of installation, operation, and monitoring are not clear, either. On Oct. 9, last year, Lee Sang-Kyu, National Assembly man, disclosed the fact that a security service company employed by the Samsung C & T was cancelled of permisiion on Dec. 22, 2011, for its connection to violence; but it resumed operation gettimg the permission on security business again merely changing its company name to Reall S & G; and then was cancelled of permission again. However, in the CCTV direction board in front of main gate of the naval base project building complex, representative of Reall S & G whose license was cancelled is still marked as the subject responsible for management
Then, which subject(s) is continuously monitoring for 24 hours the screens of the CCTVs that record the main gate of the project building complex, entry-exit door of construction (destruction) gate, vicinity of the fence to the Gangjeong port. Paik Shin-Ok, a lawyer, has stated that there has been a testimony [in the court] that the navy and Samsung C & T workers are monitoring those in real time. If the subject of installation and operation is not the navy but the navy is monitoring those in real time, it is clearly a crime act since it is violation of prohibition on provision to the 3rd party, stipulated in the law on the protection on personal information.
Last week, I(Emily) visited Lanyu Island to share about Gangjeong struggling stories and the idea of inter-island solidarity for Just Peace. One Tao friend says “when thinking of Tao people’s struggling for more than 3 decadesagainst nuclear waste dump depository which was successfully built up in Lanyu as they lied to the islanders that it’s a fish can factory, I especially feel for the Gangjeong’s situation”
After the presentation of Gangjeong’s struggling, the friends in Lanyu were glad to give their solidarity.
ps. In the end of this article, there is the simple history of Lanyu. You can see brief Lanyu’s history under ROC’s governance.
Now the DongChing tribe in Lanyu faced an emergency situation. The government and the construction company are working together to take over the “traditional area” of Dongching tribe’s land in Lanyu island to build a “temporary” Ready-mixed concrete factory without any discussion with tribal Association.
As soon as the villagers of Dongching tribe found out the excavator digging the traditional area of DongChing tribe , the protest has started and the tribe self-help association was formed for long-term resistance.
Now the government has send some policemen to the island to enforce the work for building up a Ready –mixed concrete factory, and today, on June 21st, more police are expected to be dispatched to Lanyu.
People of DongChing Tribe gathered to stop the construction
Islanders reject Lanyu to be a Concrete Island!
Last summer, a typhoon seriously attacked Lanyu, so for lots of public re-construction after the natural disaster, 2 “legal” Ready-mixed concrete factories are declared to be needed although in the small Lanyu island, there’re already 3 “illegal” Ready-mixed concrete factories.
The islanders request the government not to destroy and pollute more land in the small island but to facilitate the existing 3 Ready-mixed concrete factories in Lanyu to be legalized and then use the legalized 3 factories for construction.
It’s a reasonable request and shows the love to the environment and culture from the locals. But the government insists they have gone through the legal process to do this work which is not true.
The previous information was not given to the tribe, and a public hearing and negotiation was held only after the protest.
No sign was ever set up 30 days before the construction.
The mayor of Lanyu lied that the Land Use proposal in DongChing was agreed by the Land Review Committee. The Land Review Committee denied this saying.
Avoiding the Aboriginal Basic Law and Aboriginal Reserved Land Management Measure by saying it’s not a “land development” action but actually the construction company will use the Ready-mixed concrete factory to build the facilities for tourism industry.
The Tribe Traditional Area is ROC’s land? No!
The mayor insists the owner of the land is Republic of China, there’s no owner, so nothing wrong to use this land. It is a shameful thing to declare especially from a Tao officer as everybody knows that the land of Lanyu was owned by Tao people traditionally until the Japan and Chinese colonizers came to the island with guns, and the Chinese government applied an unjust land dispossession policy to lots of private and common land of the tribes.
That there’s no single person who owns this land doesn’t mean there’s no owner. This “Traditional Area” of DongChing tribe is owned collectively by the tribe. The harvest like dry taro from the collective farming land is for the use of tribal festival. It contains an important cultural meaning.
Now the tribe people are staying, confronting the workers and police, in the site to protect their traditional area. The island is small and far from the main Taiwan Island. It’s hard to reach soon even when Taiwanese people want to go the site to support.
