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.
In this month’s issue:
Grand March for Life and Peace 2013, August 4th Human Chain, Oliver Stones Visits Jeju, Navy wants to expand base site size, Prison letter from Kim Young-Jae, Trial, prison, and hospital updates, solidarity reports from Taiwan and Philippines and more!
In this month’s issue:
Arrest of Dr. Song and Brother Park, August 4th Human Chain, Timor and Lanyu Solidarity, Peace Pilgrimage, Prisoner and Trial Updates, Dr. Song’s article from Prison, Art Activism, 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
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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.
“Even though the naval base construction has not been completed, the navy is again raging wind with the matter of the military residence house in the Gangjeong village. The naval base would bring lots of conflicts such as radar base, helipad, powder magazine, training facilities, military airport, and more and more military residential house projects..”
How does the navy push the projects that accompany the large size land expropriation again when the tears of the Gangjeong villagers have not been dried yet for already large size land expropriation to build the naval base!
(Translated quotation from the statement by the Gangjeong Village Association, March 25, 2013: Source)
In July 2012, the government expropriated 132,460 ㎡ for the whole base project land area of 277,604 ㎡. At the time, 64 among 103 landowners had refused to sell their lands to the navy.
The expropriated lands included the best floriculture export complex in Korea. The government has acknowledged the Gangjeong floriculture export complex as the best floriculture–specialized production area in 2009 and 2010-the only Jeju region that got two years’ continuous honor on it by the central government.
The expropriated complex was 49,500 ㎡, more than 42 % of the whole Gangjeong floriculture complex (115,500 ㎡). See the source. For on the matter of the injustice on the land expropriation, as a whole, please come by later.
The navy planned to hold a presentation on the military residence housing project in the KimJung Culture Hall, Seogwipo City at 5 pm on March 26, 2013, but it was dissipated again in 10 minutes by about 100 Gangjeong villagers and peace keepers who stormed into the hall.
The villagers have already dissipated its hearing on May 29 and June 15, 2012. The navy plans to build an apartment of about 616 households in the 99,500 ㎡ in the B area by 2015. For that, they planned to build 384 households first in about 594,000 ㎡ there. The B area is composed of more than 60% rice paddies and fields, the best farming field of the village.
The villagers strongly denounced the navy saying “we did not receive an official letter from you,” “It is nothing but to say that we, villagers should die if you rob of our farming lands,” “Does it make sense that the navy who has said that it would co-exist with the local residents is to trample down us again by unilaterally holding a presentation?”
Despite that, the navy made a woman to hold a mike and speak that ‘the presentation starts now,’ bringing tremendous fury from the villagers and peace keepers. Eventually, the navy could not but acknowledge that the presentation was dissipated in 10 minutes. The navy is told to have originally thought that it would finish in 30 minutes.
Image: headline Jeju, March 26, 2013/ The navy’s presentation material was torn by the villagers.
The villagers and peace keepers made a strong unity again to stop the military base to enter into their Peace Island, to inherit the descendent the nature, culture, and history of the ‘Il-Gangjeong: The best village,’ of more than 450 years old in Jeju. Watch the video made by the Peace Nomad that made it on behalf of Dungree, the video maker who was jailed on March 25. (Source)
‘It reminds me 2007 when the Gangjeong village was chosen as a naval base construction area. At the time the navy drove the naval base construction project, [falsely] asserting that the villagers decided to install it even though the navy did not have any necessary reason to do it.” [..]It is a 65th anniversary of the 4.3 period again in a week. If the navy pushes the Jeju society with division and conflict again to enforce the military residential house in the Gangjeong village, the 4.3 spirits will never forgive them.” (Translated quotation from Prof. Shin Yong-In, Professor of the Law School, Jeju University: Source) You can see some photos of March 26 here and here. Here, two people are introduced. Here is a navy commander, Soong Moo-Jin (right in the photo)
Song Moo-Jin (left in the photo), the navy commander, employed in the naval base project appeared in the presentation on march 26.
After the Korean Presidential election on Dec. 19, 2012, some navy strategist have been (re)employed to take dividing strategies against the villagers. One of them is a man called Song Moo-Jin, who was in chrage of planning in the naval base project committee in the earlier period and now a navy commander.
He has entered the village in the beginning period of struggle, 2007 and had a role to decoy some villagers, eventually breaking the community. At the time, he was a lieutenant commander but a commander, now, after a service in the SSU (special salvation unit). His works included the followup of the Cheonan ship incident. It was coincident that the navy presentation and the 3rd anniversaryof the Cheonan ship incident was on the same day. But is it just coincident? Wasn’t the navy planning to mislead people to remind the patriotism, blah, blah?
Video maker Dungree has made a video on his returning to the village on Jan. 24. See here. In the video, villagers are strongly criticizing him as soon as they saw he was stepping into the village. In the video, a man of dark green jumper. Song has greatly denounced by people when he sneaked into the Korean facebook called, “Gangjeong people” and made a pro-base propaganda on March 3, 2012. He was soon removed out from the group. Here is another navy.
The person in the right of the photo is a Captain Yoon Seok-Han. He was one of the representatives of the government side in the 3rd contact group meeting on Sept. 14, 2013, during the 2012 WCC Jeju from Sept. 6 to 15, 2012. You can see his face better in the video. He was the one who made remarkable remarks that ‘it is not right that the Gangjeong village and government talk on an equal position.” It was a remark that thoroughly ignores local autonomy and democracy. ( See related Korean script)
Both men were in civilian costumes. There were no pro-base side personnel who were in the military costume. There appeared also a man from the Daelim Industry who was often it working hat and cloth.
