Save Jeju Now

No War Base on the Island of Peace

Tag: police violence

  • Release, imprisonment, and 24 hours’ protest: 2nd day of 24 hour construction

     

    Oct. 26: The day of the mix of intense happiness and sadness: 2nd day of 24 hour construction(destruction)

    Around 3am, Oct. 27, 2012. Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun and others lying their bodies on the ground in protest to 24 hour construction (destruction) in front of the naval base construction gate, Gnagjeong village, Jeju Island. See the below.

     

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    Kim Dong-Won was released!

    Photo by Paco Booyah

    On Oct. 26, we had happy news that Mr. Kim Dong-Won who has been jailed since June 30 was released. Paco Booya wrote:

    ‘Kim Dong-Won will be released! At 2 p.m. (30 minutes ago) Bail was set for Kim Dong-Won, who was arrested on June 30 when he climbed and occupied a dredging crane on a barge doing illegal dredging next to one of Gangjeong’s endangered soft coral forests. As of today he has been in prison for 118 days. The lawyer has gone to see what we must prepare for the bail and he will be released as soon as we prepare it which means today! Hoooooraaaay!!!!’

     

    Photo by Paco Booyah/ Dongwon finally met his missed friends after his release.

     

    However, Fr. Lee Young-Chan, a Catholic Priest is to be imprisoned.

    However, we also got the sad news around 10:13 pm from the lawyers who had worked very hard for the release of Bokhee and Fr, Lee Young-Chan who have been arrested on Oct. 24. The Court made decision to release Bokee while accepting the prosecutor’s file on arrest warrant against Fr. Lee in its review on the practicality of arrest warrants on the two. The prosecutors’ accumulated charges against Fr. Lee are obstruction of business, obstruction of government affairs, and violence etc. He is very well known as Fr. Remicon (meaning Cement mixer truck) for his many times’ protests to climb on the trucks to stop the illegal Jeju naval base project. On Oct. 24, he was to save Bokhee who was being arrested by the policewomen. When he could not move because of the police’s tight grabbing of him, he bit an arm of a police in self-defense, which was accidental when he was very tired for daily struggle. It is known that he is suffering in his teeth because a policeman hit his chin very probably intentionally with his arm. It is told that Fr. Lee is having difficulty in taking foods and it will take for a while. Still, according to the visitors of him, he smiled them and encouraged them to continue struggles.

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Fr. Lee Young-Chan who has daily kept the struggle site eats meal during one of the days. The protesters used to hardly leave the site to save the village from the war base construction.

     

    Mr. Park Suk-Jin ended prison hunger strike and got his own room in jail.

    Photo by Lee Joon-Ha, Omynews, 2011/ Park Suk-Jin, a former member of a police special oppression unit has made a conscientious statement and rejected military draft in 1991 upon the death of a student, Kang Gyung-Dae, who was killed by the police during the students’ protest against the military dictatorship. Since then he became a peace activist. He has worked as a member of Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea. and has been joining the struggle to stop the base project in Gangjeong since last year.

    Otherwise, we also heard that Mr. Park Suk-Jin who was in hunger strike in a punishment room of about 5.9 m2 in the Jeju Prison was moved to a solitary room as he has requested and ended his fast in the morning of Oct. 27 as his family members protested to the Jeju Prison for unreasonable oppression measures against prisoners. See here.

     

    2nd night of 24 hour construction, 24 hour police watch and 24 hour protest

    Bokhee with guitar , Oct. 26, 2012 in the left side of the photo

     

    Otherwise, the first place Bokhee who was released from the police station, Jeju, around 11pm, Oct 26, visited was the protest site of the naval base project gate. She was again in protest to the base project, singing, laughing, struggling with friends together, by the next day of Oct. 27.

    On Oct. 26, there was a rain during all the day, to the suffering of peacekeepers. Some of them have kept the protest site of the gates of the base construction site even from the morning of Oct. 25, the 1st day of 24 hour construction and police watch. See here.

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong, around 6pm, Oct. 26, 2012. “We strongly oppose the US imperialism navy base against China!!”  “No Jeju US navy base of US Nuclear Aircraft carrier!”

