Hotline Asia Urgent Appeal "Support Imprisoned Protesters of Naval Base in Jeju" 가톨릭 인권단체 Hotline 제주군사기지 관련 7인 구속자 석방촉구

[레지나]

긴급 호소문입니다.  이 단체는 오랜동안 홍콩에 본부를 두고 아시아뿐만 아니라 전 세계의 천주교 및  여러 인권 단체들과 연대하며 정의평화 활동중에 구속된 인권운동가들의 석방을 위해 노력해왔습니다.

 

HOTLINE ASIA

URGENT APPEALS

SUA110916(2)

Support Imprisoned Protesters of Naval Base in Jeju – SOUTH KOREA

16 September 2011

Summary

Protesters of the naval base construction on Jeju Island, South Korea were arrested following a government move to go on with the construction of a naval base in the seashore village of Gangjeong despite considerable opposition from villagers and activists.

With the deployment of an additional 1,000 policemen to the village, the government raided the protester’s peace camp on early morning of 2 September, and around 3 dozen activists and villagers, including Catholic priests, were arrested and detained for questioning, for allegedly illegally obstructing the government project.  As of this writing, most of those arrested had been released, including the priest and brothers, but protest leaders like the village mayor and the chairpersons of the Island Committee continues to be detained. 

The Gangjeong villagers and peace activists from the South Korean mainland have been camping inside the construction area to block the work, saying that the base would ruin the environment and the villagers’ way of life. The base is expected to be home to 20 South Korean Navy warships.  After the arrests, a steel fence was built around the construction site to block villagers from entering.

Protesters are appealing for international solidarity for just treatment and release of the prisoners.

Excerpted from a letter of Brother Song from prison:

“If the Navy and government listened to local residents and proceeded with proper steps, the villagers would not have fought against the naval base construction for five years… The Navy pushes the construction of the naval base regardless of the destruction of the Gangjeong community. Not knowing the law, more than 50 innocent farmers became law-breakers and were punished. More than 50 million won has been paid in fines. And I also went to prison for the first time in my entire life. I was a coward young man hiding myself in the times of military dictatorship during the 1970s~1980s. For atonement I served in places in Ache, Haiti and all kinds of conflict areas over the world. Now I am trying to stop the insane construction of this naval base for the sake of the justice of our nation and the peace of Northeast Asia, as well as to keep the promise to the global society of preserving the ecosphere.”

The names of the protesters arrested on 2 September (with prison number) are as follows:

Mayor Kang Dong-gyun	(#621)
Kim Jong-hwan           (field team leader, Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea  or SPARK),	( #315)
Mr. Kim Dong-won	( #156)
Mr. Kim Jong-Il (field team leader, Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea  or SPARK)	(#605)
Mr. Hong Ki-Ryong (Co-chairman of the Island Committee)	(#253)
Mr. Go Yu-Gi (Co-chairman of the Island Committee)	(#292)
Ms Kim Mi-Ryang (woman villager)	(# 15)

 

*** Please respond immediately ***

Action Requested

Please write polite letters to show your concern about the situation and urge the South Korean government to ensure that those in prison are not ill-treated and to release those arrested for protesting the government build-up of a naval base in Jeju Island.

1.  Send Letters to:

President Lee Myung-bak
Blue House 
1 Sejongno Jonno gu 
Seoul, South Korea (110-820)

Fax:  +82-2-770 4943

Send Copies to:

Diplomatic Representatives of the Republic of Korea in your countries.

2. **Please also send letters to the prisoners to boost their morale and to alert the  authorities that the world is watching their actions,

 [Name and Prison Number]

161 Jeju prison

Ora-2 dong, Jeju city

Jeju Special Self-Governing Island

South Korea

-     Be sure to include prisoner number and a clear return address both on envelope and letter or it will not be delivered.

-     Prison authorities will note and write down your name and address so use another if you feel it is necessary. Please don’t let this deter you from writing to the prisoners.  Remember most of us are at less risk than they who may already be on probation for previous arrests and face possibly heavy penalties.

