A peace keeper, Park Yong-Sung, who stayed in the sit-in tent across the construction gate overnight wrote in the morning of Dec. 17.
Photo by Park Yong-Sung
‘The tree of peace was made near the Gangjeong stream thanks to uncles and peace keepers in Gangjeong who cut and brought trees. The religious elders also helped to make the tree.
However, from the morning, there were construction workers’ physical and mental violence onto us. And the police responded late to such violence, while continuing circling of people with verbal violence.
As the Jejus Christ who was persecuted has become the symbol of peace and love, I hope Gangjeong would be overflowed with peace and love…’
Another peace keepers, Jang Hyun-Woo wrote on the details of violence in the morning of Dec. 17.
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo. For more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 17, see here.
By Jang Hyun-woo (translated/ for the original site, click here)
Around 6:30am, this morning, cement mixer and general work trucks began to gather one by one in front of the Poonglim resort building (* near the Gangjeong stream and construction gates)
Around 7am, the bows for life and peace began then around 7:35 am, workers came out in front of the naval base construction gate, 5 minutes after their gathering inside the construction site.
They began to remove the lumbers (that the peace keepers had put as barricade) in front of the naval base project committee building complex, while the construction vehicles began to slowly move.. The peace keepers stopped the trucks to come inside the gate of the naval base project building complex. When the trucks were to turn their way to the main gate of construction site, they blocked them in the crossing road.
Among five large and general vehicles, two vehicles entered into the main construction gate while the other three could not make entry but had to return back to the front of the Poonglim resort, waiting for another chance.
It occurred that we were circled by the construction workers, fell down and were injured in four or five places during the process of stopping the vehicles to the main construction gate. It even happened that a male construction worker strangled a neck and pushed the chest of a female peace keeper.
Even though there was no peace keeper who was greatly injured, the Samsung and Daelim construction workers, confirming that the peace keepers had no camera, dared to kick them.
The workers should be inquired for the charges.
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[Dec. 16]Companies install caissons before simulation, which a thorough ignoring of even Island governor’s demand
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ See more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 16, here
Following the Samsung’s input of 8800 ton caisson last night, the Daelim stationed its 3~4,000 ton caisson into the sea this morning.
Despite the Island governor’s demand to the navy on Oct. 30 to stop the input of caisson on the sea until the finish of simulation on 150,000 ton cruise, the navy thoroughly ignores that.
On Oct. 18, 2012, Governor Woo has declared to the villagers in the talk meeting with them that he would ‘stop the breakwater construction in the Gangjeong Sea without fail’ even though it is difficult for him to order construction stop before simulation.”
On May 1, 2012, even Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of military dictatorship and Presidential runner of the ruling conservative Saenuri Paty said that simulation verification has to be prior to construction on break water.
Police attack, a Jeju islander on top of a van in front of the naval site main gate. Image: Carole Reckinger
In response to the news that the Jeju Naval Base project budget for 2013, 200,900,000,000 Won, was passed completely without any cuts by the National Assembly and the majority holding Saenuri Party, Jeju citizens, villagers, and activists rose up in anger with direct action. Three people were arrested.
An activist chained beneath a van. Image: Carole Reckinger
Two vehicles were parked in front of the gates to the naval base site and people chained themselves underneath. At one gate, Anglican priests held a prayer service and at the other another person climbed on the roof of a van wrapping himself in barbed wire. People surround the vehicle with their bodies, firewood, junk, and whatever else they can find as usual. Soon hundreds of police arrived. They surrounded the Anglican prayer service so that they couldn’t leave and join the other gate’s struggle. Then they moved to the main gate of the construction site.
The van is towed away. Image: Carole Reckinger
There police surrounded the people and made their usual “gochak” detention circles to throw the people in, blocking them from blocking the gate. One by the one, people were dragged away and thrown in the detention circles. Then they roughly knocked down the person on top of the van, without regard for his safety. He was arrested. Then they cut the chains off the person under the van and arrested him along with a person who was simply accompanying to check his condition, totaling three arrests. Finally the van was towed away and the cement trucks went in and out. But it took almost an hour and a half.
It was a very heavy struggle which left many villagers and activists in tears. The police, seemingly indifferent, soullessly did their jobs and walked away.
Tomorrow, in response to the lack of budget cuts their will be protests in Seoul and several people including Father Mun Jeong Hyun and Gangjeong Village Mayor Kang will shave their heads and begin fasting. The budget will now go to the final stage, the Budget and Balance Committee.
A Gangjeong villager mourns the unceasing oppression and destruction of his hometown. Image: Save Jeju Now
“Writers Action 1219” held the “Gangjeong Village Peace Library Proposal Ceremony” in front of the Jeju Naval Base project construction gate on November 21. 23 representatives from the group attended and joined the civil disobedience campaign, joined by activists, villagers, and Catholic fathers. Below is their official statement made at the ceremony. Click here For further details and pictures.
We Want to Arm Gangjeong Village with Literature:
Proposal for the Creation of a Gangjeong Village Peace Library
As we stand here today each of us carries a book. We know that fire could turn this book to a handful of ashes. Water could turn it to a lump of batter. It could also be torn to pieces and scattered by the Gangjeong wind. But we know that it is the son of a tree, so it is the breath of the forest and the heart of nature. We know that the salamander and the red-foot crab live together in it, and the Aster Yomena and Cladium chinensis Nees plants grow together, and we know that life and anima are connected like the stonewalls of this village. Above all things, we know that the heart of this book is like the Gureombi Rock.
Therefore, today, we would like to launch this villager and civil group cooperative project, the “Creation of the Gangjeong Village Peace Library”. For the red-foot crab to crawl, the Cladium chinensis Nees to sway, and for the natives’ laughter to be heard by those that pass through Gureombi. For the Sarangbang [a type of traditional Korean guestroom] of beautiful life to protect and live with this sea longer than billy clubs, guns, swords, and cannons. We will arm this village with hearts of hope, peace, and solidarity against their arms of domination, hegemony, and war.
But literature does not occupy peace through destruction and replacement. We will not “build a library in Gangjeong Village” but “build Gangjeong village into a library”. We will clean and repair an old and empty house and connect homes to each other so that the whole village can be a library. We will create a library where adults can read books, children can dream, and together they can share stories, creating a presence of peace. This project will not end in a moment but will be forever with Gangjeong village.
We are going to put our effort into creating the Gangjeong Village Peace Library.
One, we will let everyone know about the meaning and necessity of the Peace Library through paper and action.
One, we will share everything necessary for creating the Peace Library and actively participate in the particulars of preparation.
One, we will steadfastly contribute to the Peace Library, the literature we have published thus far and will publish in the future.
One, we will participate joyfully in various literature events, lectures, and etc., which the Peace Library will hold in the future.
As we stand here today each of us carries a book. Tomorrow, we will become these books and protect this place as that book. Each letter in the book will crawl out like the Japanese mitten crab, wanting to see a recovered Gureombi, recovered lives, and a peaceful, beautiful Gangjeong Sea again. Because we believe literature is the food of Peace and solidarity for hope.
We desire that villagers and civil groups participate together in the preparation of this project and our will is that this project will lead to the total annulment of the Gangjeong Village U.S. Naval Base.
November 21, 2012
Seong-ho Ham & Sun-woo Kim
Gangjeong Village Peace Library Project “Writers Gathering” Preparation Representatives
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo on Nov. 11/ ‘The blue-roofed housed are inferred to be the residential buildings by workers.’ See Jang’s more photos of construction site where destruction is being done in thorough violation of the EIA, see here.
1. Workers’ sabotage? Not confirmed yet.
There have been no night time entry/ exit of cement mixer trucks since last Saturday, Nov. 10. Even though it is told that 24 hour construction is continued inside the construction site. As of Nov. 16, it became a week that cement mixer trucks did not enter or exit the gates in the nights. The police would withdraw from the field in the evening and people could fortunately take break in the nights. On Nov. 16, the last struggle in front of the construction gates was at around 5:40 pm since there were no more trucks and police withdrew after it.
What’s happening? Is it just a part of normal process for caisson production that needs care period by the next caisson production? Or are the police tired to be mobilized in the nights since they think the navy is crazy, too, to rush for the construction even in the nights?
There is information that needs much more factual check. So this is just for reference. According to information that should be checked in various aspects, it is told that the Korean workers inside the construction site are sabotaging, intending to rebel against unfair work management.
It has been known that about 100 workers from Vietnam and other countries have entered into the naval base construction site in the village just before 24 hour construction (destruction). We could imagine their poor work conditions, exploited with low wages.
