[Jeju Domin] Military bases, Do they ensure our safety? 안혜경 Ahn Haekyung /Art Space, C : translated by Imok Cha

[레지나]

Military bases, Do they ensure our safety?
안혜경 Ahn Haekyung /Art Space, C
22/08/2011 Jejudomin
http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=19380

...The 12th Jeju Women's Film Festival (September 22 to 25), in War and Women section, will show ' Living Along the Fenceline'.

Lina Hoshino, Gwyn Kirk and Deborah Lee, three female directors, documented seven courageous women living in Texas, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Okinawa, Korea, Guam, and Hawaii. Through their testimony we see how U.S. bases are spread all over the world and their impact on lives of these women and their neighbors.

Some of these women are teachers or activists, who dedicate their lives for the next generation and live for love and respect for the earth and the people.

The film starts with "In 2000 the Pentagon is ready to strike any time anywhere. There are more than 1000 U.S. military base around the world and our world is safer"and an image of military bases represented by the stars and stripes filling a world map. Women's testimonies are, however ...

30% of the small island of Guam is used by the U.S. military base and the incidence of cancer is nearly 20 times higher than the mainland.

Puerto Rico's Vieques is a beautiful area where the residents successfully fought to reclaim their land from US military in 2003. But, now they are struggling to clean up the contamination and pollutants left behind.

People's lives relying on natural and cultural assets in the tourism industry, are getting more difficult.

These issues are specially important for Jeju.
A woman who lost her daughter to cancer, but she does not want to give this environment to her grand daughter. A woman who lost her uncle, aunt, and a cousin to cancer all within a year. The military culture that is pervasive in everyday lives of students in San Antonio, Texas. The sex industry hosting thousands of U.S. troops in the Philippines. The story of an Okinawan woman who was raped by US soldiers when she was a high school student. After listening to these women's stories one can not help but ask what is the security the military bases protect.

Gloria Steinem was interviewed on CNN after her recent article on Gangjung Naval Base was published on The New York Times.

She states clearly, "Jeju naval base in supposedly a Korean Base, but the technical system is those of US anti missile defense system."

Even the news anchor want us to join the anti Navy base campaign and directs to the website. In South Korea, no such strong anti naval base voice has ever been heard.

When Christine Ahn, a Korean-American U.S. military policy analyst, called the Korean embassy in Washington, the reply was 'don't call us, call the Pentagon,' reported the New York Times.

So the fact that Gangjung naval base is in fact a US base becomes clear.

That is not all. What is even more unbelievable is U.S. military experts all say that this base will be used to defend Japan from China and North Korea.

As if Pacific War was not enough, once again Jeju has to be sacrificed and caught between Superpowers arms struggle?

Japan military comfort women, these grandmothers have directly suffered through War and militarism's numerous sins and tell their shuddering memories. Scars of the Pacific war and 4.3 massacre are not yet healed.

Gangjung Naval base is a US base, many military experts confirm‎ in newspapers and broadcasts.

The many issues surrounding U.S. military bases are told by the courageous seven women and American film makers have made a documentary to show us. What more proof do we need?

Gangjung is the source of tap water for Seogwipo city. Can the safety of Seogwipo citizen be guaranteed?

Today Jeju provincial office is busy spending money promoting the new7 wonders heritage site selection, yet ignoring the Navy base construction that could cover the whole area with pollutants and threaten Jeju residents safety. For whom does the provincial government and the country exist