Sample Letter to President

Please avoid typing ‘cc ACPP’ at any part of your letter but  send copies to us separately for monitoring purpose.

I write to express my great concern at the police action and arrest of peaceful protestors presently being undertaken on Jeju Island.  The protestors are against the construction of a naval base in the seashore village of Gangjeong.  News sources have also reported the deployment of more police in the area and the use of physical force against both local residents and supporters.

I am very much concerned about this situation in your country.  I hope that your government will ensure that those arrested will not be subjected to ill-treatment and that no further use of police force will be witnessed.  Further, I hope that the prisoners will be released soon.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Sample Letter to Prisoner

Warm greetings from (your country)!  I am an ordinary person who is concerned with Justice and Peace.

Although we do not know each other personally, I have heard of your struggle against the building of a naval base in Jeju.   I am concerned that you have been imprisoned for trying to protect your homeland. It must be difficult to be oppressed for justice.   However, I would like you to know that your example gives courage to many others who are also fighting for justice in different parts of the world.

I hope you would have more strength to overcome the situation after reading this letter.

***Thank You for Your Continued Support! ***

Background

Why the resistance

For the past four years, residents of Gangjeong Village on Jeju Island has been resisting the naval base building project of the South Korean government for several reasons. One is the procedural justice.  Jeju residents have mobilized against the naval base construction as they believe the ‘approval’ was illegally obtained, i.e., not following the customary practice and laws of the village such as  Village protesters say the ‘special general assembly’ upon which approval was gained was deceptive and that the whole process was rigged.

Another reason is historical: the naval base symbolizes military power which residents on the Jeju Island had tragically experienced 63 years ago.  On 3 April 1948, over 30,000 civilians in Jeju Island, including children and elderly, were massacred by their own military in a nationally admitted “mistake”.  Since then “4-3”, as the incident is called, has become a reminder for Jeju people to work for peace.  The construction thus, of a naval base which means a great concentration of military power, goes against the grain among the islanders, especially those who survived the genocide.  They say fighting the construction of the naval base is not only a Jeju issue, but rather a peace issue for the whole South Korean nation, and for the larger East Asia community of nations.  Given especially the US maintenance of alliances and aggressive build up of military defenses against China, Jeju Island, an Island of Peace, will become a center of military conflict between the U.S. and China, jeopardizing South Korea’s national security.

Last but certainly not least, is the environmental, to preserve its outstanding ocean scenery and its ecosystems, and preserve its status as Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site, and Global Geological Park by UNESCO. 

Government and military authorities, however, seem oblivious to the voices of Gangjeong residents and civil peace activists.  Since 2007 when the plan became known, the issue had been taken on by opposition parties as well as by the National Assembly (investigation committee).  The Korean government and the navy continue to insist that the naval base is vital for national security. 

Divide and conquer

The past four years of struggle have also taken its toll on the community.  They are suffering from the fact that the Goorungbi boulder, which represents their dreams and memories, might soon be covered with cement block.  More than that, Gangjeong citizens are now torn between continuing resistance or being won over, the rift happening even within families; some have simply chosen to leave thus also reducing their number to less than two thousand.  The consequences for resistance include various lawsuits from the government and construction companies, as well as fines up to tens of millions of won. 

The deployment of additional policemen on 2 September signaled to the villagers and peace activists that the government is serious in not allowing their peaceful protest movement to further grow.  It also brought back more memories of 4-3 and made activists ready for nonviolent resistance to the forceful removal of their bodies from Gangjeong village.  With the steel fence around the construction site, however, they are kept out and leaders are in prison.

Sources:

local source,

Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI),

Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases ( CAAB),

New York Times,

Hankyoreh Media ,
BBC and  the National Network of Korean Civil Society Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island.

Justice.Peace.Solidarity

Terence A.G. P. Osorio

Coordinator

Thank You for Your Continued Support!
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