And it seems Korean workers are also exploited, which should be never surprising news.
According to information, the navy-contracted companies hiring Korean workers laid off them after the workers were mobilized to teach Vietnamese workers how to work.
In the morning of Nov. 16, peacekeepers in the protest field were told that the construction company unilaterally laid off 18 workers. A laid-off worker coming out of the site told people.
Beside 18 laid off Korean workers, it is told that some Vietnam workers quit the jobs that morning because they felt so cold to stay inside the containers in the coast within the construction area.
Regarding 18 laid-off Korean workers, they are workers all working with reinforced rods. There were originally 30 workers working with reinforced rods and now 12 workers are left. The company has made two caissons and the 3rd caisson has been posed in process. It is told that Vietnamese workers would fill the empty job spots.
While the daily wage of a Vietnam worker is 60,000 won, a South Korean worker gets 150,000 won, it is told. The Korean workers are told to wonder why such so-called important national policy project is built by foreign workers and why the Vietnamese workers often take records of photos on construction site with their mobile phones.
It is told that while the director of the field is the one who has worked in Hwasoon, the workers here in Gangjeong construction site are employed by the Daelim-subcontracted company called the Jeju T & C, of which the headquarter is told to be in Seoul and which they have never been informed before. The workers were employed from all over the country and there is no specific leader among them.
The workers have originally been told from the construction company that they would get 4 million won for a month for two years with the job. But the 18 laid-off workers could not get any dismissal allowance since their work term was less than two months. According to the Ministry of Labor, dismissal allowance is given to workers of more than three months. To be worse, they could not get wage from the companies yet. It is told that the companies said to them that they would send wage through their bank accounts later.
The unfair work management in the Jeju naval base project has already been exposed though in part in the Hwasoon workers’ case. See No. 3, here. The bad and suspicious work conditions for workers are being leaked…
Update on Nov. 17: It is told that beside the Korean workers who are told to have intended strike, Vietnamese workers are also in the mood of organizing strike. It is clear the caisson work inside the naval base construction site in the Gangjeong village is not being processed well. Even during the daytime on Nov. 17, Saturday, there were no more cement mixer trucks entering after 3:30pm. The police withdrew at the time. It is unusual considering that construction (destruction) has been going on by late evening on Saturday even before 24 hour construction.
Also, it is told that the employees of navy-contracted security companies are complaining on illegal registration of companies (* for that, see page 4, Nov. newsletter) and delayed payment of wages. They are in the move to file a suit on unjust employment to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Still despite such already exposed unjust construction including unfair work conditions, on Nov. 17, the Seogwipo City Hall, being pressured by the navy, sent a notice to the villagers that if the villagers are not volunteering to remove their sit-in tents across construction gates, it will carry on forceful execution of demolition of them. The villagers and peacekeepers are ready to fight to save the sit-in tents next week.
It also became clear that the residential households nearby the construction site in the Gangjeong village are suffering for the noise during the night time construction. One resident told that she felt like in the hell when she heard the noise of crane during the night.
2. Night time construction noise has brought complaints from Hwasoon residents
There is not only a matter of work conditions for workers. The 24 hour construction to build 8,800 ton caissons in Hwasoon port (40 minutes car distance eastward from the Gangjeong village) has already been complained by the nearby residents.
The residents in Dongha-dong and Ungeun-dong, Hwasoon-li, Andeok myeon (* myeon (township) is the subdivision of gun (county)), in the Seogwipo city are being damaged by the construction noise related to the production of caissons that are put in the naval base construction area in Gangjeong village.
The residents are especially protesting to Samsung C & T, saying they are experiencing discomfort because of greater noise in the nights as the caisson production is being done for 24 hours.
The residents have demanded to the Samsung C & T to stop construction from 10pm to 5am and to take prevention measures to reduce the damage by noise.
However, the position of the Samsung C & T is that it must progress construction even in the night time, reasoning that the caisson production needs unstopping construction due to technical matter; that there would be problem in quality management if construction is stopped in the night; and that the construction period has been delayed for several months.
Eventually there have been meetings in last September and at the end of October, by the related personnel to solve the civilian complaints on construction noise by the caisson productions, for which local residents, contracted company personnel, and government officers in the Seogwipo City and Andeok Myeon joined. However, solution measures have not been provided yet.
