No War Base on the Island of Peace
In this February Edition:
Gangjeong will not Give up, In remembrance of Father Bix, Okinawa, Jeju, Taiwanthe
Peace Triangle, Keep THAAD out of South Korea, Hotpinkdolphins meets Taiwan pink dolphins, International Solidarity, Choosing jail to resist unfair fines, Deported for Loving Korea, Interview with a Jeju Activist, Seeking justice from the chimney top, “To Exist is to Resist” Gangjeong Peace School, trial updates and much more!
On Nov. 18, the Gangjeong village association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island, and National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island officially demanded the National Assembly to cut the 2015 Jeju naval base budget of 298 billion won (about $290 million USD) filed by the Government. In their opinion statement, the groups claimed that the Government has habitually ignored National Assembly decisions and promises with the Island people (See the below sources)
The seven reasons to the cut the 2015 Jeju naval base budget
(* Only big titles were translated here. Each details are currently available only in Korean in the below sources)
_Violation of the 2014 budget collateral conditions given by the National Assembly
_Need to reexamine the safety matter of 150,000 ton cruise navigation
_Military housing building project that amplifies conflicts
_Harbor construction without the measures on environment contamination
_Stagnation on the executive results and annual transfer possibility
_Invalid Jeju naval base project
_Continued human rights infringement and government negligence on conflicts
Proposals by the Gangjeong village association and civic society
There should be an inquiry on the responsibility of the Ministry and navy’s habitual violation of National Assembly collateral conditions.
There should be the prompt stop of military housing building that amplifies conflicts. There should be the whole cut of 9,819,000,000 KRW (about $ 9 million USD) construction budget; of 347,000,000 KRW (about $300,000 USD) supervision cost; and of 36,442,000,000 KRW (about 30 million USD) purchase cost for military apartment.
In relation to entry & exit of the military-related vehicles, the construction budget for 19.5 billion KRW (about $ 18 million USD) for the entry road of which its building has not been agreed with villagers should be frozen until measures for noise and environment matters are prepared for.
Also there should be the cut of harbor & bay facility construction cost of 96.4 billion won (about $ 90 million USD); of land facility construction cost of 112 billion KRW (about $110 million USD); of harbor & bay supervision cost of 2.3 billion won (about $2 million USD); and land supervision cost of 2.3 billion won(about $2 million USD), with an inquiry on the responsibility of the supervising committee’s poor management, as well as a demand that the execution of construction budget should not be done unless there is preparation for the measures on the protection of ecology system and soft corals.
In the project promotion budget, there should be the whole cut of about 11 million KRW (about $10,000 USD) for the events such as local residents-invitation events, visitor-welcome events, conflict-management activities. And in the indirect cost, there should be the cut of about 36.5 million KRW (about $ 30,000 USD) for the public relation material production (booklets, leaflets & other materials) and newspaper advertisement. Those budgets bring concern that they could stir up conflicts as the navy makes unilateral public relation, justifying the Jeju naval base project.
The problem of location selection was proved again. Following the destruction of seven caissons – huge concrete structures for the breakwater installed on the maritime of the Jeju naval base construction site- by the typhoon Bolaven in 2012, three caissons were also pushed or slanted down by the typhoon Neoguri ( with the maximum wind speed 19.5 m/s ) in 2014. Fundamental examination on the matter is necessary.
To resolve the conflict on the Jeju civilian-military complex port, the should-be–clearly-examined in the truth investigation raised by the current Won Hee-Ryong Island government (See the Oct. newsletter, Page 1) are the propriety matter of the village general meeting (* which was manipulated by the navy) at the time of the invitation of the Jeju naval base project; validity matter of environment impact assessment; propriety matter of annulment of absolute preservation area not to mention validity matter of location selection; layout errors in relation to the safety matter of 150,000 ton cruise navigation; and suspicion on the data manipulation raised in the process of simulation and the substance of external pressure. To resolve those matters, the Government and National Assembly should be responsible to act.
Before more construction progress, there should be through verification on the reason of the postponement of layout change on the west side jetty and safety matter of 150,000 ton cruise navigation. Also there should be a prompt environment and legal examination whether the planned sea route (changed) can properly work as the Jeju naval base sea route.
