[Jeju Update][May 12 to14]Construction is going on despite Yang’s 40th day prison fast/In the May 13 trial, Miranda principle issue was raised

* For two days, the blog system itself has had problem. I hope some of my former blogs on May 11 and 12 are recovered soon. Below is a short summary. Photos and more compensation will come in the blogs later on.

Today, May 15, Yang Yoon-Mo meets his 40th day prison fast. He has demanded the stop of the Jeju naval base construction and punishment of all the Seogwipo station police men who have violently arrested him on April 6. (Video 1: HERE, Video 2: HERE, photos : HERE)


* Image source: Headline Jeju, May 13, 2011

Construction was all day on Saturday, May 14 in the sea and land by 7pm. It is told that the construction will be continued on Sunday, May 15 as well.

Despite the growing national concern including 65 civic organizations’ statement and movie people’s support statement for Yang Yoon-Mo on May 11; visit and inquiry by the members of the Truth Investigation Committee, National Assembly to the Gangjeong village on May 12; and the pan-religion people’s prayer meeting on May 13, the navy and Jeju Island government have not stopped the illegal, law-evasive and expedient Jeju naval base construction.

* Image source: Jeju Domin Ilbo, May 12, 2011

* Image source: Sisa Jeju, May 12, 2011
'Meeting with villagers'

* Image source: Headline Jeju
'Committee meeting with bishop Kang Woo-Il'

It was infuriating to see about 10 navy-subcontracted Eco-Ocean company workers to put tens of traps to capture the red-feet crabs (Sesarma intermedium) along the water-way area from the naval field office to the coast in the construction site on the very next day when the Truth Investigation Committee of the National Assembly visited the village including the construction site. It is told that more than 42 crabs were seen to be captured in those traps to be relocated into a stream of the Yackcheon buddishist temple, which is about 20 minute car distance from the village. The red-feet crabs are government-designated 2nd class endangered species and are told to live only in the clean environment. The red feet crabs in the village are told to be unique, which can survive well only in the very environment of the village so it is nothing but a murder of endangered animals.


* Image source: Gangjeong village people's council, May 14, 2011
Click the link to see more photos of poor crabs captured in the navy's trap nets

On May 13, there was the 2nd trial on Yang Yoon-Mo and his co-accused, Sung-Hee Choi who had been arrested on April 6 when they blocked a construction truck by laying down their bodies underneath the truck. The common charge applied to both was ‘interruption of business affairs.’ Choi was released on the night but Yang has been under restraint and imprisonment since then with the added and accumulated charges of violent deeds and interruption of execution on government affairs, by a sub-contract company, Woochang and Seogwipo police.

In the trial that proceeded about an hour, the main issue raised was whether there had been the policemen’s notice of the Miranda principal before they were arrested on April 6.

Two Seogwipo Station policemen, including a senior policeman, Kim Geun-Man and a policeman, Kim Seung-Chul were present as the prosecutor part’s witness. They said that the former had ordered one of his staffs to notice the Miranda principal before they arrested the two of Yang and Choi but it became clearer that the notice had not been properly done, if there was any, during the attorney’s inquiry to them on May 13.

Yang and Choi have claimed that they could not hear the Miranda notice before their arrest. The same claim has been raised by many of their colleagues who have kept the site on the day and recorded the day’s arrest scene. One villager has even recalled that he was very infuriated when he heard the policemen shout during the arrest of the two: “Load them, load them!’ He repelled the policemen by saying, “How do you dare to say to load them, Are they mere packages? Yang has also raised a question of why the policemen were so obsessive as to force him to sign on the paper seven times that he heard the Miranda principle notice on April 6, which he has declined to do it every time.

If it became clear that the Seogwipo police station had not stepped the proper procedure of the notice on the Miranda principal, it could not but influence final court decision.

More and more people’s visit to the Gangjeong village is growing. It would be shame and crime for the government and navy if they are continuing construction ignoring a critical health condition of a person of consciousness, who is dying in the prison and people’s will to stop the construction and abolish military base in the Jeju Island. The Jeju Island government, along with the Jeju naval base business committee has declined the people's public discussion on the naval base issue as well on May 12.

* Image source: Seogwipo Daily Newspaper, May 13, 2011
'Pan-religion prayer meeting'

The people want the very site to be the very memorial site for life and peace, which would be the beacon for the true Peace Island.

Yang is supposed to do remark on his thought upon his 41st prison fast on May 16, Monday as the 40th day is Sunday when the prison is closed for the visitors.


* Image source: Cho Sung-Bong, Gangjeong village people's council