Kim Tae-Un, Chairman of Hwasoon li stated that “The residents nearby the construction site are being harmed not to be able to sleep again if they woke up from sleep due to abrupt noise occurring from the cranes in the dead of night… Even though we have raised noise issue from the beginning of this year, it has not been properly settled. And the residents are now standing up against it”.
1. Sit-in tent in the center of Seoul heats people’s war to cut the budget on the naval base project
The struggle to stop 24 hour construction and cut the whole 2013 budget of 200.9 billion won on the Jeju naval base project is not only held in front of the construction gates in the village but in the center of Seoul as well. Some people who joined the Great March for Life and Peace: Let’s live together! All are the SKY! (Oct 4 to Nov. 3) remained in Seoul and set up a sit-in tent across the City Hall to promote the campaign to cut all the budgets on the naval base project, 2013. The tent is also an expression of solidarity with the laid-off workers of Ssangyong Automobile Co. Mr. Kim Jung-Woo, leader of Ssangyong workers met his 31st day protest fast as of Nov. 9, 2012. Village mayor Kang Dong-Kyun, committed to widen and deepen the struggle through solidarity to revoke the Jeju naval base project and change the Government through December Presidential election became Mr. Kim’s strongest ally, as well as one of the symbols of people who are oppressed by the current government in the same vein of Capitalism, developmentalism and militarism.
Photo by Hwang Hyun-Jin, sit-in tent in the center of SeoulPhoto by Hwang Hyun-Jin, sit-in tent in the center of Seoul
On Nov. 9, Great news was told to the participants of the great march and people in the Gangjeong village. All the workers of the Hanjin Heavy Industry, Busan, who have struggled for years were all reinstated (Kim Jin-Suk is probably the most known symbol of the struggle). The march participants have visited the workers on Oct. 17, which happened to be the commemorating period (Oct. 17 to 31) on the two martyr workers, Kim Joo-Ik, Gwak Jae-Yol, 9 years ago. Dungree’s video reminds the event of Oct. 17 and emphasizes the importance of the solidarity among the oppressed.
Video by Dungree: Cut all the budgets on the Jeju naval base project, a fraud project in the name of national policy!http://youtu.be/ihgEsfZkxac (Source:Click here)
In the video, Mr. Kim Jung-Woo in his sit-in tent celebrates the victory of Hanjin workers and urges them to keep the democratic union and struggle field whatever happens in the future. In the next tent of the Gangjoeng village, Hong Ki-Ryong, executive Chairman of the Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island strongly says, “Whoever is elected as the President in December, if budget is passed in the National Assembly, no government can stop or control it. That is why we should struggle to stop it with all our energy. I want to send my sorriness and thanks to the peacekeepers in Gangjeong who currently put up with violent oppression. We will do our best by pressuring on whether it is the National Assembly and Presidential House.” The finale of the video is the song by the Gangjeong Flower band. “Please stop at the exit No. 2 in the City Hall station.” The title of their song is called, “Stop, stop!’ “If you oppose all the wars in the world, stop the naval base construction! If you want peace, absolutely no naval base construction! If you want peaceful Jeju, let’s stop the naval base!”
2. The law voice from the struggle field: Please come to Gangjeong! Let’s stop 24 hour constriuction and cut the whole budget, TOGETHER!
Here is a video made by a young female peacekeeper, Mooming, herself who has daily struggled in the field to stop the 24 hour construction vehicles without enough sleep but with unlimited optimism and humor. Her video details the human rights violation by the police, people’s joyful creation of events in spare time and emphasizes the urgency of people’s unity, by coming to Gangjeong.
“Please come to Gangjeong. For reference, the black and white pictures in the video are by Kon Ca. I take anger, cry and laugh everyday in front of construction gate. 24 hour construction, 24 hour police. I am sorry that I cannot wake up for 24 hours even though I wish to do being all the time there together with people. It is because even though the polices’ roughing out of us feels hard, the daily life there is GOOD as to the degree that I wish to record ALL.”
On Nov. 2, Presidential candidate Ahn Chul-Soo visiting the village remarked regarding the Jeju naval base project that the President Lee Myung Bak should apologize to the villagers in person. However, even less than 30 minutes of his leaving, police were mobilized. (*Young peacekeepers humorously call them as Baechoo (meaning cabbage) because of their light green color jackets, “The Baechhooes are seen with some rotten baechooes among them)
The police’s consciousness on human rights is near to zero.