Further, there should be total reexamination on the location and military validity as there is a big concern that the Jeju naval base is fundamentally to be used as an outpost for the ROK-US-Japan trilateral military missile defense and naval cooperation targeting China and is to aggregate nuclear arms cost and military confrontation in the Northeast Asia.
Source:
People’s Solidarity for Particpatory Democracy
Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea
Love you, Gureombi (Gangjeong village website)
From May 12th- 19th, Gangjeong people visited Okinawa in the solidarity with Okinawa people against the US base and learned about the tragic war experiences of Okinawa. Also, Gangjeong team brought the documentary ” Gureombi-The Wind is Browing” made by Director Cho, SungBo to show in Okinawa as one of the main program in the “2014 Peace March and Okinawa-Korea solidarity Assembly”. After showing the movie, Movie Critic Yang, YunMo and other Gangjeong peace activists had presentation about Gangjeong.
The following is the presentation draft of Taiwanese Peace activist Emily on the Inter-island solidarity for peace including the advertisement of the August Peace Camp in Jeju island.
—
Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace
May 17th, 2014
My name is Emily. I am from Taiwan. As the international peace activist, since 2011, I have been living in Gangjeong and struggling together against the naval base project in Gangjeong, Jeju Island. Through the Gangjeong struggle, I got to learn the painful history of Jeju and also got to realize the suffering reality of Okinawa. These experiences have given me a lot of big question marks on my island Taiwan where I born and grow up, and that drives me to study more about Taiwan, and that’s how I began to know that Jeju, Okinawa and Taiwan are actually under the same flowing of history tide. Finally it provided a background to dream the peace making with all these islands involved.
Jeju and Okinawa are both struggling against US base and militarism.
Now the naval base is under construction in Jeju island, and in the future, we worry the airbase will soon be settled up and Jeju might be more and more militarized like Okinawa. ( Alttre airbase was built by Japanese colonizer and now the land ownership still remain under the Ministry of Defense of Korea, which means anytime, the Korea government can use that land to rebuild the airbase again. )
When we look at the Okinawa and think of the Jeju’s situation, it’s easier to think that these two islands and probably other islands which suffer from the US base should build up solidarity for each other to kick out the US military. Sure, I agree with that too.
But the situation in Taiwan is a bit different that there’s no more US base in Taiwan. Actually in the past during the cold war, there were lots of US bases in Taiwan too since ROK government in Taiwan was the US’s partners. While Okinawa transformed its times from US military colonization into the governance of Japanese government in 1972, Okinawa didn’t get rid of US bases but was being loaded with more US bases, and in Taiwan, that the US troops left didn’t mean the end of the cold war.
With the theory of China Threat, Taiwan is still under the umbrella of US military. We altogether just went on from the times of cold war to the new cold war. Under the competition and balance of the military power between China and US, Taiwan is pathetically enjoyed the peace of suffering. Our suffering has been resulted under the same structure though it looks different.
In the region of North East Asia, these three islands are all at the same corner of conflicts which has its historical dimension and the resource-driven economic dimension. As we are existing in the same region, I think Taiwan, Okinawa, and Jeju should realize the ‘DMZ Peace Islands movement’ together.
The history already told us that our fates are connected. We can never make the DMZ Peace Island alone, and we can never enjoy the peace alone. I think the peace realized through the victimization of another island is a shame, and finally we can only sink one after one under the militarization tide.
<Website of Peace for Sea International Peace Camp: https://sites.google.com/site/peaceforthesea/>
We need the strong will and creativity to overcome the conflict in our region. So that, in this August, in Jeju, we prepared the program called “Peace for Sea International Peace Camp”. We want to invite many people especially from Okinawa and Taiwan to participate as one of the small step to develop the “Inter-island Solidarity for Peace”
To recognize the destruction brought by the war base, to learn and exchange an oceanic view of the islanders’ stories and to grow up the oceanic peace actions under the concept of Inter-island solidarity for peace are our goals. This year Jeju will be the host island, and we would like to see this activity under the concept of inter-island solidarity for peace take turn to be held in Okinawa(2015) and Taiwan(2016) too.