    The rain became to be little from the evening. But the police were again in the gate under the artificial lights that the navy- contracted companies and police have installed for 24 hours’ construction.

    There were five times police roughing out of people from 9pm to 5am, the next morning. The police would rough out people every 1 hour 50 minutes to allow a cement mixer truck each roughing time to pass the gates from the people’s protest to stop those.

    It was greatly encouraging that about 20 members of the Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea joined on the day to support the Gangjeong villagers and peace keepers’ 24 hour protest.

    The police in front gates 9: 26 pm
    Around 3am, the police took apart the protesters who tied one another with their arms to stop the trucks.  It was one of the police roughing time that were carried out five times from 9pm, Oct. 26 to 5am, Oct. 27. Because of many lights the companies and police have installed for 24 hour construction and measure against protests in the night, many photos are full of artificial lights.

    Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun and others lied their bodies on the ground in protest to 24 hour construction (destruction) in front of the naval base construction gate. He dropped by Gangjeong for short days during the Great march for Life and Peace (Oct. 4 to Nov. 3. He celebrated his birthday (in lunar calendar) with the people in front of the navy gates.

    Around 5am, the police roughed out people again.

     

    The Gangjeong is also many people’s ‘peace school’ as Emily Wang wrote.

    Joonhoo who has been arrested to enter the Gureombi rock is painting on the road in front of the construction gate. As Emily Wang has mentioned, he has made a painting again and again whenever the navy erased his paintings. See here.

    Around 4:30. Joonhoo’s painting resisting against militarism.
    Around 7:10 am, Oct. 27. As soon as the people’s daily peaceful 100 bows started in front gates, the police blocked them again to pass 10 cement mixer trucks through other gate. People’s war starts again under the cloud sky that dropped rains from the morning.

     

    Call for protests

     Otherwise, Rebecca Kim wrote:

    ‘Tomorrow, [Oct. 27], at 11 AM, dozens of people will gather in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, for a small rally to protest against what’s happening in Gangjeong and to express our solidarity for those struggling in great suffering in the village. Will post tomorrow the story with the pictures.

    Courage, people!

    Emergency: Gangjeong Village’s struggle against the Jeju Naval Base is hitting its most urgent and desperate peak. The Navy has finished constructing a 200 person-capacity building for their exploitable Vietnamese workers, and the police of more than 2,000 now violently crack down on the demonstrators in front of the Naval Base Construction Business Committee more than 15 times a day, shifting 3-times, 24-hour a day, which even in the severest military dictatorship hasn’t happened. 4~5 peace activists are wounded or get hospitalized, get arrested and taken to the police station on a daily basis.

    I’m planning a small rally in Gwanghwamun area tomorrow at 11 AM with my friends to protest against what this horrible, holocaustic government is doing to Gangjeong Village, against the human rights violations committed by the police, the navy, and the Samsung’s ‘hired thugs(security)’ on the villagers and peace activists.
    Pls join us! Pls reply to this posting if you’re available to come to Gwanghwamun Square tomorrow at the Admiral Lee’s statue at 11 AM.

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    Video of the 2nd night, Oct. 26

     

    Dalme’s recording in real time (Post by Lim Ho-Young)
    http://player.afreeca.com/sfxi77

  • 1st night of 24 hour construction: Unjust destruction needs 24 hour police mobilization, along with human rights violation

    Photo by Paco Booyah, ‘No sleep tonight in Gangjeong. An activist has climbed up a cement truck. Activists and villagers are very angry at the police and navys absurd plan for 24hour oppression.’


    The below is the translation of the villagers statement right after the 1st night of 24 hours’ naval base construction and police mobilization in front of the naval base construction gates on Oct. 25. Concern on human rights violation and injuries became clearly realistic on the 1st night. Please see the original Korean script here.

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     Press Release

    -Without police force, construction cannot be processed. It paradoxically means the Jeju naval base construction is a project of no justice.-   

    Caisson production has started with the completion of the caisson production site in the naval base construction area of the Gangjeong village. And started as well is the police roughing out of villagers and peacekeepers for the entries of cement mixer trucks to be consumed for caisson production, regularly every hour for the whole 24 hours [on Oct. 25, 2012].