Example: Policemen who obstinately drag a leg of a peacekeeper (00:25)
(Screams are heard, “Don’t fold down hand!) Example: Hand of Police who takes a man by the throat (01:10)
Example: For the police, the only concern is to remove the people from the site even though people’s cloths are taken off! (01:24) (Screams are heard, “Please, policewoman, I feel pain!”)
Example: The police use techniques to pull and lift up leg. They think our legs are big radishes! (01:36)
Example: The police use a technique of pressuring our body with their knees (02:24)
Example: The police (especially policewomen) grab our cloths rather than body parts. Then our cloths are taken off! (02:40)
(# In the early morning of Nov. 10, a female peacekeeper informs that policemen grabbed a woman’s legs widened openduring the process of removing protesters from the protest sites so that the woman cannot but feel insulted and have a feeling of shame.
However, the peacekeepers know how to spend their spare time building joyful and creative community between the struggles. The youngsters love computer game while some young artists sing together with guitar, draw painting on the fence and make necklaces for funding resource. A movie director prepares a set to record nearby.
Night time snack is another joy~! No Construction (destruction) but yes, night time snack!
And finally bonus for the audience: Dance with Gangjeong style. The changed lyric of the Gangjeong style from Gangnam style has become so popular. Even the police enjoy it. They must recite the lyric of Gangjeong style themselves! “Bastards, if you want to arrest us, arrest us! We will fight to the end!”
The National Assembly inspection on Oct. 24, 2012 exposed that at least 22 high-ranking police officers have been reemployed as high staff members of the employment-limited corporations, such as Samsung C & T, the main contracted company of the Jeju naval base project. Is it still strange that the police are loyal to get order on their performance from the construction and security companies in the Jeju navy base project? The Oct. 24 exposure must be an only tip of iceberg.
Photo: Jeju Sori, Oct. 26, 2012. Jang Jeon-Bae(50), the new Jeju Provincial Police Agency chief as of Nov. 1, 2012. He was a former Jeollabuk-do Provincial Police Agency chief. According to the Headline Jeju, Oct. 31, he firmly stated that , he ‘’would NOT CONCEDE’ regarding the daily conflict with people in front of construction gates especially since the start of 24 hour construction( on Oct. 25) . He also clarified his will to continue to operate police teams for the photo/ video collection of protesters in the protest fields, which people have claimed to be illegal inspection.
Given the material on the status of reemployment of public officers that the Ministry of Public Administration and Security (MOPAS) has submitted to Lee Sang-Kyu (United Progressive Party), member of the Administrative and Safety Committee of the National Assembly, on Oct. 24, 22 retired high ranking police officers above the rank of police superintendents have been reemployed in the employment-limited corporations during recent five years.
The public notice No. 2011-51 by the MOPAS limits provincial police chiefs to be employed by the highly business-related companies, on which they perform the authority of permission, monitoring and supervising, such as construction or security companies.
According to the material, among 22, 8 got the jobs in the construction companies while 7 in the security companies.
In case of a Senior Superintendent General who retired the Chief post of the Daejeon Provincial Police Agency, he got the job as a full-time employment consultant in the Samsung C & T in charge of the Jeju naval base project, in less than 2o days of his retirement in 2009.
In case of ‘S’ corporation, a representing South Korean security company, it has reemployed former high-ranking police officers above the rank of police superintendents in rows EVERY year. In case of current Secretary of Security Association, he came from a former Provincial Police Chief.
National Assembly man Lee stated that, “In case of high ranking officers above the Police Superintendents, management should be strengthened on them so that they should not be reemployed to the enterprises of highly-related business, to prevent them doing unjust arbitration and impurity before and after retirement.”
See also a former policeman’s quite different story. Mr. Han Yong-Gi was employed by a Samsung insurance company as a worker but now became a fighter against the big corporation, Samsung, to recover the rights of workers.
Even on Sunday, there was no rest for the people. The 24/7 construction (destruction) continued. Here is some collection of records.
