[Jeju update] 15~18 July 2011

On July 15th, the arrest of the three leading Jeju Island resistance leaders by undercover police happened. Here's the video of that morning:

http://youtu.be/74SL1KPq0K0

July 18th, for the whole afternoon, the broadcasting in Gangjeong kept informing villagers that the press conference in front of the navy office would be started soon for against the naval base and for criticizing two more conscientious prisoners newly being in jail.

Village leader of Gangjeong said "if one thief come to your house, won't you try to arrest them? But now the thief tried to accusing back the owner of house under the name of business interruption, and the police surprisingly turn back to arrest the house owners. In the morning of 15th July, you send so many police men (around 70) to arrest me. Am I that much dangerous? "

In my eyes, their eyes are so pure, how can they be the people who need almost one hundred police men to arrest them?

In the press conference, Yune, The Frontiers staff, read Brother Song's letter which he wrote while lose freedom. One word by word, one sentence by sentence, she read. Hope the people who should listen really listen. We will never stop talking like this.

The Following is the letter from Brother Song:

Letter from Brother Song in Jeju East Regional Police Station Detention Cell_July 17

July 17, Sunday, 2011
Song Kang-ho from Jeju East Regional Police Station Detention Cell

Dear Navy, Samsung, Daelim People

I have met you starting from this early March. It is already 5th month. Personally I feel so sorry that I have caused you big trouble. I know you have been through hard time. We could be good friends if we not meet under the situation of Gangjeong Nave Base Construction. In my eyes, you look like good and kind uncles, friends and juniors. I am trying to understand you even though you have restrained me by force and abused me a lot. All things are because of your job. After all our evil destiny brought me into prison, now my freedom is taken as you wished.

I do not blame you, nor reproach you. I believe the wrong policy of Korean Government and Ministry of National Defense put me in prison. It was our Constitution Day when I was imprisoned a charge of business interruption against Navy Base Construction. All democratic procedure was ignored. Finally I was imprisoned because of the fighting against our Government to protect democracy, the foundation of Republic of Korea Constitutional Law, to save our country from the war, to preserve our beautiful sacred nature.

Personally I like you, even respect you. It is because of my absolute respect for the blue workers. Even though I am against war and hate militarism, it is true that I admire your dauntlessness, dignity and feel human affection at the same time. I ask you no more criminal making. 50 residents have punished disgracefully, tens of people are accused. Please deliberate why Gangjeong Villagers should go through these trials. Please think about the discords and distresses that you bring this peaceful fisherman and farmers village. Why you should work like this? Don't you recognize that it is inevitable to face with bigger opposition if you proceed the construction by force? I do believe that this mad Navy Base construction would be stopped someday. But what I am concerning most is that it will cause irrecoverable sacrifice, loss, pain and harm of villagers. Do not forget villagers even could lose their life. I beg a favor of you. Please stop the construction temporarily, resolve the conflicts with residents, first. This is all people's request, and most of residents pro Navy Base construction also agree with. There is no reason to be existed if the military ignore the people. Please respect residents, listen what they are requesting. Stop the war against residents and try to persuade them. You have your own logic, counterproposal and compensation plan. Why you could not persuade residents? Gangjeong residents love our country, respect military service same as other villagers. Please appeal to their patriotic sentiment, remind their national defense spirit. Please do your best to talk with residents.

The one thing I want to make clear is that you should give up Navy Base construction if you fail to persuade residents. You should not proceed construction by force. Oppressive construction will destroy our National Identity as democratic country. I sincerely beg of you. Declare construction stop, try to do unlimited talk with residents. It is the only way to resolve all the conflicts caused by Navy Base construction, not make pure heart residents becoming disgraceful criminal. Oppressive construction is like dragging an unrolled wheel car. Your car must be fallen down. Like a wheel could not win asphalt road, Navy could not win people, nor samgsung does. Please listen carefully what people saying before you get bigger losses and shame, before people go through bigger pain and sacrifice.

Mr. Ko and Brother Song walking out from the trial room.
Brother Song was holding a bible which a friend gave to him at that day before the trial.

Press conference in front of the Navy Office to protest the unjust arrest of peace activist on July 18.

Source: http://fromlospalos.blogspot.com/2011/07/am-i-that-much-dangerous.html

[Choi, Sung-Hee] A letter from prison 0703_Dear residents in Jagatsinghpur

July 3, 2011

Dear residents in Jagatsinghpur,
I am a woman and activist living in South Korea, the country of the POSCO you oppose. I am currently being jailed in the Jeju prison, under the charge of 'interruption of business', because of my resistance against the enforcement of the naval base construction in the Jeju Island located in the south of South Korea. As of today, July 3, I met 46th day since my arrest and 44th day since my being restrained.
I accidently happened to see two of your struggle photos and a photo in the Korean Times, June 13, 2011 had a below caption underneath it;
'Anti POSCO action in India: A village sprays water to relieve children lying with other villages along the entry point to prevent policemen and officials from entering their area at Jagatsinghpur district, about 140 kilometers(87 miles) east of eastern Bhubareshwary India, Saturday. The villagers have been protesting against turning their farmland into an industrial developed area for a $12 billion steal plant of South Korean conglomerate POSCO (AP-Yonhap).'
The situation of the Gangjeong village, Jeju Island, when I, along with many others, wanted to prevent naval base, is very much like yours.
The Gangjeong villages who have fought for four years to save their village are keeping vigil day and night against sudden crackdown by the navy and construction companies (Samsung and Daerim etc.).
It is for not being robbed of their lands. If trucks come, they block them with their bodies and if ships come, they resist them by swimming to them. Recently, a movie critic named, Yang Yoon-Mo had total 76days' fast including 60days' prison fast, against naval base. The Gangjeong village itself is an ecology-excellent village while the Gangjeong Sea is when the UNESCO-protected soft corals inhibit. The naval base construction site in the Gangjeong village is the very habitat for the endangered species such as red feet crabs and small round frogs. But the navy has expropriated more than 51% of the villages' land and threatened them so that they could not but get the deposited money as indemnity.
Because the Jeju naval base would make the Jeju, 'the Peace Island' into 'the War Island', and would destroy peace in the northeast Asia, further in the whole Asia & world, not only the Gangjeong villages but many people are opposing it.
I could but feel great sadness and anger over the fact that a big South Korean conglomerate is to rob of and to destroy your lands. The POSCO is one of the big, infamous corporations, along with Samsung, which has oppressed its workers, with its no-labor union policy.
Since the POSCO would destroy not only the environment of your hometown but also your rights to live, your struggle is so just 'legitimate self-defense'. It is like my action should be called not as 'interruption of business', but as 'legitimate self-defense'.
Expression my anger to the POSCO and my apology to you, I also send my warm, comradeship, respect, consolence and encouragement. Your courage and urgency more me.
Wholeheartedly supporting your struggle to save your hometown and your rights to live from reckless developmentalism and imperialism hands. I pray for the success of your struggle.

In solidarity.

July 3, 2011
Sung-Hee Choi