Aegis made the 1st entry to Gangjeong, Peace for the Sea to be Continued, Bishop Kang U-il address, The Real Struggle Starts from Now On, The 2nd Gangjeong Peace Conference, The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Hotpinkdolphins went to Taiji, Henoko Resistance Continues, international solidarity photos, Daelim to suffocate Gangjeong financially again, Watching Samsung, Trial Update, The Song of Gangjeong, Documentary Nomad visit, ‘No to THAAD; actions, Peace Book Cafe Now, Gangjeong people visiting Miryang, Keep Space for Peace Week, Syrian campaign etc.
Sung-Hee Choi reports from Gangjeong village on Jeju Island, South Korea:
[Sept. 5] Bishop Kang U-Il says, “The real struggle starts from now on.”
On a gently rainy day, about 500 priests, sisters, laymen, villagers, and peace activists gathered to celebrate the opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in the village. The event organizers had expected about 200 crowd.
The four story building, of which the idea was first initiated by Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyeon and Bishop Kang U-il, is hoped to be ‘an outpost for the peace of Northeast Asia’ (Bishop Kang)
On the day, the words by Bishop Kang, the Board President of the Center, was resolute, touching and inspiring.
The Jeju Sori, a local media, excerpted some of his long speech. Thanks to it, here I also translate some of his words as well.
……………………………………………………
“There are people who ask whether the struggle has finished with the naval base [that will port US warships aimed at China] being almost completed. No. It has not finished. The real struggle starts from now on.”
“In April 2005, I expressed my opinions, for the first time, against naval base construction. There are five reasons following the public teachings.”
“Firstly, war is disaster. It cannot be a solution between nations. It is because such thing did not happen in the past and would not happen in the future, either.”
“Secondly, when a state power takes arms force, it can be justified and get citizens’ sympathy only by strict conditions. The mobilization of state power against the struggle in opposition to the Gangjeong naval base can never be a self-defense. “
“Thirdly, modern arms are weapons of massive mankind-killing. The increment of arms cannot be connected to peace.”
“Fourthly, we are dumping tremendous budgets into arms production. What if it is used for the nation progress, for the poor..?”
“Lastly, why there should be a military base in Jeju, the far-most from the Korean truce line and the tainted by the wounds of the April 3rd incident? Jeju is the Peace Island designated by the government. The relationship between any military base and the Peace Island is like water and oil.”
“With the construction of the naval base, the death of the April 3rd spirits has become meaningless…”
“Sixty-seven years ago, more than 30,000 people, more than 10% of the whole population of the Jeju Island people lost their lives for the April 3rd incident. [A massacre of Jeju peasants directed by the US military.] They were mostly innocent Island people nothing to do with ideology conflicts. They died without knowing the reasons of their deaths.”
“There are people who say that there is no more need of struggle since the Gangjeong base has been almost completed. No, the real struggle starts from now on.”
“The people we counter is not those who covered the Gureombi Rock with concrete. Nor the youths who come to the naval base to fulfill their duty for national defense. It is those who consider war positively.”
“It is the struggle against those who justify war preparation disguising their violent spirit with the logic of national security. On any basis, war is not right.”
The overflow crowd outside of the grand opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in Gangjeong village/ Photo by Choi Sung-Hee
The overflow crowd outside of the grand opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in Gangjeong village/ Photo by Choi Sung-Hee
In this month’s issue:
Yang Yoon-Mo Free at last, April 3rd Remembrances, 4 catholics arrested, letter from David Hartsough, Trial Updates, Peace for the Sea Camp, Peace Book Cafe anniversary, international solidarity, and more!
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo, Catholic priests united facing the navy and police violence and insult in front of construction gate, Nov. 12, 2012. For many more resourceful photos on the day by Jang Hyun-Woo, see here.
Catholic priests unite against the navy and police violence
Since Fr. Lee Young-Chan(Jesuit) was arrested and imprisoned on Oct. 24, the Catholic priests have been holding a special mass beside their daily 11 am mass in front of construction site, every 4pm, Monday.
At 4 pm, Nov. 12, Catholic priests, clergy men and women who belong to the Catholic Solidarity for the Realization of Jeju, Peace Island, visited the village before the evening mass held by Bishop Kang U-Il in the Jeju City on the day.