Jeju, Okinawa, and Taiwan are not the border islands of Korea, Japan, and China. They are simply our beloved hometown. Yesterday, I saw this sign when we climb up a tower to watch the whole Futenma base. Here, the people are not just fight for the returning of the base land, here people are already dreaming the plans how they will use these base land to be returned.
I think we three islands need to draw the plans together how we will make our islands the DMZ peace islands. For this, in this August, please come to Jeju Island!
Let’s sail in the sea of peace.
Yang Yoon-Mo was released at midnight (00:00 am of April 12th) after 435 days in prison, which is his 4th time imprisonment on the way opposing to the Jeju naval base.
“It was a really great and joyful celebration. Although he was released after midnight, many people from around Jeju and Korea came as early as 9 p.m. to begin waiting and also having a small party. By the time he was released there were more than 100 people even though it was late at night and the Jeju Prison is not really easy to get too. It was an amazing time and we are so happy he was released.”… by Paco Booyah
Gangjeong People held a welcome party for Yang yoon-Mo at the Gangjeong village association hall.
For more of Emily’s photos, see : http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/496a/1348
Fwd by SungHee Choi:
“Video of Yang Yoon-Mo’s speech in front of Jeju Prison after 435 days in prison, which is his 4th time imprisonment on the way opposing to the Jeju naval base : He declares his will on 10 million people’s petition campaign for the legislation on ‘Demilitarized Life and Peace Island,
(Video by Song Dong-Hyo )
As soon as Yang Yoon-Mo made an exit out of the Jeju Prison, he warmly hugged with each person who came to the site for welcoming him. The 1st words he shouted in his speech were “Absolutely no naval base!”He also thanked many people naming each of them including Bishop Kang U-Il.
“It is thanks to your sharing spirit in which you have daily given your core ability for me who is insufficient, despite your keeping desperate struggle field while each of you maintains individual pride. That is how I can return back to you with healthy and stronger struggle will after the life of warm sunlight inside the prison.”
“ I had once thought from ignorance that our struggle is disadvantageous as time goes but I realized in prison that it would be rather advantageous with the time.”
“ I became to bear a dream to make this struggle trustworthy. I will start 10 million people’s petition campaign in which all the nationwide citizens join to set the Jeju to be Demilitarized Life and Peace Island. The petition also aims to get signature from 200,000 people of Jeju, one third of the Jeju population. And the petition is to build a legislative campaign for the Jeju to be the demilitarized peace Island in 2017, the next Presidential election.”
Yang Uoon-Mo said that there have been encouragement letters to him from about 30 countries. He appealed to people to build Gangjeong as the global life and peace village by not stopping our struggle. ”
Update: Dr. Song Kang-Ho was released on Nov. 29. Please see here. And Mr. Kang Bu-Eon was released on Dec. 3.
Regis Tremblay, a movie director of ‘The Ghosts of Jeju,’ thankfully made these images for the English speakers. Bruce Gagnon writes in his blog:
“These good people are right now languishing inside the jail house on Jeju Island, South Korea. And there are more on the way.
Their crime? Trying to non-violently block the construction vehicles from entering the Navy base “destruction” site in Gangjeong village. In the case of Yang Yoon-Mo he got an 18 month sentence. And many people are being given severe fines to pay.
One activist from Hawaii, who spent considerable time in Gangjeong village in solidarity with the villagers, has reported: “There is no heat for male prisoners (I do not know about the women’s section of the jail) during the frigid months of winter. The conditions are inhumane.”
We can’t ever forget these good people who are fighting for peace, the environment, and human rights. See more at the official Jeju web site Save Jeju Now.‘
# Among the five, Mr. Kang Bu-Eon is a village elder, who has spent lots of time in his childhood on the Gureombi Rock. He had taken care of his sick wife who fell down for a stroke eight years ago. He himself takes four medicines for illness.
For more photos on the event, see here.
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!
1. Facing typhoon, illegal construction (destruction) is madly being done
Dr. Song Kang-Ho, member of the SOS team whose recent activities are reported in Hankyoreh 21 wrote on June 24:
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.
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.”
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.’
See one more video, here:
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.
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.
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 decades against 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”
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.
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 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.