Please help Tao people to feel not alone.
You can make a complain call to the Taitung county government office or Lanyu governmental office. You can see the phone number as followed:
Taitung county government office: +886-89-325394
Lanyu governmental office : +886-89-732110 #100
You can help to share this information to raise the international awareness.
The indigenous islanders of Lanyu called themselves “Tao”, with a population of about 4,200 people. Pongso no Tao (literally means the ‘Homeland of Tao people’) is a small northern volcanic outlier of the Batanes Islands southeast of Taiwan (now labeled ‘Lanyu’ or ‘Orchid Island’ on the official atlas). There are six independent tribal communities each has origin myths of its own.
In the past…
The Tao people have lived ‘the original affluent society’ with their comprehensive traditional ecological knowledge based on their home island for millennium There are the non-hierarchical and unspecialized egalitarian tribal communities, without chiefs or ruling elders but functional leaders responsible for various production and ceremony activities, and only with a simple complementary sexual division of labor whithin households.
Following the unique time reckoning system of Tao people, which is an original calendar with thirty names of the phasing moon and an intercalation calibrated by the annual revisiting of flying fishes according to their biological clock, ancestors of Tao alternated their migratory fishing and coral reef fishing seasonally with maintenance of wet taro fields with irrigation channels and supplemented by shifting cultivation (firing and fallowing) of dry taro, yam, and millet. They also maintained a forest through heirs caring and ecologically wise high alpha-diversity rainforest timber harvesting for plank boat-building and house building. The accumulated social and ecological knowledge and an elaborate ‘makaniaw’ (taboo) norm system to follow are continuing today.
From 1896~1945: Imperial Japan’s colonization-first colonial encounter
From an historical context, the culture was kept intact until the end of the 19th century. Even in its first colonial encounter, under Imperial Japan (1896~1945), this island was basically a conserved area for various scientific surveys and ethnographic studies with strict access control. The Japanese brought in a small crew of police from the beginning, and primary schooling for ‘savage children’ started only after 1923.
After World War II till now: Chinese Nationalist government’s colonization
After World War II, came the Chinese Nationalist government, which developed four labor camps, ten veteran farms, and a commanding headquarters in the 1950s. It was followed up with the dispossession of 90% of the land and all of the marine territories traditionally collectively and commonly owned by the tribal peoples. Also, the public school system has coersively executed a cultural erasing policy of total assimilation since 1959.
In the 1970s, topocide of traditional villages occurred. The government had torn down most of the traditional ecologically friendly buildings for a very poor social housing program that had to be rebuilt again in the 1990s.
In the 1980s came a nuclear waste dump depository along with a contradictory proposal for setting up a Marine National Park. The Islanders were cheated that the construction was for the fish can factory until some Tao people who stayed in Taiwan disclose the truth, and the resistance has begun. After the disclosure of the truth, still the Lanyu islanders at that time didn’t really know about what exactly the nuclear waste means, and at the same time, the Tai power Company continued to promise the safety of the nuclear waste dump depository and started to bribe some islanders with an oversea trip to Japan.
Formidable ecological, environmental, and cultural disasters happened successively on this small island with these peaceful people and not yet come to an end.
The struggling for the Tao people is not just about nuclear waste, but about the survival of Tao’s culture, environment… about the peace and justice between the big island and small island.
This speech was originally written and translated to be used by Mayor Kang at the 2013 Moana Nui conference, held in the beginning of June in Berkeley California. Upon the actual event, much of the speech was improvised, but some was based off the original speech found here. Special thanks to Fr. Pat for the translation from Korean to English.
Hello!
I am Dong-Kyun Kang, the Mayor of a small village called Gangjeong in Jeju. I am so grateful for this opportunity to speak to you. It’s very meaningful. So far, I’ve heard many stories from around the world which make very scared and worried for our descendents.
Given that fresh spring water is such a precious and scarce resource on Jeju island, the 450 year old village of Gangjeong situated in the southern part of the island was always the envy of other villages as its possession of an abundant spring water supply which always flowed freely ensured it was always ranked first among Jeju’s villages.
