[Jeju Update: Aug. 26] A Peace Plane will fly amidst the government’s threat of public security state! Solidarity is needed more than ever!

Update: Fr. Moon was released last night! around 10pm, Aug. 26.
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For more information beyond this blog, check the below

Related blogs
Organizing Notes: LOVE YOU FATHER MOON
Aug. 24 situation
Aug. 25 situation
Aug. 25 situation(Compensated)

Related articles
* [Hankyoreh Editorial] A Jeju naval base referendum, Aug. 27, 2011
* Korea Joongang Daily:Jeju base site protesters challenge law authority
August 27, 2011
* Truthout: Residents of Tourist Haven Fight Plans to Build Naval Base
Friday 26 August 2011 by Nicole Erwin
*Cathnews, India: Police arrest priest in Jeju protest, Aug. 26, 2011
*Japan Focus: Back to the Future: Korean Anti-Base Resistance from Jeju Island to Pyeongtaek by Andrew Yeo
(*via Facebook)

Facebook sites
See Release Mayor Kang and the others who tried to defend him!(Facebook)
(*Thanks to MacGregor Eddy)
See Save Jeju Island 생명 평화 강정 마을
See No Naval Base on Jeju
See Save Prof. Yang and Sung-Hee Choi
(*The last one is outdated and would be closed as the two were released. But some people are continuing to post recent news)

Twitter
Save the Jeju Island(Check the right column)

Chinese media on Gangjeong struggle on Aug. 24 (Click HERE)
Chinese media mentioning a U.S. media report: The Jeju naval base construction aims at China with sword! (Click Here)
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* Image source: via Facebook

"Exclusive cartoon from LATUFF, our free-palestine cartoonist hero. he responded to my request and just sent me this exclusive cartoon in support of villagers resisting US Naval base construction in jeju island, korea. awesome to fortify intl solidarity network through creative resistance : by Iara Lee : activist & film maker."
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People’s campaign and a peace plane on Sept.3


* Web poster on Peace Plane on Sept. 3 (*via Facebook, thanks to Youngsil)
"Peace Flight from Seoul to Gangjeong, make your voices aloud against military base"

The villagers and peace groups, five opposition parties in Jeju has announced people’s campaign called “save the Goorumbee (the rocky coast)” three hours before the arrest of 5people on Aug. 24. The people plan to concentrate on people’s campaign from Aug. 24 to the end of September. The slogan is “The people command! Provisional disposition on the stop of construction!” which is a parody of the governments’ July lawsuit for provisional disposition on the prohibition of access to the construction site by 76 personnel and peace groups.


* Source: Jeju domin Ilbo

The peace groups saying that, “the navy has left a big wound in the heart of the villagers through abuse of various indictments & charges and violation of human rights for last four years,” claimed that it is illogical that they say the Jeju naval base business is a national business while it is to use the worst measure.”

The groups demanded that “the naval base business should be fundamentally reconsidered because it threatens the villagers’ human rights & rights to live and damages the community and environment.”

The peace plane on Sept. 3 is part of that campaign.

Four people are restrained as of Aug. 26: Mayor Kang is in fast in custody cell, protesting against illegal arrest.


Image source: click HERE
Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun carried by police

It is heard that Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun is in fast for three days since his arrest, protesting against illegal arrest and violation of human rights carried against him (See photos by Director Cho Sung-Bong here.) Mayor Gang’s being hospitalized is told to have been turned down by hospital that detested police presence (more details should be known here. But I heard a woman activist who visited mayor Kang cried when she witnessed the moment.)


Mayor Kang at the moment of violent arrest by police on Aug. 24, 2011
(Photo by Director, Cho. For more photos, click here)

An article says the Seogwipo police station restrained three people, mayor Kang Dong-Kyun (54), villager Kim Jong-Hwan(54) and a young activist, Kim Dong-Won(25). The charges against them are obstruction of business (mayor Kang and Mr. Kim Jong-Hwan) and special obstruction of government affairs (Kim Dong-Won). The Jeju local court judge told that the there is a danger that the three might flee if not the restraint warrants. Nonsense!


Uncle Kim Jong-Hwan(54). He is called as the father of the dog, Joongduk which is named after the name of the coast. He has been one of the most, most dedicated lovers of his hometown and the dog.
(*photo by Director Cho, for more photos, click Here)

Nicole Erwin cites Mr.Kim Jong-Hwan's words in the Truthout. She has met him in July, this year:

Kim Jong Hwan, a local fisherman and protester, was among those named in the injunction.