Taitung county government office: +886-89-325394
Lanyu governmental office : +886-89-732110 #100
A brief introduction of Lanyu Island
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.
1. Island government attributes the cause of failure in invitation of the UN CBD COP to people’s WCC protest
Some representing Jeju internet media criticize the Jeju Island government to point out the protesters opposing the Jeju naval base project as the cause of its failure to invite the UN CBD COP 12 (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, 12th Conference of the Parties). For reference, the COP 11 was held in Hyderabad, India, from 8 to 19 October 2012.
It was April 30 that the ROK Ministry of Environment decided the venue of the UNCBD COP12 in Pyeongchang, Gangwon province.
The Jeju media reports on May 2 that Kim Sun-Woo, Vice-governor of Environment and Economy, talked about the things during the review process on the location of COP 12 in the meeting with the news reporters accredited to the Island government on the day.
According to Jeju Sori,
Vice-governor Kim introduced an episode saying that, “one of the judges raised an issue on a performance that the opposing groups against the Jeju naval base project carried out during the WCC. It was the most embarrassing inquiry to answer during the examination process.”
He was pointing out the performance in which each activist did not move lying inside the venue of the Convention Center where the WCC was held [from Sept. 6 to 15].
However, the Jeju Sori criticized his remarks:
‘His is in fact merely an excuse. The Island governnment started its activities on the invitation of COP 12 this year. It has been less than 4 months.
Not only its start was very late but it has not gathered Island people’s collective opinions on it. The Jeju Island government has also confessed that “we could not afford it because of the WCC.”
The remarks by the Vice Governor Kim means he was unreasonably venting his wrath to the Gangjeong villagers who are suffering from the naval base project for seven years.’
Media Jeju also wrote that it feels the shady Jeju Island government shameful to attribute its failure on the invitation of the COP 12 to the protesters.
2. Otherwise, the Jeju Island government is driving for the project for the Jeju World Leaders’ Conservation Forum, as a following measure for the Jeju declaration adopted in the 2012 WCC Jeju. The Jeju Island is to poster the forum as the Korean version Davos forum.”
The Jeju-based Halla Ilbo has reported on Jan. 30, 2013, that consultation between the Ministry of Environment and Jeju island government started on the discussion of participation size, program, agenda, budget size, organizing, establishment of foundation, methods of fundraising. Their aim is to hold its 1st forum in April, 2013.
Its strategy is to jointly sponsor the forum by the IUCN, Ministry of Environment, and Jeju island government and presents a new model for an environment meeting that presents a new vision by the discussion by ‘the highest-ranking leaders in the environment field.’
It is ironic and hypocritical that the Jeju Island government who joins the destruction with the naval base project in the Gangjeong village promotes the Jeju as a world environment herb that is centered on the big oligarchies such as Samsung, the main construction company of the Jeju naval base project.
3. The Island government’s such shameful remarks and moves are in line with the government propaganda to attribute to the opponents against the base project as the ‘pro-North Korea left wing.’
It was on March 18, 2013, that a Korean media, Hankyoreh disclosed that Won Se-Hoon, chief of the ROK National Intelligence Service interfered in the Pre-Presidential election by ‘ordering his employees to interfere directly in national politics.’ The results were employee’s black comments in on-line sites to defame the opponents against the Jeju naval base project. The article reads:
‘Several similarities were detected between Won’s messages and messages posted by Kim on the site Today’s Humor. Her messages also contained criticisms of opponents to the building of a naval base on Jeju Island, praise for former President Lee Myung-bak’s overseas tours, and characterizations of opposition politicians as “pro-North Korea.” The similarities support claims that she acted according to the NIS chief’s orders.’
Some groups including the Office of Jang Hana (National Assembly woman, Democratic United Party), Democratic Lawyers’ Association and People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) have filed for lawsuits on Won Sei-Hoon for the charge of defamation on March 21.
The inter-connections among the Jeju Island government, navy, police, and National Intelligence Service is nothing new. The 812th program of the ‘PD Note,’ a documentary titled, “Why is the Gangjeong Village, Jeju, So Angry?” broadcast on May 5, 2009 has already disclosed on the secret meeting by those institutes, which shows the Jeju Island government, NIS, navy, and police’s intentional and systematic strategy of division and oppression of the village community for the enforcement of naval base construction. See here.
