On Dec. 1, while two young activists who were arrested on Nov. 28 and indicted by prosecutors since then were finally released by the court review on arrest warrant, the people who have started fast sit-in along with hair-shaving on Nov. 29 ended their sit-in in front of the National Assembly, after confirming many people’s solidarity and pledge by the politicians (See the below translated statement). Instead the sit-in will continue in the outdoor sit-in camp in the center of Seoul. Many people were happy at the good news that happened all together on the day. Today, Dec. 2 is Sunday. The Presidential election day of Dec. 19 is approaching soon. Construction vehicles passing the naval base project gates in Gangjeong stopped from the evening of Friday, Nov. 30 and people could take care life again after the high points of Nov. 28 and 29. However, in front of construction gate, the company thugs are removing people’s lumbers that people have filed up as barricade. Gangjeong can never rest. Anyway, here are the stories on Dec. 1.
Photo by Park Yongsung/ Two people who were arrested on Nov. 28 were finally released on Dec. 1. By the Dec. 1, all the three arrested on Nov. 28 were released.
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1. People’s statement ending the outdoor sit-in in front of the National Assembly on Dec. 1
Statement by the ‘Let’s live together’ Sit-In Camp Village:
The struggle to cut the budget on the Jeju naval base project and to stop construction will be continued
Mayor Kang’s overnight sit-in protest on the street without the tent in front of the national assembly in Seoul. . .enduring the coldest night with the vinyl. . .Photo by Park Rae-goon (Facebook post by Regina Pyon)
On Nov. 28, the Saenuri Party unilaterally passed the original budget bill on the 2013 Jeju naval base project that the Government has submitted, in the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly. The Jeju naval base is a project full of flaws from the design to construction process; such as suspicion on the unreliable construction, charges on manipulation and unreasonable construction have been endlessly raised. However, despite such numerous problems, the Saenuri Party committed undemocratic and unjust behavior confirming, without proper verification, whole amount of 209 billion won that the Government has submitted as the Jeju naval base project budget next year, .
Thereupon, to stop the 2013 Jeju naval base budget to be passed in the Budget and Balance committee of the National assembly, Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyun, mayor Kang Dong-Kyun, Fr. Mun Kyu-Hyun, Father Jeong Man-Young (Kolbe Chung), Mr. Song Chang-Wook (a Jeju resident), Park Soon-Hee (ex-representative of Nationwide Catholic Committee for the Justice) etc. decided hair-shaving and started fast sit-in, bearing an outdoor sleep amid the cold winter winds along with the friends of ‘Lets’ Live Together’ Sit-In Camp Village in front of the National Assembly.
When such hair-shaving and fast sit-in started, members of the Democratic United Party, Progressive Justice Party and United Progressive Party visited the camp and pledged the budget cut on the naval base. The Green Party members and Kim So-Yeon, Presidential candidate of the Workers also expressed their same will, having the outdoor sit-in together. Various human rights, civic labor movement, environmental groups supporting the cause of outdoor sit-in, also pledged to join the struggle to stop the Jeju naval base budget next year being passed in the National Assembly.
Currently it is told that the National Assembly tentatively agreed to postpone the [decision] by the Budget and Balance committee that decides the budget next year, to the afterward of the Presidential election. The politicians who visited the outdoor sit-in camp in front of the National Assembly and who promised that they would stop the passage of the Jeju naval base budget [in the National Assembly] must keep the promise without fail. If not, we would stage a struggle to inquire the responsibility for breaking their words not only to the Saenuri Party(* the ruling conservative) but also to the opposition parties including the Democratic United Party.
Now trusting their promise, we are to return back to the “Let’s live together Sit-In Camp Village” in front of the Daehanmoon [of the Deoksou Palace, in the center of Seoul]. However we make clear that our struggle does never finish with the ending of our sit-in in front of the National Assembly. Through the sit-in struggle extended in the “Let’s Live Together Sit-In Camp Village,” we will fight to the end for the whole cut on the 2013 Jeju naval base budget, and further, to totally revoke the Jeju naval base project.
The sit-in in front of the National Assembly is not the sit-in only for the Gangjeong villagers and activists who oppose the Jeju naval base. It is also an outdoor sit-in of the “Let’s Live Together Sit-In Camp Village,” being with the bereaved families of Yongsan, laid-off workers of Ssangyong automobile company and anti-nuclear activists fighting against the nuclear development. We who are evicted and pushed away are fighting in solidarity, feeling one another’s pain together. Our fighting is a joint action in life and solidarity in struggle to stop this cruel system that increases the wealth and power of the haves who take the bitter grievous tear and cry of the poor and powerless as manure.
We will fight together to the end until the day of total revocation on the Jeju naval base project with our power of solidarity and joint action. Our solidarity and struggle will continue.
Dec. 1, 2012
Let’s live together Sit-In Camp Village
(The original Korean statement(see here) was forwarded by Baek Gayoon, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island)
Videos on Sit-In in front of National Assembly from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1
The 2nd night of Sit-in protest in Seoul urging the entire budget cut of Jeju naval base. . .Enduring the coldest night of this winter with the music. . .Lee Tae-ho, secretary general of PSPD, is playing the alto recorder(flute) ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ of ‘The Mission’. . Video by Fr. Youngmin Choi, Jesuit priest (Facebook post by Regina Pyon)
Freezing night on the street. . .even the vinyl roof was not allowed for the sit-in in front of the national assembly bldg. . .After the catholic mass at noon on December 1, the overnight sit-in has closed as the budget and balance committee of national assembly was informed to be held after the presidential election on December 19 to decide the funding of Jeju naval base of 2013 finally. Flim by Dunguree Park Seong-su (Facebook post by Regina Pyon)
Other images in Seoul
Post by Christian Karl/ No naval base sign projected on the City Hall building, Seoul
Photo and caption by Emily Wang/ Festival in front of Deoksugung Palace. In front of the Deoksugung palace, a delicious and cheerful festival is going on. It’s a festival to give the solidarity to many social issues in Korea, including the budget issue of naval base. People are making the struggle cheerful in the cold winter in Seoul.
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2. All the activists were released by the evening of Dec. 1. However, abuse of state power has to be continuously raised as an issue.
Among the three arrested on Nov. 28, Mr. Kim Kook-Nam, a Jeju native who climbed up to a car wearing wire net at the risk of imprisonment was released by the evening of Nov. 29. However, Mr. Park Han-Baek and Mr. Park Jong-Hoon, two young men at their 20s and 30s who came from the main land were not released until the evening of Dec. 1. Mr. park Jong-Hoon was underneath a construction vehicle to stop the entry/exit of construction vehicles while 25 year old Park Han-Baek was just sitting in front of car with other people. Both of them were told to be charged with accumulated charges in the past, too, for their protests to stop the base project.
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ The photo is Mr. park Jong-Hoon who was not released until Dec. 1. Mr. Park Jong-Hoon entered underneath a car to block construction vehicles on Nov. 28. See more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo, here.
Otherwise, in case of Mr. park Han-Baek, “The police carried a 25 year old young man away to a police car by an error judgment in presence of Lee Dong-Min, chief of the Seogwipo Police station(* A man from the main land and who ordered the blast of the Gureombi Rock, which went for two months, starting on March 7, this year). While the police acknowledged wrong order, the police and prosecutors were complicit to request imprisonment of him for investigation, charging him obstruction of business. See the below video.
On the unjust arrest of a 25 year old young man on Nov. 28
Video by Gami Kim (Source: Click here)
Photo and caption by Park Yong-Sung on Nov. 30/”Two men are now in the Dongbu Police station, Jeju City and there would be the court review on the execution on arrest warrant against them in the Jeju local court at 4 pm, Dec. 1.”
Upon the release of the two, peace activist, Park Yongsung wrote:
‘It is very clear that there is happening cracks among the police, prosecutors and court. I want to believe that the power of people can change politics. We want to believe that Gangjeong can change the world.
Two friends told running to us, “I am sorry to make you have worried on me. My conviction for Gangjeong and peace became stronger when I acknowledged that I may be imprisoned. It is thanks to you who made all the efforts for us. “
The lawyer is told to have succeeded to dishearten the infamous prosecutor, Park Kyun-Joon [who has seldom failed to send people opposing base project to the prison.’
Another peace activist, Jo Yak Gol mentions that abuse by state power to indiscriminately issue arrest warrant to people should be stopped. Here is his video and summary on what really happened on Nov. 28.
On the day of ruling party’s unilateral pass of budget bill in the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, violent police oppression on the people’s non-violent civil disobedience happened.
Video and summary by Jo Yak Gol(Source: Click here)
Summary( translated)
1. The police are dragging an international peacekeeper to the ground. He was only taking photos. The police even lie that he fell down because he mis-stepped. The police even prevent people’s rights to free speech and report.
2. A peacekeeper(Mr. Park Han-Baek) was arrested by the order of the chief of the Seogwipo police station, Lee Dong-Min, with no reason given, during the police roughing out of people. While the police acknowledge that arrest of him was by an error judgement, the chief of the Seogwipo Police station escapes the site amid people’s protest. The young man is now facing the court review on arrest warrant against him.
3. The police arrest a peacekeeper(Mr. Kim Kook-Nam) who was just quietly sitting on the car with wire net in his upper body. The police threw down him to the police vehicle with no safety equipment around.
Eventually the man was injured by the wire net during the police’s violent arrest of him. (released on the night of Nov. 29)
4. A woman cries during the police roughing out of people, while she was pushed down here and there, with her under clothes exposed. The police just continue their job, ignoring the woman.
5. While a peace keeper(Mr. Park Jong-Hoon) underneath a truck with his hands handcuffed to the truck, Koo Seul-Hwan, the security director of the Seogwipo police station order his policemen to forcefully cut the handcuffs and take him away. Koo Seul-Hwan, the chief of the security director is the very guy who ordered to use hammer on March 19 and electric air saw on April 16 to cut the PVC pipes through which people connected their arms together to stop explosive cars and construction vehicles. Despite Park’s scream of pain, the police ignores it. The young man, Mr. Park Jong-Hoon in his early 30s is now facing court review on arrest warrant against him.
The police overexertion of crackdown in violation of human rights is only for the interest of navy and Samsung!
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3. See also Carol Reckinger’s blog: “Gochak “Detention Circles
