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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Petition for Stopping the Construction of a Naval Base on Jeju Island 韓国済州島基地建設計画を阻止しよう

Scroll Down for the English Version.

緊急署名のお願い。(さとうまきこさんより)

1月13日
韓国済州島(火山群が世界自然遺産)Ganjeong村における韓国海軍のイージス艦母港建設計画というものがあり、まもなく着工されるそうです。建設が始まると、珊瑚礁やめずらしい海洋生物や地元の漁業・農業が破壊されることになるため、昨年8月に来日して国内4カ所で講演し、また同月と10月に韓国に滞在して各地を講演してまわった「宇宙への兵器と原子力の配備に反対するグローバルネット」のコーディネータ、ブルース・ギャグノンさんが、上記建設計画に反対する署名運動を昨日開始しました。

1月17日

韓国済州島で韓国のイージス艦母港となる海軍基地建設計画が、地元のGangeong村の村長や村民による阻止行動を押しつぶして行われようとしています。18日早朝、警官と機動隊が村に大挙して入り村民3名を逮捕したようです。(その後50名と判明) アメリカが北朝鮮を挑発し続けた結果、北朝鮮がミサイルを発射したために日本が2003年小泉政権下でMDシステムを導入し、それが韓国での反動保守政党の回帰、北朝鮮の核実験へと、連鎖的悪循環になっていった現状では、軍拡の悪影響は必ず済州島や日出生台などの過疎の地に見いだすことができます。日本の人口過密地の基地が米国にとって基地としての魅力を失っていく分、ますます、民主政体としてはより脆弱な(しかし反米精神旺盛な)韓国やグアムが米国の前哨基地と化していくのでしょう。

米国を中心とする国際組織(「宇宙への兵器と原子力配備に反対するグローバルネットワーク」)が、済州島イージス艦母港化に反対する国際署名運動を行っています。ぜひご協力お願いいたします。

http://www.space4peace.org/

(日本語訳)http://www.anatakara.com/petition/call-for-signatures-for-jeju-by-globalnetwork.html

必ずローマ字で、個人あるいはグループ名・都市名・国名を、米国の団体まで知らせてください。globalnet@mindspring.com 

日本ではこちらで集約しています。no.to.sm3@gmail.com どちらか一方に送ってください。


APPEAL TO STOP NAVY BASE CONSTRUCTION

ON JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA

We, the undersigned global organizations and individuals, call upon the South Korean and US governments to cancel all plans to build a Navy base on Jeju Island. The base will destroy coral reefs that have been listed as world heritage environmental sites by the UNESCO and will destroy the fishing and way of life of the people.

The deployment of naval Aegis destroyers, outfitted with missile defense systems, will be used to surround and provoke China and will make Jeju Island a prime target.

Jeju is called the peace island and must remain free of provocative military bases.

To sign please reply to: globalnet@mindspring.com

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
globalnet@mindspring.com
http://www.space4peace.org/
http://space4peace.blogspot.com/
(blog)

See below for more information.

From Bruce Gagnon
************************************************
The proposed Navy base on Jeju Island in South Korea

I try not to visit a place and then forget about the people and the struggle they are engaged in. Since my visit to Jeju Island, and the Gangjeong village last October, I have been closely following developments about the South Korean government's plan to build a Navy base where pristine coral reefs, fishing, and tangerine groves are now integral to the people's way of life.

The base construction is soon set to begin in Gangjeong. The villagers are currently setting up a tent camp along the rocky shore line where the Navy intends to pour concrete to cover the rocks and tiny marine life to make their wharfs where the Aegis destroyers will be homeported. The ships, from the South Korean and US fleets, are outfitted with "missile defense" systems and will surely be used to continue surrounding China's coastal region. Jeju Island, now called the peace island, will thus become a prime military target.

The coral reefs have been named by the United Nations as key environmental treasures that should be saved. Building a naval base on top of these wonders of nature will not ensure they will be protected. The traditional way of life in this small fishing and fruit growing community will be severly impacted.