Police Roughing out of people
Photos and captions by Cho Sung-Bong(translated)
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Around 9:39pm, Oct. 28, Sun., Even the policemen look tired. Their face expression says.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Around 11:13pm, Oct. 28, Sun., Dance then police roughing out. The police look to make shift. The peacekeepers need shift, too.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Around 1:19am, Oct. 29, Mon. Two cement mixer trucks come out. Three cement mixer trucks enter in.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Around 3:13am, Oct. 29, Mon. The police roughing out is exactly every two hours. The wind that has been strong has now stopped. The villagers installed two fire stoves fueled by woods on the street. After every struggle, they become the people’s gathering place.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Around 5:09am, Oct. 29, Sun.
Injuries
Witness 1 : Around 9pm, Oct. 28, Sun/ By Park Yong-In and Navi (translated)
Photo source: Village website/ Around 9pm, Oct. 28/ When a policeman used impolite words, a male peacekeeper protested to him by grabbing the hand of him who was pulling the peacekeepers’ cloth. Then many policemen came to the peacekeeper and bent down his fingers remaining him an injury that needs two week’s medical cure. The ligaments of the both side of his finger were broken. (By Park Yong-In, Navi, 9pm, Oct. 28)
Witness 2: Around 11:54pm, Oct. 28, Sun. / Park Young-In (translated)
‘When a woman peacekeeper protested to a policeman since he did not put his identification tag in his police cloth during the police roughing out of people, the policemen replied to her, “Why I have to say that? I will never say it,” in contemptuous and impolite words. When she continued to protest to him following him, another policeman pushed her from the front and she fell down, hitting her back head on the roadway. There was neither apology nor safety check. The police (policewomen) have already made a woman activist carried to hospital for concussion [in the night of Oct. 26]. I hate that I become to hate human beings.” (Park Yong-In, 11:54pm, Oct. 28)
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[Oct. 28 video] The police’s forceful rough out of people in the night is more and more serious
Summary of video : On Oct. 28, the 3rd night of 24 hour construction,
0:00 to 0:52
The police rough out a young man who was just standing still. Further the police make a warning broadcasting that he should not hit the police while he was only powerlessly being dragged by a group of police. People protest to such police lie. “Speak the right things!.” The police dare to grab his throat when he protests in words.
0:52 to 1:17
The police rough out and wield physical power to even a citizen who was only taking a video record.
1:18 to 3:26
The police violently rough out a man whose one hand was injured and bandaged with splint. The police even seem to intentionally grab the very hand to his pain. He was the one was carried to hospital by ambulance on the 1st night. See here. For the policemen, the word, ‘arrest!‘ without Miranda notice to isolated and non-violent protester is like a game. The police even push back protesting women. Even fallen women are on the ground, they are ignoring them and only focusing to carry out their duties, to the risk of women’s lives.
Many protesters’ not only human rights but lives are in danger during the night protests in Gangjeong. Please spread words. You may also contact the ROK National Police Agency for protest.
On Oct. 27, Sat., it heavily rained during the daytime in Gangjeong, following the daytime rain on Oct. 26. Sometimes even the lightening. Still the construction (destruction) did not stop. So the suffering of protesters went on, too.
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ protestors tightened themselves together to block the construction trucks. See more on his photos, click here.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Mr. Oh Chul-Geun who has done three steps one bow for months during last winter recently started it again from the gate to the port. Mr. Oh Chul-Geun continues the practice even in the heavy rain.
Though the rain stopped in the evening, overnight construction went on so 24 hour protest in shift went on, too. It was 2ndtime that people’s daily peaceful bow at 7am was interrupted by the police on Oct. 28, following Oct. 26. See the below.
The below is the brief record from 9:20 pm, Oct. 27 to 7:15 pm, Oct 28.
Around9pm, Oct. 27, Sat.
Around 9:20 pm, Oct 27: About 500 policemen just to block tens of protesters. Whenever the police appear in the night, it is like a lightened stage. The 500 policemen ate told to come from Seoul and Busan ( policewomen). To the waste of our tax, the navy mobilized 500 policemen for the exit of only two trucks, entry of two trucks and an automobile.Around 9:20 pm, Oct 27: Mayor Kang protests to the police
Around 11pm, Oct. 27, Sat.