"I'm not afraid because I didn't do anything wrong. I am a resident here. I have a right to be here. I live here and that is my right, as a resident and as a villager, so I am not afraid to be arrested. That is why I refuse the call from the Seogwipo stations," said Kim.

Kim Dong-Won(25, right) is a young man of very kind heart and artistic talent.
(Photo by unknown)

Kang Gi-Tak, lawyer of the three saying that, “It is unreasonable to say that such activities of simply climbing up and down crane for short moment are to display power. Therefore theirs should not be charged as of ‘obstruction of business,” claimed that, “Because the arrest itself against mayor Kang is illegal, the charge of ‘special obstruction of government affair’ against Mr. Kim Dong-Won should not be established neither.” (Mr. Kim Dong-Won was with Mayor Kang and had been held in police car with him nearly for 10 hours when the villagers were standoff with police on Aug. 24 & 25)

Lawyer Kang also saying that “ Since the navy was partly inducing their activities by enforcing illegal construction in the situation when it has publicly announced that it would wait for the court decision on the government’s filing for provisional disposition [against 76 personnel & groups], [the prosecutors’ claim that the three] might commit repeated crime is one-sided and unilateral,” added that he would file for a review on the legality of confinement of them.

It is known that Fr. Moon Jung-Hyun was also restrained.

"Interview with Fr. Moon just before transferred to Dongbu police station from Seogwipo: Villagers' voice : "public authority is arrogant. . .they ignore villagers. . .love you, father~" (*Via FaceBook, Informed thanks to Regina)




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The government’s self-defeating measure of establishing public security situation

There is also news that the supreme prosecutors’ agency concluded with its opinion that it would strictly respond with measures of restraint against what they call habitual obstruction of business and of the similar against what they call obstruction of business and obstruction of government affairs, related to resistance against naval base in its public security meeting composed of personnel from the Minister of National Defense, Supreme Police Agency, Ministry of Employment and Labor and Defense Security Command at 3pm, Aug. 26. It also plans to charge those through civilian cases with the lawsuits on fines beside criminal cases. Such public security meetings were held in 2008 when more than million people gathered for the candle protest against the import of U. S. beef and in 2009 when there was Ssangyong workers' hard-fought resistance.

The government has already filed lawsuits against 14villagers for the fines of 280,000,000 won in the mid-July, this year, aiming to weaken the villagers’ fight will and to divide the villagers and activists.

There is also news (via Facebook) as below

[Emergency Update] Several Staffs from the Asia Wide Campaign Against U.S. and Japanese Aggression and Domination of Asia (AWC) were stopped at the Jeju International Airport(CJU). Those are the representatives from Japan. Mr. Sakuda (46),his son (6) and AWC Staff Nagaya(52) were given the decision of denial from the port of authority in Jeju. Officials said that Department of Justice delivered d...irect order to the Jeju Airport Office of Immigration and Custom to stop them. AWC and KCTU(Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) are scheduled to have the forum in Gangjeong village at Aug 27th. That forum is about having conference against naval base and the expansion of military forces in the southern asia area.


To what degree, the Lee government is displaying such shameful measure to dispel the international? Crazy.. It was not their first time to deny the entry of international peace activists. The Lee Myung-Bak government has also interrupted some key South Korean activists’ visits to other countries, sometimes forcing them to be turned back without being able to join the events in the visited countries. What a violation of human rights!

Paco has good words(Via Facebook on Aug. 27)

"Well, as you can see the good news is that because of the events of the 24th this has become a national issue. It's on all the main networks and press big and small are covering it. No one can pretend it doesn't exist any longer. Unfortunately, most of them are covering it badly. Surprisingly one major network, MBS, did a pretty good job. KBS on the other hand should be renamed "Navy TV". Their broadcast was the worst compilation of one sided naval propaganda. And the protests were barely show but mostly edited to make us look violent. In the future let's give more interviews to MBS and boycott and ignore KBS!"

Fr. Moon and mayor Kang
(photo by Director Cho in July, 2011. The banner reads 'no naval base!)


Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun(left) and Mr. Kim Jong-Hwan(right) help movie critic Yang Yoon-Mo to walk when Yang was released with the court decision of probation after nearly 70days' prison fast on June 1, 2011.


Villagers and activists: A man in the white jacket is Mr. Kim Jong-Hwan
Photo by Director Cho