Last night the mayor of Gangjeong, Kang Dong-Kyun, spent the whole night sitting in the cold outside the Jeju government building in protest of the decision to go forward with the construction of the base. When I visited his town Mayor Kang carefully showed our delegation around the site for the proposed base and took us out to dinner at a local restaurant. He spent this time with us because he hoped that it would translate into more people knowing about the Navy base fight and hoped that support would build across South Korea and beyond to help stop these deadly plans.

As I now hear about their protest heating up, as they prepare to face the bulldozers of destruction, my heart goes out to them. I wish I could join them in sitting in protest against this base. This Navy base will have a direct negative impact on ourwork to restrain US military expansion in the region and will ultimately provoke more conflict with China.

With that in mind I now wish to compile a list of organizations and concerned individuals from around the world who wish to voice their protest with the US and South Korean governments about this Navy base. If you would like to be listed on this letter please send me your name. group name, and your city/state or country. Write me at globalnet@mindspring.com

It is the least we can do.

Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
************************************************

Here is an update from Sung-Hee Choi.
************************************************
http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/
(for more photos and video)

Situation on Jan. 18, Gangjeong Village, South Korea

Around 5am Monday: 500 police were mobilized with three cranes. Police raided the planned site for the ceremony for starting to work on the naval base [which will be home base for Navy Aegis destroyers of U.S. and South Korea outfitted with "missile defense" systems and used to surround China's coast]. It is in the east side of the village and the village people had been barricading the site with the cars since when the cranes contracted by the navy first entered the site on Jan. 6. About 30 village people succeeded to block it at the time. It is known that the
police harshly acted today, against the people who are mostly in their old ages. The village people laid their bodies on the ground and cried to rather kill all of them. They pushed the old women and men. The police did not even mind women's underwears were taken off during the body struggles. The whole story reminds the Pyeongteak when the police attacked the village early in the dawn of May 4, 2006.

Around 6~8pm: About 47 village people including a mayor were taken away to the police station. The police unconditionally took away all the people if they protested.

8~10:30am: five activists including Secretary Go Yu Gi, and two Catholic fathers were taken away to the police, after the short press interview. The activists strongly protested against the police and were dragged from the cranes they were protesting on the top of them. All the captured were separately detained in the three police stations of the Jeju Island. Some may be released soon or some may be even restrained. We don't know yet but the mayor is expected to get the arrest warrant.

Wounded

A 70 year old man is in comma. He hit his head on the stone when he was pushed by a police man. He was protesting against the police who was pushing an old woman.

A Korean Confederation of Trade Union activist, 41 years was carried to the hospital but released hours later.

After 1pm: The remaining village people and the activists continued to confront against the police without the clash,

Currently (at 8pm), about 30~40 people including 20 village people (mostly in their ages of 40~60) and 20 Jeju activists (30~40 years old) are doing the candle light vigil overnight in the confined area. The police blocked the people entering the place. The police are expected to be mobilized again tomorrow morning. A Jeju activist there says, once they are all taken away by the police tomorrow, they may not be able to enter the area again.

Because of small numbers there, brutal taking away is expected. But she said the protests in front of the area will go on, afterward. It is possible to contact with the people there by phone and all the international message are carried briefly via it. It empowers the people there.

In the area for the planned ceremony, all the barricades of cars by the village people were removed. Wire fence was set up. And the contacted cranes have begun the basic construction process. There are about six cranes in the area for tomorrow's continued construction.

What you can do:

* Send the strong solidarity message to the village people. Send to armha5156@gmail.com

* Put the pressure to the South Korean government

Prime Minister's Office
Central Government Complex, 55 Sejong-no, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Korea (110-760)
Tel: 82-2-2100-2114
webmaster@pmo.go.kr
www.pmo.go.kr

(Find English at the top right)

* Contact the South Korean embassy inside your country to demand a halt to navy base construction

* In the US call the South Korean Consulate in Washington DC
chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205

* Consider to come to the village and join the struggle. Even if it is a few days, it will be the greatest support to the village people. The Jeju organizations can provide the accommodation place but not airplane fee. The experience of the Vieques will be much help here in Jeju that is an isolated place from the mainland of Korea. More details will be followed later.

Thanks very much.

Sung-Hee Choi
From Korea
http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/
(for more photos and video)
****************************************

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