Around 11 pm, Oct 27: Police are mobilized againAround 11 pm, Oct 27: Police, we are ready to welcome you.Around 11 pm, Oct 27: Police you may do your best to take apart each of us.Around 11;50pm, Oct. 27: Mr. Kim Jong Hwan, a villager and cook thankfully brought brief food of instant noodle and Kimchee. Everyone’s joyful time.
Around 1 am, Oct. 28, Sun.
Around 1 am, Oct. 28, Sun. Another police roughing out. But everyone is in great positive and determined spirit-yes team spirit.Around 1 am, Oct 28: People were infuriated during the police roughing out since some policemen were especially provoking. Those kinds of policemen love to hit and even pinch isolated protester. They also pretend to mistake woman as man. You should shout them that you are a woman then! (In Korea, men is supposed to be dealt by the male policemen while women, by the policewoman)
Around 3:10 am, Oct. 28, Sun
Around 3:10 am, Oct. 28: To a policeman who said he belongs to the Jeju provincial police agency, Mr. Kim Jong Hwan, a villager, shouts, “Bastards, recover the Gureombi rock!”Around 3:10 am, Oct. 28: When a male peacekeeper who had been with female peace keepers when the police came, he had to shout to them, ‘ I am a man.’ (In Korea, it is supposed that males are dealt by the policemen while female are by the policewomen). But as soon as he said it, the police grabbed his neck from the behind and twisted his arm. Otherwise, people protested to the police on the lights that the police intentionally shined to people inside the detention circle.
Around 5am, Oct. 28, Sun
Around 5 am, Oct. 28: Cement mixer trucks come out again. Peacekeepers that had a short sleep on the tents and cars etc. appeared again with tiredness. Violent police roughing out began again. A young male peacekeeper appealed later. When the police carried out him, they happened to drop his head so he had to elect his upper body himself. When he appealed his pain to the policemen, the police dragged one of his leg.. And after he was detained inside a police circle, isolated, the police grabbing the front and backside of his jumper in the neck made him breathless. Further, even though it might be just accidental, he felt as if some policemen are hitting him with their fists. The thin and small young male peacekeeper could not understand why the policemen inhumanly dealt with him as such as he wasn’t doing little resistance to them. There were only three trucks coming in and two trucks coming out. What a mad construction! What a waste of people’s money to mobilize 500 policemen and to commit human right violation.Around 5:30am, Oct. 28: People are still keeping the gate amidst cold and strong wind.Around 6am, Oct. 28: It was seen that workers enter the gate from 6: 30 am amidst cold wind and darkness. Can you imagine 24 hour/ 7 days construction (destruction)? It means people here can seldom rest.
Around 7:15am, Oct. 28, Sun.
Around 7:15am, Oct. 28: The police even interrupted 100 peace bows that is held daily. The police have interrupted bows for the 1st time on Oct 26, with the start of 24hour constructionAround 7:15 am, Oct. 28: When even the peace bows were interrupted, two female peacekeepers who stayed overnight for struggle tried to block the two cement mixer trucks with their bodies in the gate.Around 7:15 am, Oct. 28: Still the peace bows go on: The graffiti on the gate reads, “Peace to Gangjeong, Love you, Gureombi,”Around 7:15 am, Oct. 28: After the police disturbance, the 100 peace bows were continued in front of the naval base project committee building complex. Recently the Jeju local court made a decision on ‘no-guilt,’ on a young peacekeeper who was accused to bite the shoulder of a policemen during his resistance against illegal police roughing out of people. The judge said that the police performance at the time cannot be considered as the fair carrying of government affairs so the charge against him cannot be established. See here. The people made copies of the court decision document and put them on the fence.
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Otherwise Rebecca Kim posted on her and her friends’ protest in Seoul at 11 am, Oct. 27. See the note on the protest at the bottom of here.
‘8 people got together today in Gwanghwamun Square to protest the 24-hour sheer madness happening in Gangjeong. (Tom Smith, Fielding Hong, Adit Satrya, Alfian Tahir, Akihiro Togashi, Jonghwa Rhee, Jung Jo, and me.)’
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 pmAround 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.
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 ambulanceImage: Gangjeong village/ Ms. Kim Eun-Hye who fell down for concussionImage: Gangjeong village/ Ms. Kim Eun-Hye being carried by an ambulanceImage : Gangjeong village/ A peacekeeper who is in protest on the top of a cement mixer truck.Image/ Gangjeong village: The mobilized police forceImage: 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.
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.