For the Korean leaders, criticism on Won Sei-Hoon’s policies in relation to the WCC and protesters can be seen here, in detail.
Update: The arrested was released in the night of April 9. See the below.
Gangjeong has been in emergency from the early morning of April 8.
While company workers block the gates, police are intentionally silent on it. People are desperately keeping the gate. Company workers’ violence to people is very high possibilities. One young man was hit in eye glass and needed medical investigation in face on April 8. One person was arrested on the same day.
It was from the early morning of April 8, Monday, that such change in situation happened in front of the naval base construction sites in the village. During the conflicts between the people and construction company workers, Mr. Bae Gi-Chul, co-representative of the Jeju Pan Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island was arrested while he was sitting in front of a truck. He was the first arrested this year. (See the video underneath. Update: He was released in the night of April 9)
Village siren rang on April 9 following April 8.
The Jeju Pan Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island stated in April 9. See the Original Korean statement, here:
‘The navy has enforced construction in violation of the project approval conditions, such as dumping sands and stones on the sea even before the silt-protectors that have been damaged by strong rain and wind last weekend are restored. Further, large amount of earth and sands have been leaked into the sea due to the rainy weather last weekend, resulting in mud water, while the people’s criticism on the navy’s illegal construction has been bigger.
Moreover, the Jeju Island government, confirming the fact on the damage of the silt-protectors, has noticed the navy to pose maritime construction until the completion of repair on them. Despite that, the navy, enforcing construction(destruction), is oppressing the villagers and activists protesting to it, rather with mobilization of company thugs. And the police are abusing their state power, demanding people of ‘unconditional scattering,’ with neither understanding nor judgement on the people’s reason of protest.’
For more photos of protests, see here.
Illegal construction, destroying the UNESCO-designated soft coral habitats
As mentioned, illegal construction enforced with broken silt-protectors and dumped unwashed sands & stones on the sea was continued.
A Jeju media, Headline Jeju on April 8 reads:
‘It appeared that the sea area of the Beomseom (Tiger Island) designated as the government natural memorial is largely being threatened as big amount of mud water was leaked from the Jeju naval base construction site into the sea, for the strong rain and wind last weekend.
The Jeju branch of the Korean Federation for Environment Movement stated on April 8, confirming the fact that the damage of mud water reached even to the sea areas of the Beomseom and Seogun Island where soft corals inhibit in group. It would affect their ecology environment not a little. [..]
The organization stated that “Even though there was weather cast days before, the navy has had no prevention measures on it. [..]’
Mr. Bae Gi-Chul, just before the arrest on April 8. The 100 peace bow music had been being played. The police threatening him to arrest under the charge of obstruction of business, finally arrest him. video by Kim Bok-Chul.
Don’t cry.. video by Kim Bok Chul on April 8.
Company worker (security) violence to people during the catholic mass from 11 am to 12:20 pm. Video by Kim Bok-Chul on April 8
People in front of 25 ton dump truck on April 9. Some people praying in front of it. Video by Kim Bok-Chul
Fr. Mun’s teared rosary prayer in front of cement mixer truck on April 9 (Video by Pang Eun-Mi)
April 9 protest (video by Peace Nomad)
Words from Felice Cohen-Joppa, US
‘Take care, friends – thinking of you all… Your courage and persistence in the face of violence, in the struggle for peace, is an inspiration that echoes around the world. Last night Jack and I went to see Arlo Guthrie in concert – celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of his late father Woody Guthrie. He invited us to sing the last song with him, loud enough so that it would reach people around the world engaged in struggle.
My Peace
Words by Woody Guthrie,
Music by Arlo Guthrie
My peace, my peace is all I’ve got that I can give to you
My peace is all I ever had that’s all I ever knew
I give my peace to green and black and red and white and blue
My peace my peace is all I’ve got that I can give to you
My peace, my peace is all I’ve got and all I’ve ever known
My peace is worth a thousand times more than anything I own
I pass my peace around and about ‘cross hands of every hue;
I guess my peace is justa ‘bout all I’ve got to give to you’