    Since the police enforced roughing out people during the night when a range of vision is not perfect, the injured appeared one after one another. Only for last night, total three people were carried by emergency ambulances.

    In case of Mr. Kim Hak-Koo, probably because of police’s unaccustomed night sight around at 7:30pm, Oct. 25, the police threw down another victim on his body to the shock of all his body and trampled him down when they passed through to the pain of his waist that made inevitable of people calling an ambulance.

    Mr. Kim Hak-Ku is a peace keeper who joined the non-violent human chain protest in front of the explosive company in Donggwang to stop the blast of the Gureombi Rock on March 19. At the time, he got the injury of bone-fracture above the wrist during the process that the police broke the human chain with hammer, which was supervised by Koo Seul-Hwan, Security director of the Seogwipo Police station. He had to endure cure of more than three months’ period, during which wick was planted in his bone.

    Also around 11:20pm, Oct. 25, the policewomen carrying Ms. Kim Eun-Hye, a peace keeper, during the process of roughing out people, happened to leave her head so she hit her head to the ground. Even though Kim was losing her consciousness for concussion and her limbs were cramping, the policewomen focused only to rough out her without considering to check her status and to protect her life.

    She was eventually discovered by another peacekeeper and carried to an emergency ambulance. Fortunately it was confirmed that her concussion was a light one not harming to her life.

    In case of Mr. Park Incheon (peacekeeper) who was carried by an ambulance around 2:30 am, Oct. 26, had been pushed and got the pain in his waist during the process when he protested to the double police roughing out in the already roughed out situation.

     Beside the above, there are some people who have been intentionally pushed and fall down by the police even after police rouging out of them. Even though theirs were not developed into injuries, it was the protest site where the police do not keep even the minimum principals when they perform their job with physical force.

    Article 3 (Basic principle) The Police, the civil service, should perform duties according to the following basic principles.

    1.    The mission of Police

    The police, the civil service, have their missions that they fully perform loyalty and service for the state and nation, that they protect the citizens’ life, body, and property, and that they maintain public welfare and order.

    2.    The spirit of the Police

    The police as a mandatory of the citizens make a root of their mission with the spirit of fatherland-defense, service, and justice that respect the citizens’ freedom and right in its routine job performance.

     

    In violation of the police mission and spirit stipulated in the police public service regulation, the police are bringing the result of respecting the rights and interests of the contracted companies above the citizens’ freedom, right, life and body.

    Without police force, construction (destruction) cannot be processed. It paradoxically means the Jeju naval base construction (destruction) is a project of no justice.

    During the National Assembly inspection on the government offices, this time, proofs on the illegal approval disposals [on the naval base project] and serious flaws in the base design have been exposed again. Further the base design has been done for the entries of the US nuclear aircraft carrier and submarines by the demand of the Commander, US Navy Forces of Korea. And numerous questions have been raised on the necessity of the project. Still Lim Suk-Kyu, the Jeju support policy director of the Prime Minister Office stated on Oct. 25 that the Government would only enforce construction after the dissipated Government joint presentation on the local development plan in relation to the Jeju naval base project.

    There is no nation that makes a long life by oppressing citizens. We strictly warn again to the Government of Lee Myung Bak who is at the end of his term of the Presidential Office, to revoke the Jeju naval base project. Only in that way, it would no more commit crimes in the history.

    Oct. 26, 2012

    The Gangjeong Village Association

    Image: Gangjeong village/ Mr. Kim Hak-Koo is being carried by an ambulance
    Image: Gangjeong village/ Ms. Kim Eun-Hye who fell down for concussion
    Image: Gangjeong village/ Ms. Kim Eun-Hye being carried by an ambulance
    Image : Gangjeong village/ A peacekeeper who is in protest on the top of a cement mixer truck.
    Image/ Gangjeong village: The mobilized police force
    Image: Gangjeong village/ It is the situation when Mr. Park Incheon fell down and ambulance was called.
    Image: Gangjeong village/ The peacekeepers that were carried and roughed out during the 100 life and peace bows are still bowing even after the police roughing out of them.

     

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    [Oct. 25 video] The 1st night 24 hour construction, 24 hour police watch and 24 hour protest: Video by Kim Gami
    http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipViewByVid.do?vid=v2110uFlfgGlGlOGlGVfunF

    (Source: http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/GeUn/367)

     

    The video-maker says, ‘the whole video is only 10 min. but it was 24 hours for us.’

    Summary of the video:

    There were 11th police roughing out people at 5:35pm then 12th around 6:32pm on Oct. 25. It was unusual that the police did not leave but still securitizing the construction gates. Oct. 25 was the date that the police started 24 hour construction.

    There started police roughing out of people along with entry of cement mixer trucks every hour for a whole night: 13th roughing out at 7:35pm and 14th roughing out at 8:37pm. It was ridiculous that the police mobilized hundreds of themselves in the night to make entry of a cement mixer truck and trailer per hour.

    As we have concerned about very possible night incident, the 1st wounded occur. Two of the policemen fell down above Mr. Kim Hak-Koo. The 2nd (Ms. Kim Eun-Hye) and 3rd (Mr. Park Inchon) who would be carried to a hospital by ambulance were to occur by the late night. See details in the above.

    During the candle vigil that is routinely done around 8pm in front of the naval base project gate, the police roughed out people even in the candle vigil, too, to the fury of village elders and people.

    During the process of police roughing out people, the police say, “carefully,’ and ‘slowly,‘ but their real behavior against people is opposite. Even though a girl cries from pain, the policewomen consider only carrying out their duties.

    The policewomen rather than grabbing the bodies of protesters, grab the protesters’ cloths which make the protesters’ clothes taken off.

    When the video maker followed two policemen who were carrying the extinguisher, she heard that the policemen were using slanders against protestors, while the two were not being aware that she was following them. How dare they say they are there to protect the people!

    In the 2nd hospitalized case of Ms. Kim, there is a village female elders’ testimony on how the policewomen were careless to drop Kim then ignored her sickness.

    To make pass one cement mixer truck, they mobilize hundreds policemen. They are the zombies, the video-maker says.

    The police roughing out was done even during the peaceful 100 bows time in the morning of 6:50 am, Oct. 26. It was for the first time that the people in bows were carried by the police during the 100 bows. The people continued the bows even inside the circles that the police detained them temporarily to allow the cement mixer trucks to pass through the gates, without people’s obstruction of them.

    The video maker herself was injured in one of her toes, too when the policemen accidently trampled on her foot as well. There are always bruises and injuries of people during the field protests, even though they might be small.

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    #  Video by Novie Na/ Caisson production area on the Gureombi Rock coast around 5:30 pm, Oct. 25,.2012. ( Click here)

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    According to the Jeju Sori, the 24 hour construction is for the Daelim Co. to produce 80 numbers of 3,000 ton caissons that would be produced in the giant steel mold recently built on the blasted part of the Gureombi Rock coast (west of the coast). The caissons will be used to construct the east breakwater and mooring docks in the 1st work area.


    The Daelim-made caissons are different from the Samsung C & T that produces 9,000 ton of them in the Hwasoon port (abou 40 minutes car distance from Gangjeong) then moves them into the Gangjeong coast.
    Jeju Sori says: ‘Originally the Daelim planned to start to produce caisson from June this year, but it has been delayed as various problems have occurred.” You can say people’s protest have been a big part of it.


    To see the construction map, see here.

  • Daily struggle has delayed 28 billion won. Help to cut all the budgets on base!

     

    A woman activist, ‘Deulkkot,’ appeals to Ku Seul-Hwan, an infamous Seogwipo Police staff member with a humorous note.  More Photos by Cho Sung-Bong, here.

     

    The daily struggle is going on in front of naval base project construction gates. The numbers of committed people who daily appear are usually small-less than 20. They are daily roughed out and carried by police 10 times or even 12 times even by the night. They are hurt with bruise in all parts of their body or scratched by police women’s nails during their resistance process. As sometimes their cloths are taken off during the process of the police forcefully pulling off their bodies, humiliation is what they risk to bear, too. Seldom is time even for going to the communal restaurant for meals. Meals are carried to be taken with street dusts. Still they hardly leave the field. Blocking and delaying cement mixer truck is more important for them, even though they will be dragged and bruised, soon. Street art and graffiti are everywhere: on the street, on the wall, on the poles.

    A male policeman is grabbing a woman peacekeeper’s wrist even after roughing out on Oct. 23, 2012. Photo by Kim Gami.

     

    The construction (destruction) is being accelerated with the completion of the giant caisson production frame on the Gureombi Rock coast. It is told that the contracted companies finished test operation for producing caisson on Oct. 23. Caissons that need more than 450 ton cement mixer truck for one by filling the giant mold frame with cement will be rapidly produced soon. About 200 workers from the Vietnam and Philippine will be brought into the construction site with cheaper wages to be exploited for 24 hours. That has been the case of Hwasoon where the Samsung C & T sub-contracted companies enforced the production of 9,000 ton caissons, of which 10 are now floating, whether broken or not by typhoons   in the Gangjeong Sea.

     

    Video by Novie Na on Oct. 23, 2012

     

     

    It is told that the navy has requested more policemen to enforce construction for 24 hours! The people’s struggle will be then for 24 hours in shift, too! Even the policemen think the navy is crazy. It is expected that the numbers of the policemen will increase at least by the end of this week: From about 250 (3 police companies) to 500 (6 police companies) daily.  The government has been pouring the people’s tax to enforce this illegal construction (destruction).  24 hours police watch, seldom precedent since the military dictatorship of Park Chung-Hee during 60s and 70s.

     

    On Oct. 19, 2012, the Jeju press reported that Ku Seul Hwan, the Security director of the Seogwipo Police Station got a medal from the Jeju Provincial Police Agency on the Day of the Police, being acknowledged for his exploit in his security duty for the VIPs in the WCC. But he is an infamous man for the peacekeepers in Gangjeong. He is the one very well known to direct his policemen to use hammer and electric saw to the cut the PVC pipes with which the peace keepers have connected their arms one another to block the explosive cars and cement mixer trucks  on March 19 and April 16, this year. Forget human rights Gangjeong.

     

    Despite all those, it is encouraging to hear that as of September, the navy could use only 50 billion won of the 107 billion won  allocated for the base project budget, 2012, which has law-evasively been transferred  from last year. The navy has planned to use 78 billion won by September. The not-executed 28 billion won is what the field protesters could bring for all of us. Their daily dedication is bringing the result.

     

    How you can help them? Please pressure the ROK National Assembly members to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project .( *The government says that the total cost for the Jeju navy base project is about 1.7 trillion won) For example, ENGLISH@ASSEMBLY.GO.KR or Moon Jae-In, Permanent Advisor, Democratic United party, Presidential candidate: moonriver365@gmail.com.

     

  • Struggle to Keep the Gates from Construction Trucks Continues at Night

    Image: Cho Sung-Bong

    On Oct. 16, police roughed out people 12 times to the exhaustion of people who have kept the two gates from the endless construction trucks from early morning.  It has usually been about 7 times. Many young activists got bruise and scratched wounds as the policewomen even use their nails. The navy is accelerating construction (destruction) from the anxiety that it may not get the construction budget for next year.  The navy has been building caisson production area in the west part of the Gureombi Rock, for which and shipment site in the east part of the Gureombi Rock, it has blasted about 10 % of it this March and April.

    Last year, the National Assembly has cut about 96% of about 130 billion won in proposed budget related to the Jeju naval base construction. Many problems including unreliable base design had been exposed through the National Assembly inspection last year. Instead, about 107 billion won budget unused in 2011 due to people’s protests was transferred to 2012 and the navy has been consuming that transferred budget for 2012. Still the navy could not even use half of that as of this October because of fierce struggles by the dedicated people who daily keep the construction gate from the construction trucks, from morning to late evening, sometimes, overnight.

    As the end of this year is approaching amidst the National Assembly inspection (The National assembly inspection on the government offices related to the Jeju naval base project is from Oct. 5 to 24) and there will be a Presidential election in December, the navy and conservatives are anxious to finish their job as much as they can do. The growing criticism on the current Lee Myung Bak government is an another factor. The People here have been organizing the nationwide march from Oct. 4 to Nov. 3, which contributes to organize people’s will to change the government and to revoke the Jeju naval base project.

    The Headline Jeju on Oct. 9 reported that about 200 billion won was appropriated to the ROK National Assembly in the 2013 budget for the construction cost related to the Jeju naval base concerned by the Ministry of National Defense and DAPA(Defense Acquisition Program Administration).

    The cost includes about 108 billion won for the caisson production & deferment in the 1st work area and basic formation for the breakwaters; and 49 billion won for the caisson production & deferment in the 2nd work area and the basic formation of dock.  It is also known that about 22 billion won was estimated for land construction.

    However, people’s will to stop the Jeju naval base construction will be accomplished. One should not forget the people who daily keep the gates. They are the people who are saving us as well.

    Please pressure the ROK National Assembly members to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project .( *The government says that the total cost for the Jeju navy base project is about 1.7 trillion won) For example, ENGLISH@ASSEMBLY.GO.KR or Moon Jae-In, Permanent Advisor, Democratic United party, Presidential candidate: moonriver365@gmail.com.

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    Reference

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=161923

    내년 제주해군기지 공사비 2000억원 편성…항만공사 본격화

    국회 제출 예산서, 항만공사비 등 대거 편성

    2012.10.09  11:57:38

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    See also

    http://savejejunow.org/daily-struggle-budget/

    Daily struggle has delayed 28 billion won. Help to cut all the budgets on base! (Oct. 23)

  • Nearly 130,000 Mainland Police have been stationed in Gangjeong since August 2011

    Original Korean Image: Yu Dong-Su, Voice of the People/English Version: Gangjeong Village Story

    Pak Nam-Choon (Democratic United Party), member of the Administration and Security Committee of the National Assembly, has compiled and released data received from the Police Office, as part of the National inspection on the Police Office on Oct. 15:

    Approximately  a total of 130,000 mainland police persons have been stationed in Gangjeong village between August of 2011 and the present. A budget of 4.2 billion Won (about $3.5 million USD) was spent for primarily for food, accommodations and transportation by ferry.

    According to documents submitted by the police for the parliamentary inspection on October 15, a total of 194 police units have been mobilized and an average of 352 police officers per day have stationed in Gangjeong village, reaching a total of 128,402 officers

    At the same time, [during the period between Jan. 2010 to Aug. 2012] , a total of 586 villagers and activists have been arrested, and among them 493 have been taken to court or put on trial.

     

    Reference:

    Jeju Sori: 지난 1년 강정에 투입된 경찰 13만명-42억원

    2012.10.15  11:29:33

     

  • Dr. Song Kang-Ho, “Brother Song”, released from Prison after 181 days!

    A big smile from Dr. Song on his release from prison. Image: Jung Da-Woo-Ri

    On September 28, in the late morning it was suddenly and unexpected announced that after 181 days of imprisonment, Dr. Song Kang-Ho would be released from Jeju Prison on bail. Dr. Song was originally very violently arrested on April 1st, his birthday and held ever since then in Jeju Prison, about an hour from Gangjeong village. Dr. Song had been refusing bail in protest of his unjust imprisonment and show trial and was only two weeks away from the legal prison limit without being convicted of a crime (Oct. 13 was his expected release date).

    Father Moon and Dr. Song embrace. Image: Jung Da-Woo-Ri

    Despite this, to everyone’s surprise, he was suddenly released in the late afternoon. Although many people were not in Gangjeong village because of the Chuseok Harvest Holiday, a small group of friends and supporters from Gangjeong gathered in front of the prison to greet him and celebrate his release. Upon his release he was embraced by Father Moon Jung Hyeon and then ate tofu, as is customary, and then greeted those that had eagerly gathered to celebrate.

    Brother Song is free at last! Hurray!

    Dancing while waiting for Dr. Song’s release. Image: Jang Hyun-Woo
    Mayor Kang helps Dr. Song eat the customary Tofu. Image: Jang Hyun-Woo
    Dr. Song embraces supporters and friends outside the prison. Image: Jung Da-Woo-Ri

  • Benefit Concert Held for Imprisoned Dr. Song Kang-Ho

    On September 22nd, a benefit concert was held for Dr. Song Kang-Ho, who was violently arrested on his birthday, April 1. September 22nd was the 175th day of his imprisonment. The concert title was ‘A Song for Gangjeong and Hope.’