It was about 30 minutes later that four buses marked with ‘Korea National Defense University: KNDU’ and ‘ROK navy’ were to visit the Jeju naval base project building complex. When their entry became impossible because of the mass, police were mobilized and the police roughed out and moved away priests from the site, saying that the priests were doing of ‘obstructing business.’ Priests were released only after the buses passed into the building complex despite people’s protests.
Photo By Jang Hyun-Woo/ The signs on the bus read, ‘Korea National Defense University: KNDU’ and ‘ROK navy’
The Catholic priests denounced the police and navy : “It never happens in the world that the police mobilize, stop the mass, and confine priests indiscriminately without notice while religious events are processed. The police have not made any reflection despite the incident of damaged Eucharist by such police behavior last August.”
People including Mr. Go Gwon-Il, Chairman of the Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base denounced the police: “Though their identities are uncertain, some of them in military costumes or suits in the buses even derided the priests being detained in the police circles. The Catholic priests were shocked. However such scenes are happening everyday in Gangjeong.”
Photo By Jang Hyun-Woo, Nov. 12, 2012/ The young peacekeepers are suffering by the police’s roughing out of themPhoto by Catholic News Here and Now and caption by Regina Pyon/ Catholic Solidarity for the Peace island, Jeju, starts signature campaign until Dec. 2 (1st week of Advent) demanding ‘the release of Jesuit priest Lee Young-chan S.J and four other prisoners of conscience’ and ‘the overall re-examination of Jeju naval base construction’. . . In this photo, Catholic priests are blocking the cement mixing trucks after the mass of November 12 at the gate of Jeju naval base construction site.
Supporting imprisoned Fr. Lee Young-Chan, Bishop Kang U-Il makes a voice
“Peace is not merely having no war or guaranteeing balance between the hostile powers. Peace is a serenity of order. Peace is the result of justice and fruit of love” (Clause No. 2304, Catholic creed, read by Bishop Kang U-Il).
There was a ‘Nation Situational Mass to Release the Prisoners by the Naval Base project,’ in the Central Catholic Church, Jeju City at 7:30 pm, Nov. 12. The mass was sponsored by the 15 dioceses of the Justice and Peace Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Human Rights Committee, Catholic Solidarity for the Realization of Peace Island, Jeju.
More than 20 Catholic priests and Catholic nuns have been arrested in their protests against the naval base project in the Gangjeong village. In March, Fr. Kim Jung-Wook was first imprisoned (released after about 40 days) as a Catholic priest and on Oct. 24, Fr. Lee Young-Chan was imprisoned. Both are the Jesuits.
Bishop Kang U-Il said, “The [projected] Jeju naval base is a strategic military facility for our country to be with the United States to dominate the superiority in the North East Asia, against China.”
“The situation in Gangjeong this time is the God’s homework and task given to the Korean churches to examine themselves, which have passively taken on God’s raised question on war. The God is inviting us so that we make all the efforts for peace.”
Photo: Jeju Sori, Nov. 12, 2012 Photo: Catholic News Now and Here/ Catholic mass for the release of Jesuit priest Lee Young-chan S.J. and prisoners of conscience. . .About 900 people attended the mass held in Jeju cathedral. (caption by Regina Pyon)
Nov. 12 poster by the Jesuits Korea (Caption by Regina Pyon): At 7.30 p.m. on November 12, Catholic mass is held officiated by Bishop Peter Kang U-il at Jeju cathedral for the release of Jesuit priest, Lee Young-Chan S.J, and imprisoned peace activists. It was organized by the Catholic Solidarity for Peace Island Jeju, that 15 national justice and peace commissions and representatives of lay and religious committees are participating. Bishop Peter Kang is also chairperson of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
Bishop Peter Kang U-Il’s homily on Nov. 12
Full text of Bishop Peter Kang’s homily “There is no just war.” can be read here.
Remembering Fr. Lee SJ and the four brave activists who are serving time in prison for their peace activities and putting their bodies in the way of trucks involved in the construction of a naval base which is destroying the coastal environment and the village community of Gangjeong.This base is being built in an already volatile region and will only serve to increase military tensions. . .this video was played during the Catholic mass at Jeju central cathedral celebrated by Bp. Peter Kang on Nov. 12. Video by Dungree (Caption by Regina Pyon)
In this September Edition:
