[Jeju update] Silent protest against the naval base in front of the Island assembly

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* To see the latest blogs on the Jeju naval base issue, click HERE
* [Jeju Update on Dec. 30]: Pan-Island Committee’s attempt to have a tent vigil in the Island Assembly was prevented again with an expectation of bigger struggle
*[Jeju Update on Dec. 28] 34 people arrested but released except for Prof. Yang/ Island Assembly and Parties denounce Island government and navy
* For more photos, see also Han Hyung-Jin, Seogwipo Newspaper, Dec. 30, 2010 한형진, 서귀포 일간 신문, 2010년 12월 30일
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* Image source: Gangjeong artist Kim, Dec. 30, 2010

The signs read:
-No naval base in the Island of Peace
-The Island assembly should immediately step for the truth examination on the violent administrative execution by the City of Jeju [to oppress the citizens on Dec. 28]
-We denounce the Island government who is doing only with formal acts
-The Woo Keun-Min Island governor should immediately apologize to the Island people for the bloody administrative execution [on Dec. 28]!
-We cannot accept the national policy that ignores the Island people.
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* Image source: Kim Doo-Young, Headline News, Dec. 30, 2010

On Dec. 30, about 35 Gangjeong villagers and 20 civic organization members held the silent protest against the naval base in front of the Island assembly for several hours in the cold and snowy weather.

Kang Dong Kyun, mayor of the Gangjeong village explained about the reason of silent protest saying that, “Even though we, the civic organizations against the naval base and Gangjeong villagers have stood to demand the Jeju Island government and Jeju Island assembly to settle the naval base issue, the administrative and Island assembly have trampled down our voices under the name of the ‘Big administrative execution,” and “we decided to urge the Island assembly to voice for us on behalf of villagers.”

Saying that “Even though the Gangjeong villagers have tried to settle the issue with various ways such as their own proposal, the Jeju Island and Island assembly have totally ignored them,” he criticized that, “Especially with the Jeju Island authorities saying that it has gotten the promise of the administrative support [from the central government], the navy is enforcing construction without apology by the joint chiefs of the navy, of which the item has been stipulated [in the Prime Minister’s letter] delivered to us.

Mayor Kang emphasized that, “Even though the Jeju island and Island assembly have expressed their will to make efforts to settle the conflict in the naval base issue, by composing such as the conflict resolution committee, they have not done any acts for four to five months,” and “It is time that the Jeju Island assembly, the representative organization of people’s opinion, should step forward for us.

The Gangjeong villagers are planning to stage relay one-man protest in front of the Island assembly since the early next month to demand the resolution on the cancellation of the bill on the annulment of the absolute preservation area passed by the Island assembly in the snatched way on last Dec. 17, 2009.

Despite the efforts by some progressive members of the Island assembly who claimed that the Woo Keun-Min Island government should cancel the annulment of the absolute preservation area by the former Island authorities, the resolution by the special committee on the naval base,Island assembly on Dec. 30 was limited to demand the central government of its promise implementation and of construction pose.

The Gangjeong villagers refuted against the special committee’s resolution saying that, “there is no progress in its content. Do not attempt to replace its will on the settlement with a sheet of the paper.”
(summary translation of the Headline News and News Jeju)