    Dr. Song sent a lengthy letter from Jeju Prison where he is being held, to be read at the concert, briefly excerpted here:

    The hope of Gangjeong is the hope for justice and peace. The people have sung a song of hope for more than six years. Your concert is to spread the song of hope. I think your concert is beautiful. It is because the most beautiful song is the song of peace.

    […]

    The prison that confines me is what jails our church and nation. You are jailed with me, too. Please sing a song for freedom. Please call for justice. And please sing a song for peace. Please sing the most beautiful song in the world, which defeats the evil spirits of violence and war that bind us.

    Song Saem, Dr. Song’s daughter plays cello at the concert. (Image: Lee Daegwi)

     

    A book by Dr. Song, titled, “Peace, walking on hope from far-off: Song Kang-Ho’s Stories of Peace from Rwanda to Gangjeong” will be published by the Intervarsity Press Korea on Oct. 8, 2012.

    (Information and pictures provided by Choi Hye-Young, Lim Ho-Young, and Abigail Yoo)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Gangjeong Village Story: Monthly News from the Struggle | June Issue

    In this month’s issue:
    6000 bows for peace in front of the Governor’s building, special international solidarity feature, harassement of village elderly, Father Mun wins the 5.18 Human Rights Prize, a letter from Guam and more!

    Download PDF

  • March 19 Victims’ Press Conference

    March 22 confernce
    Photo by Headline Jeju, March 22, 2012/ People’s press conference on March 19 incident

    Right after the villagers’ press conference on March 22, the victims of police hammer violence on March 19 had a press conference in front of Island government hall. The victims holding the signs with the photos of injuries on them strongly demanded the punishment of police personnel in charge of the accident and claimed an introduction of Special Prosecution System on the matters of the Jeju naval base. (# The Special Prosecution system was first initiated by people’s lawyer Shin Yong-In on Feb. 27, 2012)

    Here are some excerpts from people’s statement :

    ‘The reckless police operation (of hammering down on the PVC pipes activists were putting over their arms to tie themselves one another, for the purpose of non-violently stopping the moving of the explosives to the Gureombi Rock ) was continued despite the crying of shocked women.

    Because the diameter of each PVC pipe was narrow to no gap when the two hands by two people were held together inside, the shock of hammering was directly felt to activists while the broken fragments made wounds in the hands of activists. The hammering was continued despite the cry of activists who felt direct suffering.

    During that unreasonable process, activists were injured small and big: the back of woman hand(s) was torn by broken PVC fragments with blood, being swollen while a man’s thumb was directly hit by hammer with a upper part of nail be torn and flesh peeled off.

    Especially the riot police unit NO. 1300 [of the Seogwipo Police Station] that were in charge of arrest in the incident field pushed back even the news reporters and lawyers; folded arms of a citizen who were taking record of the situation based on the rule of the police duty on protection of human rights and even attempted to throw down him by hooking his foot for prompt arrest. Further they even made an arm of a man who protested against the police attempt to arrest the citizens outside of barricade broken by pushing him-he is now waiting for operation while his swollen arms to be soothed down. We are shocked by policemen’ such wielding merciless violence to help the illegal business (* Jeju naval base project) of Samsung and Daelim.’

    Video by Dungree on new conference (Source)

     

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    Reference

    Whole statement

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145681
    “‘화약운송 저지 인간띠 ‘망치질 체포’ 책임자 엄벌하라”
    인간띠 시위 참가자 연행과정 망치질 체포 규탄
    2012.03.22 17:31:09

    http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=29772
    “비명 지르며 울어도 망치질 계속됐다”
    ‘망치질 체포사건’ 피해자 기자회견…“경찰서장 퇴진하라”
    2012.03.22 18:09:55

    http://www.sisajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=143146
    ‘망치질 체포’ 규탄 기자회견…서귀포경찰서장 퇴진 촉구
    2012.03.22 14:53:53

  • Details of Father Moon’s Tetrapod Accident on April 6, 2012

    As you all may know, today we here in Gangjeong have suffered a huge shock. Finally we see the result of the over aggressive and illegal actions of the police. Father Moon was almost murdered. It is a miracle that he is still alive.