Pro-base people after the presentation was dissipated on March 26, 2013
2. In the Gangjeong filed, the struggles by Catholic fathers and activists went on.
When most people went to the navy’s presentation for protest, Fr. Mun kept the main gate. The main gate opened again on the World Water day, March 22. The people have now to keep both gates in front of the naval base project building complexes and main gate.
Fr. Mun kept a main gate from the entry of construction trucks, March 26, 2013Fr. Kim Jeong-Wook replaced Fr. Mun Jeong –Hyeon.A picket made for Dungree, 4th day of his imprisonment as of March 28
The entry/exit of construction trucks went on even in the night.
The Posco Consortium became additional main navy-contracted companies along with the Samsung C& T that is in charge of the 1st work area that includes the west breakwater (420 m), South breakwater(1,076 m), and accessory facilities and the Daelim Industry consortium that is in charge of mooring dock(2,235 m), east breakwater(953 m), land area formation (478,500 ㎡) and accessory facilities.
The business size is 300.7 billion won for the Samsung C & T and 202, 2 billion won for Daelim Industry.
Photo taken on April 18, 2011/ The companies that join Samsung C & T in the 1st work area are: Daewoo Construction, Deokyoung General Construction, and Maritime General Construction The companies that join the Daelim Industry in the 2nd work area are: Hyundae Construction, Gyeryong Construction Industry, Daeyoung Construction, Samhwan Corporation, and Beomyoung Inc.
The POSCO construction consortium includes the Jeju-based Deokyoung general construction Inc. that has received orders of three constructions related to the Jeju naval base one after another.
The construction is to build the office and residential buildings inside the Jeju naval base project area.
It is known that the POSCO Consortium had a fierce competition with the Daelim Industry Consortium and win over it on Dec. 4, 2012. You can see some disgusting so called eco-friendly map pictures of landscape architectures designed by the Jteng Co that joins the POSCO here
Regarding Deokyoung General Construction, it is known that it received the order for the 1st work area of the harbor and bay construction in the Jeju naval base project area(outer area construction)-which is about 310 billion won size- in 2009, joining the Samsung C & T Consortium with 5 % share.
It also received an order on naval base related construction one after another by receiving order on the construction on the 2nd work area of the land facility of the Jeju naval base, which is about 82 billion won size, by joining the Hyundae Construction Consortium, with 10% share, last September.
Photo and caption by Inchun Mpark on March 19, 2013/ ‘A villager, riding an auto bicycle, comes to the naval base project building complex every morning and appeals to the people inside the complex to please show his land inside the project area. But he is turned away every time.’
The last tomb inside the project area was moved out.
In the dawn of March 19, the last tomb of a villager’s ancestor was moved to the outside the naval base project area. While many villagers’ ancestors’ tombs have been moved, the villager, Mr. Lee, has been the one who has persisted to keep it in its original place. It is told that there was a traditional ceremony when the tomb was moved this dawn.
In this month’s issue: Launch of the new demilitarize Jeju campaign, Samsung above the law?, U.S. military wrecks in coral reef, more prisoner releases, Yang Yoon-Mo arrested and on hunger strick, Interview with former prisoner, continued environmental regulation problems, and more!
On Wednesday, January 23rd, the two members from the SOS (Save Our Seas) ocean activism and environmental monitoring team took a kayak and went out to monitor the construction in the sea and also check the silt protectors surrounding the construction site. Although they were not blocked by the coast guard, the scene was quite comedic as the whole time they were surrounded on all sides by 8 coast guard motorboats. As the coast guard boats surrounded them and recorded their every action, they stupidly, completely ignored the massive amount of environmental regulation violations going on right next to them. Once again, the coast guard has shown itself to be a completely worthless organization, failing entirely to protect the sea or the coast, and merely being blind and dumb thugs for Samsung, Daelim, and their bloodsucking friends…
In this month’s issue: Struggle outlook after the presidential election and in the new year, a new support group forms, similarities of Gaza and Gangjeong, more prisoner releases, Buddhist unity ceremony, voting problems for villagers and more!
Today there were many watch dogs by the gates of the naval base.
Unification day. And it has been a hectic day.
But first. Two concepts that are hovering over the base.
Civil Disobedience (Resistance to civil government) Henry David Thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences , and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice.
Direct Action occurs when a group of people take an action which is intended to reveal an existing problem, highlight an alternative, or demonstrate a possible solution to a social issue. This can include nonviolent and less often violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action participants. Examples of direct action can include strikes, workplace occupation, political violence, nonviolent resistance, sabotage, property destruction, blockades etc.
My morning started with meeting this friendly Baptist minister from Seoul.
The things got less friendly.
The religious leader from Seoul was removed from the gate and the trucks could pass.
The police came en masse. They never seem far away and they probably aren’t either.
And as the day went on….More people being lifted from in front of the gate and place inside so called detention circles.
Then there was a big manifestation. The mayor spoke. Urging the goverment to listen to the National Assembly’s decision to halt construction for 70 days, starting from January 1st. Two supporting politicians from the democratic party were part of the demo in fron of the gate.
There were plenty of photographs taken.And plenty of people in the manifestation.
The 100 bows for peace were made.
There were many people visiting Gangjeong today. Maybe that is why the police decided to wait until the afternoon to open the gates again.
Things started to heat up. Activists gathered at the gates, the alarm went across the village. Police started lining up(first casually, then in a more tight formation) along the peace camp tents, making it difficult or impossible to leave or get to.
It got more and more hectic as more and more activist were moved into circles where they were surrounded by police.
And when you are inside a cicle many activist choose to just sit quietly.
When you are dragged from making your peace bows, your shoes often end up someplace else.
In this September Edition:
