To:
Ashok Khosla
President
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Rue Mauverney 28
1196 Gland
Switzerland
RE: South Korean Non-Governmental Organizations Endorse the Motion #181. Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village
Dear Dr. Ashok Khosla,
We, South Korean non-governmental organizations, are writing to you today to show our full support and endorsement to the Motion #181 “Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village”. The naval base construction in Gangjeong has endangered rare marine and land species, destroyed local peoples’ lives and cultures while human rights violations are frequently occurring on environmental defenders.
We support recommendations to the Republic of Korea in the motion suggested by the Center for Humans and Nature, IUCN member organization. The construction of the naval base must be stopped immediately. A recommendation in the version that was modified by the Resolution Working Group reads, “Take appropriate measures to prevent adverse environmental and socio-cultural consequences associated with the construction of the Civilian-Military Complex Port Project”. It already implies and acknowledges the environmental and socio-cultural destruction by the enforced naval base project in Gangjeong, despite the opposition by the majority of villagers. We, as South Korean civil society organizations, do not agree with this recommendation because construction of naval base contradicts a core value of the UN World Charter for Nature and the Earth Charter.
On 30 May 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Human Rights Defenders, and Peaceful Assembly and Association sent a joint allegation letter to South Korean government on ongoing human rights violations in Gangjeong towards environmental defenders who peacefully protested. Unfortunately, even though the letter kindly requests a response within sixty days, the Government has not responded yet. We would like to kindly remind you that IUCN Res. 2.37 is on Support for Environmental Defenders indicating “UNDERSTANDING that the participation of non- governmental organizations and individual advocates is essential to the fundamentals of civil society to assure the accountability of governments and multinational corporations; and AWARE that a nation’s environment is only truly protected when concerned citizens are involved in the process;”
In this vein, we, as South Korean non-governmental organizations, firmly stand in solidarity with the Motion #181 “Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village” as originally suggested by the Center for Humans and Nature. If you have any questions or need a clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us at peace@pspd.org or +82-2-723-4250.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Dong-kyun
Kang Village Mayor
Gangjeong Village Association
Mr. Gi-ryong Hong
Co-convenor
Jeju Pan-Island Committee for Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island
(26 Jeju based NGOs: 곶자왈사람들, 노래패청춘, 서귀포시민연대, 서귀포여성회,양용찬열사추모사업회, 전국공무원노조 제주지역본부, 전국교직원노동조합 제주 지부, 전국농민회총연맹 제주도연맹, 전국민주노동조합총연맹 제주본부, 전국여성 농민회총연합 제주도연합, 제주 4.3 도민연대, 제주 4.3 연구소, 제주민족예술인 총연합, 제주여민회, 제주여성인권연대, 제주주민자치연대, 제주참여환경연대, 제 주통일청년회, 제주평화인권센터, 제주환경운동연합, 참교육을 위한 전국학부모회 제주지부, 천주교 제주교구 평화의섬 실현을 위한 특별위원회, 탐라자치연대, 평 화를 위한 그리스도인 모임, 한국기독교장로회 제주노회 정의평화위원회, 한국장 애인연맹 제주 DPI)
Ms. Hee-young Kang
Co-representative
Korea Environment NGO Network
(36 Korean environmental NGOs: 공주녹색연합, 광주전남녹색연합, 국립공원을지키는시민의모임, 기독교환경운동연대, 녹색교통운동, 녹색미래, 녹색연합, 대구경북녹색연합, 대전충남녹색연합, 부산녹색연합, 분당환경시민의모임, 불교환경연 대, 생명의 숲, 생태보전시민모임, 사)생태지평연구소, 수원환경운동센터, 에너지 나눔과평화, 에코붓다, 여성환경연대, 우이령보존회, 원불교천지보은회, 원주녹색 연합, 인드라망생명공동체, 인천녹색연합, 전국귀농운동본부, 제주참여환경연대, 풀꽃세상을 위한모임, 한국YMCA전국연맹, 한국YWCA연합회, 한국자원순환재활 용연합회, 환경과공해연구회, 환경과생명을지키는전국교사모임, 환경사목위원회, 환경운동연합, 환경정의)
Mr. Taeho Lee
Co-convenor
National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island
(125 Korean civil society organizations: 21세기한국대학생연합, 21세기코리아연구소, 4.9인혁열사계승사업회, 4.9통일평화재단, 615공동선언실천청년학생연대, AWC한국위원회, IVF사회부, KYC한국청년연합, 강정마을회, 강정을사랑하는육지 사는제주사름, 개척자들, 경계를넘어, 공의정치실천연대, 교회개혁실천연대, 기독 교사회선교연대회의, 기독교환경운동연대, 기독청년아카데미, 나눔문화, 남북평화 연구소, 남북평화재단통일을준비하는사람들, 노동사회과학연구소, 노동인권회관, 노동전선, 노점노동연대, 녹색연합, 농민약국, 다함께, 동북아평화교육훈련원 (NARPI), 무기제로팀, 문화연대, 민가협양심수후원회, 민족문제연구소, 민족민주 열사희생자추모단체연대회의, 민족자주평화통일중앙회의, 민족화합운동연합(사), 민주노동자전국회의, 민주민생평화통일주권연대, 민주사회를위한변호사모임, 민주 언론시민연합, 민주화를위한전국교수협의회, 민주화실천가족운동협의회, 반전평화 연대(준), 불교인권위원회, 불교평화연대, 불안정노동철폐연대, 비폭력평화물결, 빈곤사회연대, 빈민해방실천연대, 사월혁명회, 사회진보연대, 새벽이슬, 생명평화 결사, 생명평화기독연대, 생명평화마당, 생명평화연대, 생태지평, 시민평화포럼, 실천불교전국승가회, 언론소비자주권 국민캠페인, 얼굴있는거래, 예수살기, 외국 인이주노동운동협의회, 원불교사회개벽교무단, 인권실천시민행동, 인권재단 사람, 전국교직원노동조합, 전국노동자회, 전국농민회총연맹, 전국목회자정의평화협의회, 전국민족민주유가족협의회, 전국민주노동조합총연맹, 전국민주화운동유가족협의 회(사), 전국빈민연합, 전국여성농민회총연합, 전국여성연대, 전국장애인차별철폐 연대, 전국학생행진, 전쟁없는세상, 전태일노동대학, 전태일재단, 제주군사기지저 지와평화의섬실현을위한범도민대책위원회, 제주사회문제협의회, 제주해군기지반 대강정주민대책위원회, 조국통일범민족연합 남측본부, 주한미군범죄근절운동본부,진보사랑, 진실을알리는시민, 참여연대, 천주교인권위원회, 천주교정의구현전국연 합, 통일광장, 통일문제연구소, 평화군축박람회준비위원회, 평화네트워크, 평화누 리, 평화를 만드는 여성회, 평화바닥, 평화바람, 평화박물관, 평화와통일을여는사 람들, 평화재향군인회, 평화통일시민연대, 평화통일연구소, 하나누리, 한국가톨릭 농민회(사), 한국교회인권센터, 한국기독교교회협의회(NCCK) 정의평화위원회, 한 국기독교사회문제연구원, 한국기독교장로회 교회사회위원회, 한국기독교장로회 생명선교연대, 한국기독청년학생연합회, 한국비정규센터, 한국아나뱁티스트센터 (KAC), 한국여성단체연합, 한국정신대문제대책협의회, 한국진보연대, 한국청년연 대, 한국YMCA전국연맹, 한민족생활문화연구회(사), 한빛누리, 함께하는 시민행동, 현장실천연대, 환경운동연합, 환경정의, 희년함께)
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