Fwd: [Oppression on internationals, June 25] An international Catholic priest threatened to be deported

[아름드리 나무]

The below is the forward:

'I thought I’d let you know about my recent visa extension application which under normal

circumstances is pretty straightforward and a mere formality but this time turned out to be rather more

exciting if that’s the right word ! They normally give you 2 years and give it to you on the spot! Given

my involvement in the campaign against the base it came as no real surprise when they told me that

my application was ‘under review’ without going into the details! They kept me waiting for 8 days with

a ‘don’t contact us we’ll contact you’ message and when I did hear back was told that the director of the

immigration bureau wanted to see me at a time of my convenience to 'discuss matters'! The Columban

Vice Director of the Region Fr. Vincent Lee kindly agreed to accompany me to the Immigration office

and when we got there (Mon 25 June) he sat me down in a very friendly and cordial manner and

proceeded to show me a file containing numerous images and photographic material (some maybe

from fb) of me participating in various protests rallies, flash mobs, masses etc both in Gangjeong , Jeju

and here at events in Seoul. All the while he left me under no illusion that if I continued to engage in

the campaign against the base I would be subjected to deportation! I felt angry at the manner in which

he was threatening me reminding me of my near 20 year long stay in Korea doing ‘good’ work as a

missionary and what a pity it would be if it all resulted in ‘nought’ through a deportation order! I kept

reminding him of why I was involved in the campaign and how on this day June 25 ( Beginning of the

Korean war) we were commemorating those countless numbers of people approx 3 million people who

lost their lives in a brutal war and how I was involved in a campaign which hoped to prevent another

occurrence of war in this region and in particular on the ‘island of peace’-Jeju! I wasn't surprised so

much at the friendly dressing down or being reprimanded for my activities but shocked to see my file

containing so many photos of me in my yellow ‘don’t kill gureombi’ t-shirts with my facial image red

circled and singled out! While alarmed it also confirmed for me how successful the campaign must be

and obviously a cause for concern for the government if they feel they’ve to resort to putting me in my

place!

He then asked me to write up a memorandum promising not to engage in any activities related to

the campaign against the base! I wrote something up in English and kept it as vague as possible

but he kept demanding that I write a more concrete statement promising not to participate in

activities related to Gangjeong! I was furious inside but did my best to keep my composure all

the time conscious that my foreseeable future in Korea rested on me writing this promise on

a piece of paper. He then proceeded to give me my alien registration card with only a 1 year

extension and not the usual 2 years-no surprises there!

I thought I’d let you know as there are other international activists even more involved in this campaign

than I ever was and who must be under much greater surveillance and scrutiny than I ever was or

will be! This little episode reminded me that although I felt threatened by the manner of the dressing

down I was given how much more threatened do the villagers and activists feel who are subjected to

daily harassment, threats and violence at the hands of the state all in the name of ‘national security’!

I believe the International solidarity aspect of the campaign is working and indeed successful and that

you and Columban JPIC are playing an important role in this campaign! For the time being I feel the

need to devise a more creative and possibly more discreet (maybe it’s not the time for discretion either)

strategy with regard to my engagement in the campaign! One thing for sure is that I will continue my

involvement as I know the villagers and fellow activists and religious activists would want me too!'