    Today is Good Friday according to the Christian calendar. Because of this, at 11 a.m., the ocean team, the catholic fathers, other catholics, and other activists joined together to perform the “Stations of the Cross” traditional catholic ceremony. This ceremony involves 14 “stations” marking the last moments of Jesus’ life before his death. We adapted it and made 14 stations all around the edge of the destruction site. At each stop the Fathers led us in prayer and short meditations related to Jesus death and also to our struggle here. We began at the Naval Base Office gate and ended on the west pier of Gangjeong Port. It was a very beautiful and moving time.

    During the final station, #14, an activist went down the huge concrete tetrapods to the water to swim. This area is a public area and none our actions were even close to illegal. As the activist attempted to enter the water, a coast guard officer very aggressively chased him, despite both of them being on the dangerous tetrapods. This scared and angered many of the people attending the mass, and several people walked out onto the tetrapods to see, and also to ask the coast guard officer to be more careful.

    When this happened, another coast guard officer came and also began acting very aggressively, trying to illegally block our access to the public area of the tetrapods and the surrounding water. As the coast guard officer tried to block another swimmer from going down to water, Father Moon, tried to help the swimmer and block the coast guard officer. Shockingly the officer was very aggressive even though they were both dangerously at the top of the tetrapod pile (and he was a young man, while Father Moon is elderly and walks with a cane). Many people called for the officer to be reasonable and careful and that Father Moon could fall down. As they struggled, suddenly the coast guard officer accidentally caused Father Moon to lose his balance and fall.

    The next moments were a terrible shocking nightmare to all of us watching. The young coast guard officer regained his balance but Father Moon could not and fell into a huge hole between the tetrapods. As he dropped around 5 meters, his body bounced off the tetrapods below three times, before he landed at the bottom. All of us were totally shocked at this horror that had happened for absolutely no reason, and many of us thought that Father Moon was dead. Although several people went down to him, it was very deep and we were afraid to move him in case of spinal injuries.

    Finally, the 119 (Korean Emergency Rescue) came and after around 30 minutes lifted him out. He was taken to a hospital in Seogwipo for tests and treatment. He has been conscious this whole time. Very, very happily, he did not die. As has been reported, according to initial tests and scans he broke several vertebrae in his back quite seriously and will need to stay in the hospital at least 3 months. He has been moved to Jeju University Hospital in Jeju City. We are still waiting for the final report about his condition after a complete medical exam, but its seems that he didn’t hit his head. Of course he is very weak and shocked and in a lot of pain. When we met him, he asked about Brother Song and when he heard that Brother Song has developed a ringing in his ear because of police violence, he cried. We are all in a state of shock here.

    Finally to add to our shock and sadness, the coast guard has decided that our lives are not important and that they are going to lie to cover their mistake. They are claiming that Father Moon pushed the coast guard officer and then the officer didn’t touch him and he fell on his own, losing his balance because of the push. Of course, in the moments after it happened, you could see very clearly in the face of the officer that he knew he had made a huge mistake. And even if this story were true, why was he even there and why was he aggressively blocking us from a public area? But now the police are going to lie to cover it all up! Are they really human? Have they no sympathy for suffering? Do they not care about human life? Unbelievably shameful.

    Please pray for Father Moon. Please pray for all of us here. And please pray for the hearts of the coast guard, that they will not lie about what they have done.

    Update 1: April 6, 11:44 p.m. 

    We are still waiting for more details but a slight update: apparently Father Moon has broken 4 vertebrae in his back (earlier 3 were reported) and also broken one of his hands. Also he will need to stay at least 6 months in the hospital to recover (before 3 months were reported). More updates as we hear them…

    Update 2: April 19, 11:44 p.m. 

    Father Moon is out of the Hospital! 13 Days ago we watched this 71 year old man fall 5 meters to what we thought was his death. He said he thought it was his death too. He broke 4 vertebrae in his back, he broke his arm, he was bruised all over. The doctors said, that two other patients who were in their 30s and fell only 3 meters were paralyzed. The doctors said he would have to stay in the hospital for 6 months. 13 Days later, and he’s walking around, smiling! Tomorrow, he will go to his hometown to rest for around a week. Amazing and unbelievable! If you don’t believe in miracles, now’s your best chance…Hurray!!!