During the construction of the naval base, many international activists have visited Gangjeong and others in the process have been denied entry and deported. Other peace activists have been prevented from leaving the country. I’m keenly aware and saddened that many have suffered from many forms of repression and for their sacrifice I feel so grateful and promise to stand with you in solidarity.
You’ve now seen that in recent history there have been two major events in Korea – in 1948 and 1950. As you are aware there was the major upheaval of the 1950 Korean War which broke out in June 25- a tumultuous national tragedy. One could be forgiven for thinking that this was a family feud that led to the country being divided but the reality was that the war was the result of an ideological battle between the major powers at the time and Korea was its victim. This continues until the present time.
The April 3, 1948 Jeju uprising led to the brutal suppression of the population by state security forces which resulted in the massacre of the islanders of Jeju and behind the slaughter was the US government, the self proclaimed keeper of the peace! A conservative estimate puts the number who died from the mass killings at over 30,000 out of a population of 280,000 people at that time.
Fortunately, in 2005 President Roh apologized on behalf of the state to the people of Jeju and acknowledged for the very first time the states brutal suppression and massacre of the people of Jeju. He went on to declare Jeju as an ‘island of world peace’.
Peace can only be sustained through peaceful means. Peace obtained through force and violent means is not sustainable and in time will be forced to surrender to a larger force or power. However, I believe that dialogue and mutual understanding between people who work together in mutual respect to build a sustainable future is the key to a sustainable peace.
The location of Korea positioned in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and particularly the strategic location of Jeju Island is key to understanding its strategic importance to the world’s major powers. However, behind the construction of the naval base in Jeju is the US government. Will Jeju genuinely remain an island of peace or an island of military bases heightening tensions between the world’s major powers? This is a central question that needs addressing.
The naval base project is a national security project. I think one defines genuine national policy as seeking to put the interests of its citizens and their happiness and genuine well being first and foremost. Likewise national security is not only about the state’s administration and its military but should seek to ensure genuine human security for all its citizens. Genuine national policy and national security should seek to secure the confidence and trust of all its citizens which in turn forms the true pillar and foundation for its policies. Working together hand in hand with the people should be the central tenet of its policies.
Aside from the naval base construction creating the strong possibility of a situation of crisis for Korea and Jeju into the future, the village community of Gangjeong is being destroyed with its people being evicted. With the construction of the naval base the navy claims that the national security of the state is its primary objective followed by the economic development of the region and its third objective – the navy and residents coexisting in mutual cooperation and to the benefit of all. However, the construction of the naval base rather than enhancing and bolstering national security will have the opposite effect of increasing already existing tensions between global powers in the region resulting in Jeju being caught in the crosshairs of conflict in the future. How therefore can the building of a naval base bolster regional economic development in such a tense and dangerous environment?
The state in implementing its policies should first consult the people who will likely be impacted the most and endeavor to seek the consent of its citizens through due process which is the most important consideration and an important building block of any democratic society. Even with the project underway listening courteously to and reflecting on the opinions of the other is surely important in trying to achieve real cooperation. The need for transparency in implementing state projects is paramount. However, the naval base has been enforced from the beginning without any consultation on the decision making process and devoid of any semblance of transparency leaving the Gangjeong villagers in the dark about what was going on. Those villagers opposed to the base are in the process of having their lands expropriated without any dialogue or due process of consultation. The villagers are completely perplexed and dismayed by the conflict that has arisen in their village with the naval base decision having separated families and divided parents with siblings becoming enemies and yesterday’s friends becoming today’s enemies resulting in the collapse of the community.
Fully aware of the stark implications of proceeding with plans to build the base the central government and navy planned and designed the base together with the backing of the US government. As a means of promoting the base and quashing any form of dissent, protestors have been treated with great hostility and denounced as leftists and North Korean sympathizers by the military. The brutal enforcement of the base with complete disrespect and arrogance has resulted in the military losing whatever respect it may once have had.
Together with the mobilization of the police and state power is the major issue of the lack of due legal process and the arrests of over 700 activists, charges having been filed against 400 activists with 25 cases of activists having been imprisoned to date. There has to be a fair way to resolve such conflicts but the legal system and court process has failed to provide this.
With the full power of the police state brought to bear on villagers and activists alike it is undeniable that people will get hurt as they are literally being dragged away like animals battered and bruised. However the courageous and brave efforts of so many over the course of a 7 year long struggle are not in vain but are the source of a precious groundwork that is the basis for a bright future for Gangjeong and Korea alike. These continuing efforts will continue to bear fruit long into the future.
The majestic natural environment of Jeju is commonly referred to as beauty inherited from the gods and is home to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and three UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites. In 2012 The New Wonders Foundation voted Jeju Island as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. In September 2012 the World Conservation Congress opened in Jeju where it was hoped that it would promote the international consensus of Jeju as a ‘World Environmental Capital City’. However, this ideal is being undermined by the destruction of the environment caused by the building of the naval base which is a grave threat to genuine national security.
Some concluding remarks.
The 7 year long struggle has left many exhausted and bruised after enduring much pain and suffering along the way. There have been moments of despair but the determination to struggle and defend our village and home and pass it on to future generations has been the enduring legacy and mainstay of the struggle and has been a sacred calling. A new hope springs from the end of despair. This new hope comes from people seeking their true human fulfillment as beings living in harmony with nature, living together in peace.
Instead of Jeju being designated an island of military installations we will work to ensure that it will be known as an island of peace, an island of natural beauty and conservation. Also, together with all the villagers of Gangjeong and the people of Jeju we truly desire that global citizens and true lovers of nature and world peace will have the freedom to gather in this beautiful place without the impediment of a ghastly and ugly military base which aggravates existing tensions between global powers. Therefore, what I truly wish is for everyone around the world to sing the peace song of Gangjeong and to keep it in their hearts. Ladies and Gentlemen, Please join together in solidarity and help us.
UPDATE: Please notice that the official dates are changed from July 29 to Aug. 4, Sunday.
The July 29 to Aug. 3 program with the cultural festival in the Jeju City on Aug. 3 is same. But people will gather in Gangjeong on Aug. 4 to create a human chain between the east and west tips of the naval base construction area (1,500 km) from noon to 12 pm. Click here for more details on Human Chain on the day. Dir. Cho Sung-Bong, a movie director, currently works on the acclaimed documentary on Gangjeong titled, “The Gureombi Wind Blows,” will take air camera shots on human chain scene using unmanned helicopter and will put all the names of participants in the movie’s ending credit. Even though you may not be able to physically join the march and human chain. please send us international solidarity messages(up to 100 words)/photos/videos through gangjeongintl@gmail.com by no later than July 20. All the messages will be publicly shared. Please see the bottom for the details of optional programs after the human chain on Aug. 4.
Click the poster for a larger version.
* Internationals who can physically join the march and want to contribute the march with one’s talent/work, please see the below translation.
* Internationals who want to support the march by sending solidarity messages of up to 100 words and/or photos and/or videos, please send those to Gangjeongintl@gmail.comno later than July 20 (Please see the 2012 event here, and solidarity messages, here)
* For all questions and suggestions on the matters including those not explained in the below, please contact gangjeongintl@gmail.com
* Thank you to be with us!
2012 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace (Image: Choi Hye-Young)2012 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace (Image: Choi Hye-Young)
in the 2013 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace
By the Coordinating Committee for 2013 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace
June 7, 2013
Summary (translated) of introduction letter
The Opposition struggle against the Jeju naval base project hits its 7th year. [..]
Since the Presidential election last time, the response measure by the prosecutors and police has been transformed into consistent drastic policies. The navy is openly enforcing construction(destruction) despite people’s criticism on illegal construction(destruction). Some make propaganda that the struggle to stop the naval base project is in fact finished as the Park Geun-Hye Government that has asserted on the justification of the Jeju naval base project was launched. [..]
Everyday is a continuation of hard struggle in Gangjeong nowadays. The police make routine of arrest and the prosecutors who are in line with them are oppressing the opposition struggle with unreasonable issuing of arrest warrants and bombs of fines. [..]
However, we cannot give up. It is because we trust that the peace of Gangjeong is the peace of Korea and our struggle to stop the Jeju naval base project is to be the voice for the peace of the northeast Asia and world. It is also because we know that the way we are walking now would be a step to stop the ‘gochak’ (meaning ‘detaining by encircling’) of destructive military domination and resuscitation of anti-human state violence. [..]
Now, we, succeeding the year of 2012, want to propose to gather people’s voice for peace once again.
We are to gather the voice to inform the injustice of the Jeju naval base project and to appeal for peace to be saved, while we walk around of the spots of Jeju for five nights six days during the hot summer.
Please join the 2013 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace in which we feel pain together, walk together, and talk on our peace together!
Please be a part of one strong voice for peace, again!
Details of proposal
Please become a co-sponsoring groups for the 2013 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace
□ The role of co-sponsoring group
▶ Registartion of more than 100,000 KRW (about 90~100 USD), which is for co-sponsoring of the event
▶ Each representative of co-sponsoring group is chosen as a member of the Peace Representative Board. One has to join march for more than a day
▶ Encourages its members to join the march and organizes support material and fund.
▶ It is planned that each co-sponsoring group is individually named in poster, web poster and media.
▶ The groups that have been confirmed of co-sponsoring and that are in discussion as of June, 2013:
The Gangjeong Village Association,
Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island (31 groups)
National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island (11 groups)
Open Network (Inc.)
Gangjeong Friends
Gangjeong peacekeepers
Professors’ Association for the stop and re-examination of Jeju naval base construction
Korean Writers’ Association
□ Contact
Go Gwon-Il, chairman of the Gangjoeng Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base Project
Boo Jang-Won, Director of coordination, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island
Kim Duk-Jin, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island
# For internationals, please contact Gangjeong village international team: gangjeongintl@gmail.com
□ Plan on Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace
I. Summary
(1). Purpose
– It is to disclose the betraying behaviors of the navy and government that enforce construction (destruction) under the false cause of ‘national security’ and Woo Keun-Min Island government that connives those and in line with them. And it is to gather the public fury on it (* The election on the Island governor is in 2014. Currently the public support on the Island governor Woo Keun-Min is low)
-It is to form a public discussion on the possibilities of militarization of Jeju by the Jeju naval base project and of occurrence of military conflict in the northeast Asia. It is to expand to the public the need of continuation of the struggle to stop the naval base project.
-It is to share the mutual relationship among state, human rights, democracy, we remembering that state violence during the 4·3 uprising is recurred during the current enforcement process of the naval base project .
(2). Title of the event
2013 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace, “Let’s meet [also can be translated gather] together! Let’s walk together! Peace for Gangjeong!”
(3). Sponsor and Host
-Sponsor: The Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island (31 groups), National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island (11 groups) etc.
( It is expected that the titles of groups will be added in the future)
-Host: The Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island (31 groups), National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island (11 groups)
(4). Program
Eve festival: 7 pm, July 28 (Sunday), 2013, Village Ceremony hall, Gangjeong Village
Grand March: July 29 (Mon) to Aug. 3 (Sat), 2013: For five nights six days
Nationwide citizens’ cultural festival to demand the revocation on the Jeju naval base project: Aug. 3 (Sat), 6pm, Tapdong square, Jeju City(tentative)
Human chain between the east and west tips of the naval base project area in Gangjeong: Aug. 4 (Sun), 12 to 2 pm, Gangjeong
(5). Participation purpose
The total number of man-days participation is expected 2,000 to 3,000 (except for the participants in the cultural festivals)
( 6). Ways of March
-People will be divided by east and west teams. The pilgrim will be focused on the inner roads of towns.
-There will be explanation on main histories, ecology, and environment of each region
– Some figures concerned with Gangjeong will be asked to join the march as the members of the Peace Representative Board.
( 7). Slogan
-Main slogan: “Let’s meet [also can be translated as gather] together! Let’s walk together! Let’s shout together! Peace for Gangjeong!”
-March slogan: Will be collected by group proposal or public solicitation, TBA
II. Guide on participation
(1). Application-phone, fax, email, internet registration
Internationals may contact the Gangjeong Village International team for application: gangjeongintl@gmail.com
# All applications will be collected into the briefing room of the Gangjoeng Village Association
(2). Participation fee
1) Per one person
– 1 day participation: 10,000 won (T-shirt not included)
– 1 night 2 days~ 2 night 3 days: 30,000 won (including T-shirts)
– 3 night 4 days~6 night 7 days: 50,000 won (including T-shirts)
# No Fee. Children elementary school-aged and under (T-Shirt not included)
# All meals, one bottle of water per day, wristle (to protect from hot sunlight)
2) Bank account for participation fee and support fund
: Nonghyup 351-0603-6444-93 (Beneficiary: Gangjeong Village Association)
Internationals can pay in cash on the very day(s) of participation.
(3) Accommodation
In principle, commmon tent
However, bringing individual tent is OK
An individual should prepare for one’s sleeping bags etc.
(4) March course
– It will be about 20 Km march a day.
– As possible as even road, considered of family participants
– On the last day (Aug. 3), march as possible as all spots of Jeju City
– Detailed course will be known later.
(5) Individual participant preparation
– Sleeping bag, washing stuff, hat, individual tent(choice) etc.
III. Organization of march team
(1) March team
Peace Representative Board (5 to 10 personnel for each day), march chiefs (full and daily), overall management on march, march director(practical business), support team, medical team, guide team, record team, administration team
(2) Briefing room
Director, registration team, meal team, meal-supply team, finance team, public relation team
IV. Main event program
(1). Eve festival
– Date: 7pm, July 28(Sun), Gangjeong Village Ceremony hall
– Basis: sharing the meaning of peace and gathering the will to stop the naval base project
– Main content: resolution speech, sharing meanings, introduction of participants, concert, peace ceremony.
(2). Press conference at the start
– Date and time: 8:30am, July 29 (Mon), Gangjeong soccer field
– Content: Statement for citizens and demand on the revocation of the naval base project
– Introduction on some figures and speeches
– Main content: Speech by representative, statement, ceremony to gathering the sea water of Jeju, photo
(3).Cultural festival in the summer night
-Date: Aug 1 in Kimnyong (east team)and Aewol (west team)
– Content: Encouragement of local residents’ participation
(4). March program
– Public solicitation on photos, writings from the 2012 march participants, prize and recognition is given (Please contact gangjeongintl@gmail.com for subscription)
– Peace postcard to oneself: read in the festival and mailing
– Collecting sea water in the main march regions: Water will be collcted in cermony in the festival.
-etc.
(5). Cultural festival to revoke the Jeju naval base project
-Date/ Time: 6 pm, Aug. 3(Sat). Topdong Square, Jeju City (planned)
(6) Peace human chain: noon to 2 pm, Aug. 4 (Sun), Gangjeong village, in front of the Jeju naval base project committee building complex ( from Gangjeong stream in th east to the Gangjeong port in the west)
* Human chain is the end of official event of the whole march
(7) Optional program in Gangjeong on Aug. 4 (Sun)
7 pm: Korean traditional yard square in front of the Gangjeong Village Ceremony Hall
After 2 pm: Taste on the Peace of Gangjeong (free trip on the places of the village, Gangjeong stream water leisure)
Brother Song, Jeong Young-Hee, and Mayor Kang chat in the Gangjeong Peace Center.
On Wednesday, June 12, The Gangjeong International Team hosted an International Solidarity Talkshow during the daily candlelight vigil/gathering time in the Gangjeong Peace Center. The show highlighted recent solidarity trips taken by Gangjeong villagers and activists. There were three guest to the “show”. The first was Mayor Kang, who recently returned from Berkeley, California, where he attended and participated in the Moana Nui 2013 Conference on June 1 and 2. Moana Nui is an international solidarity gathering, hosted of people from by the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and Pua Mohala I Ka Po, in cooperation with Oceanic Coalition of Northern California (OCNC). The theme was “PEOPLES OF THE PACIFIC–CONFRONTING MILITARIZATION, RESOURCE THEFT, GLOBALIZATION & THE PACIFIC PIVOT”. 45 speakers from 20 nations were there, including Mayor Kang, who spoke about the Gangjeong struggle as a Pacific resistance movment.
Second, Village Women’s Committee Chairwoman Jeong Young-Hee, who recently returned from an extensive speaking tour across the U.S., including Hawaii. For around 20 days starting at the end of April, she visited 6 different areas including Hawaii, Boston, Maine, New York, San Francisco and LA. There she shared about Gangjeong and her personal struggle at a variety of events, including a shared talk with Professor Noam Chomsky. And third, Dr. Song Kang-Ho (Brother Song) who has just come back from a trip to Okinawa. He was invited for May 18 which was the 40th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa from U.S. Control back to Japanese administration. Aside from joining the events, he visited many areas to share about Jeju and talk about the movement for demilitarized peace island solidarity. For International Team member Silver was the host and emcee for the night, creating both a fun and thoughtful atmosphere. The “stage” was decorated with signed flags and signs of solidarity which the guests brought back with them.
The evening began with a trivia contest, with questions related to trips or the trip areas. Prizes included Jeju tangerine chocolate, solidarity t-shirts, and Indonesian coffee. After that each person was asked to give a 5 minute summary of their trip with pictures if they had them. It closed with a question and answer time.
During his talk and while answering questions, Mayor Kang said that he was impressed by the progressive atmosphere of Berkeley and felt that although it was home to many nobel prize winners, many people lived very frugally and not in a flashy manner. He also shared that he met many people from across the pacific ocean especially from small islands, and from them he found that they too were suffering like Jeju because of the endless pursuit of capital, neo-liberalism, and militarism. And they were all victims of war during WW2. He said that America claims they are working for “world security” with a “peace force” but in reality they are tormenting these small islands. He said he believes that Inter-Island Solidarity for Just Peace, beginning with a triangle of Okinawa, Taiwan, and Jeju is possible, because at the conference he felt a pressing need for forging bonds of solidarity at the conference. He also shared that in Berkeley there was a large 2000 year-old-tree which had a large hole in it that he could even climb inside. They were conserving that tree there and he was impressed and respected their effort to preserve their environment. On the other hand, I felt sad that America keeps its own values but at the same time seeks to destroy others values.
Among other things, Chairwoman Jeong told a story about an almost 70 year old native woman activist who she met in Hawaii and was very impressed by. She lost her parents when she was very young. Even back when her grandfather was still alive, that time was the 100th anniversary of U.S. colonization of Hawaii. Until now she has been working with dedication to recover Hawaii and has been to prison for her struggle. Also she met many Korean-American activists in the U.S. and was very impressed that even though Gangjeong is not their hometown they work hard to fight for Gangjeong. She said she was encouraged a lot by many American’s support for the Gangjeong struggle, but at the same time many overseas Koreans and Korean-Americans who were indifferent. She said that she even yelled at one guy who seems like a Korean government agent. She also shared that she learned a lot from the experience and she hoped that other villagers would get a chance to do the same.
Finally, Brother Song talked about the similarities between Jeju, Taiwan, and Okinawa. He said that all of them have similar histories and are suffering by powerful countries in similar ways. In the effort to create the Inter-Island Solidarity for Just Peace Movement, he suggested that we start with these three places as a “trial triangle”. He told the story of an island controlled by Taiwan called “Lanyu” were China discarded nuclear waste there without discussion. It is ironic that all of the most beautiful islands are destroyed by powerful nations. He then shared that the islands which are weaker than Jeju need our solidarity and experience. Meanwhile, Okinawa which has fought for more than 68 years has managed to get some land back from bases but all the land is very polluted. However, more than land contamination, spiritual contamination is more dangerous. In Okinawa, there is an place called, “American Village” where the land has been returned. But the land was contaminated and the economy was dependent on the base, so the people struggled and eventually created an American style village to service U.S. military members, so that they could survive. He said that we need a strong vision for peace so that even if our land is contaminated and the base is built our spirit will not be contaminated. For example, in Gangjeong we can create spaces for peace activists to migrate, give land for refugees, build a peace park, and do peace education, basically creating one big peace village. To gather islands for the Inter-Island Solidarity for Just Peace movement, he suggested sailing on a boat between the islands. He also invited people from around the world to join the every-seven-year-event of the WCC (World Council of Churches) in Busan, Korea this October, where Gangjeong and the Inter-Island Solidarity for Just Peace Movement will be holding a workshop during the forum.
Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Introduces herself to Gangjeong residents.
On June 4, 2013 Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, visited Gangjeong to meet with villagers and activists and see the situation. The visit came as part of a two week visit to South Korea, visiting Korea’s unfortunately numerous sites of struggle for human rights and justice, such as Milyang and Gangjeong.
In the afternoon, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. a meeting was held in the village ceremonial hall with the villagers and activists to hear of their struggle. Sekaggya said that she will take her findings from her visit to Korea and would compile a report to be released in March of 2014. At that time the report will be released to the Human Rights Council in Geneva as well as to the Korean government and publicly.
Upon her arrival many reporters and broadcast news personnel were waiting but following a brief introduction were made to leave and the doors were shut, so that the villagers could speak in private without press intimidation.
Village Anti-Base Committee Chairman, Goh Gwon-Il, begins the proceedings.
The proceedings were emceed by Village Anti-Base Committee Chairman, Goh Gwon-Il who began giving a detailed overview of the history and facts of Gangjeong and the base project until now, such as the first fake vote and the second real vote where 94 percent of the 725 villagers in attendance voted against the base.
Descriptions of military, construction, and police harassment of villagers and activists followed. A video from 2011 of naval soldiers harassing and fighting with villagers was shown. Then a video of the 4-on-1 water assault on and beating of Dr. Song Kang-Ho by Coast Guard SSU Special Unite Divers in 2011. Next a video was shown of Villagers and activists attempted to climb a barge to talk to the workers and navy, and being beaten and pushed from the boat by workers and the navy.
Next videos were shown of the recent crackdown on the sit-in tents near the gate, including the near hanging on Mayor Kang by careless police and public workers, as well as the police pushing Villager Mi-Lyang off a 6 meter high ledge. Then Mi-Lyang, who is still in the hospital for recovery, came to give her testimony of the situation. It was clearly very difficult for her to speak of the recent traumatic event.
Villager Kim Mi-Lyang tells about her traumatic fall at the ends of the police.
Then, Catholic Fr. Kim Sung-Hwan came to speak about and show videos of the oppression on the Catholics, including the near death of Father Mun in April of 2012 as well as the pushing over of Father Mun during communion destroying the sacraments, general police oppression and disruption of the daily catholic mass, including the outrageous use of pepper spray on those attending the mass.
Next, tangerine farmer and chairwoman of the Village Women’s Committee to Stop the Base, Jeong Young-Hee, came to talk about and show pictures and videos of further struggles and injuries from police violence as well as base construction pollution damage to crops. After that, Activist Bok-Hee came and talked about oppression on activists including the police and security thug violence at the construction gates, displaying the many injuries. She also emphasized the double standard, that when there are many cameras or visitors, the police are very gentle and polite but when no one is looking they are violent and rude. Next, Activist Youn-Ae came and gave a personal testimony about her life as an anti-base activist and oppression she has faced in Gangjeong.
Tangerine farmer and chairwoman of the Village Women’s Committee to Stop the Base, Jeong Young-Hee addresses the panel.
Finally, Activist Sung-Hee came and talked about oppression on internationals, emphasizing detail the stories of Benjamin Monnet and Angie Zelter who were targeted and forcefully deported. She also talked about the recent re-entry denial of long-term Taiwanese Gangjeong resident, Emily Wang, as well as the more than 20 other entry denials and deportations related the anti-base struggle.
After the nearly two hours of detailed explanation by Gangjeong villagers and activists there was a general question and answer time. The UN visitors thanked the people for their testimonies and information and asked what kind of things they would like to see in the report, such as concrete statements or actions or resolutions. Although there wasn’t much time to comment 5 people responded with suggestions.
Finally, Margaret Sekaggya thanked everyone again and apologized for the short time. She also said she felt very well received and also thanked the organizers for organizing everything so well. In the end, she wished the people the best in their continued struggle. Then she went out for a short tour of the village before departure.
