Angie Zelter's Urgent Request to Stop Police and Coast Guard Violence on Jeju 엔지 젤터가 대통령에게 경찰과 해양경비대의 폭력중단 긴급요청 편지

[레지나]

Dear President Lee Myung-Bak,

I have just heard, with shock, horror and grief, that my friend Father
Mun Jeong-Hyeon was assaulted on April 6 by a coast guard officer and is
now in hospital with 4 broken vertebrae and a broken hand. He is in his
mid-seventies - an elder - a peaceful man who should be treated with
respect. He was nonviolently protesting the building of a naval base at
Gangjeong, when he was pushed by a coast-guard. The guard responsible
should be taken to court and orders given to stop the increasing
violence by these coastguards and the police. Father Mun should be given
compensation for this terrible act, though little will be able to
compensate for such damage to his body and spirit by such wanton violence.

Since you first made statements saying that you will use force to get
this base built and since you have appointed the mainland policeman, Lee
Dong-Min, to lead the Seogwipo police, the violence by police and coast
guards has increased to very dangerous levels.

The village of Gangjeong is being traumatised by their lands and coastal
waters being destroyed by the building of this base that does nothing to
protect Korea but is only in the 'interests' of the USA who wish to be
the only global super-power and are readying themselves for a war
against China. The USA have still not learnt that abuse of power and
endless wars cannot protect anyone when the real security issues of
climate change, water and food shortages, species loss, and eco-system
collapse need global co-operation and a fundamental change in our
financial and political institutions. The way to peace is through peace
and the island of Jeju should be allowed to remain an Island of Peace
and free from militarisation.

I urge you to stop the police and coast-guard violence immediately and
ensure that the police abide by a civilised rule of law - they are
entitles to arrest if they think laws are being broken but they are
obliged as human beings to do so with careful use of limited force and
not by chasing and pushing people on concrete tetra-pods so that their
backs are broken (Father Mun) nor by hauling people from under cars when
their heads are caught (Dr. Song), or by using hammers to open plastic
tubing or by methods used in many other recent examples.

Please, also, respect the democratic will of the people of Gangjeong and
stop the building of this naval base.

I would be grateful to hear back from you about how you will ensure that
this kind of violence is not repeated.

Love and peace, Angie Zelter.