United Church of Christ in the Philippines
A Solidarity Message
to the
Retrenched Workers of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction
and the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea
“Genuine peace comes when justice is served...
...for as long as labourers do not receive just wages...
There will be no peace.”
UCCP Statement on Peacemaking
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines(UCCP) joins the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea(PROK) in supporting the workers of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction(HHIC) in their struggle for their workers’ rights as a result of illegal termination and unjust labor practices. We salute the Korean people for their willingness to join in a peaceful protest that included more than 10,000 citizens on 195 buses to call for a resolution of the HHIC laid-off workers situation, on July 9, 2011. Hearing that in the early hours of July 10, 2011, armed police fired tear gas and water cannons at civilian protestors, as they sought to visit Labor Leader Kim Jin-Sook who was protesting by occupying Yeongdo Shipyard Crane #85, reinforces the need for Church people around the world to join in solidarity with the struggle of the workers. With the PROK, we strongly condemn the violent dispersal of the peaceful march to protest the termination of workers at HHIC on July 10, 2011 in Busan City, South Korea and call for the reinstatement of illegally retrenched HHIC workers.
Globalization has allowed large Trans-National Corporations, such as the Chaebol conglomerate corporations where HHIC belongs, to move easily from country to country around the world, even when in the process they violate workers’ rights and welfare. The lay-off of workers in Busan, South Korea likely precipitates from the opening of Hanjin’s new shipyard in the Subic Bay Freeport, Philippines. In 2005, Hanjin signed a 50-year lease and has since then invested US$721 million into this new shipyard. With a ten-year tax holiday and a cheaper workforce of only PhP 306 (approx US$7.25) for nine hours labor in the Philipines, the HHIC likely intends increased profits by relocating their work to Subic Bay, Philippines.
According to our investigation, the situation of Hanjin workers in Subic Bay Freeport is also fraught with violations of workers’ rights:
· Although Subic government officials report that 21,000 workers and employed at Hanjin, the reality is that only approximately 17,000 are employed by Hanjin, while the others retained using 42 sub-contractors to circumvent the giving the benefits and rights of regular employees, including the right to join a union.
· Not only do workers have a nine hour shift, they are also required to arrive to the company bus station 30 minutes before their shift begins. Workers are often expected to work a double shift and have been known to work for as many as three days non-stop.
· There are reports of wide-spread drug use for workers to cope with back-to-back shifts.
· Since Subic Bay Freeport Hanjin opened, 30 cases of work-related deaths and more than 5000 accidents have been recorded. Workers have been crushed by metal, impaled by slabs as well as cut, maimed and bruised to alarming degrees. Families of death victims have been unable to collect death benefits.
The UCCP denounces the low wages, injury/death and violation of basic rights experienced by Filipino workers at the Subic Bay Freeport Hanjin shipyard AND the termination and violation of basic rights of Korean workers at HHIC Busan City, South Korea, most likely precipitating from the relocation of work to the Philippines.
In response to the liberalization of trade and labor as is dictated by global capitalism, workers of different countries and those who stand in solidarity with them must increase their cooperation to expose and resist the violation of worker’s rights. The efforts of Trans-National “Mega” Corporations to concentrate global power and wealth to themselves through the subjugation of the world workforce can be thwarted by a similarly global approach by broad social movements, including the Church, to struggle for fundamental changes that bring about a just, participatory and sustainable social order.
We commit ourselves to uphold the welfare of the world’s workers as a response to the call of faith, hope and mutual mission. Our concern and support for the retrenched workers at the HHIC Yeongdo Shipyard of Busan is a solidarity expression not only of our partnership with the PROK, but also of our concern for workers everywhere. We stand with those calling for the management of Hanjin Heavy Industries to be investigated, for the police committing violent dispersal against peaceful protestors to be held accountable, for the reinstatement of illegally retrenched workers, and for the respect of workers’ just wages and human rights.
Signed By:
Bishop Elorde M. Sambat Bishop Arturo R. Asi
North Luzon Jurisdictional Area South Luzon Jurisdictional Area
Bishop Jaime M. Morilles Bishop Dulce Pia-Rose
Middle Luzon Jurisdictional Area East Visayas Jurisdictional Area
Bishop Melzar D. Labuntog Bishop Modesto D. Villasanta
Northwest Mindanao Jurisdictional Area Southeast Mindanao Jurisdictional Area
Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza
General Secretary
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Migrant Workers in Korea are still enslave in spite of EPS
The Employment Permit System (EPS) is an Instrument of Enslavement of the Neo-liberal Capitalist Globalization
The Employment Permit System (EPS) of the South Korean government set in place in 2004 and has reached its seventh year of implementation has been an instrument of enslavement of the neo-liberal capitalist globalization benefiting the economies of both the source and destination countries of migrant workers. The Philippine government in 2010 reaped 18.8 billion dollars from remittances of over nine million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) worldwide. The amount is 8.2 percent higher than the previous year. It is however an irony that even with the wealth the government has amassed from the hard labor of migrant workers, social services to migrant workers still found wanting.
As an instrument of neo-liberal capitalist globalization the EPS has been the source of cheap labor as there has been a lack of local human resource for small and medium scale industries, thus the recourse to recruitment of migrant workers from overseas. The large scale production in the South Korean economy has undeniably benefitted from the supply of cheap labor from source countries. Access to cheap labor has been legalized through bilateral labor agreements such as the MOU on deployment of migrant workers.
Local capitalists and conglomerates are highly motivated to gain super profits and that requires subcontracted production from SMEs to realize their target profits, but would not give a dent on the suffering and inhumane working conditions of migrant workers. As in the case of many Filipino migrant workers in South Korea under the EPS they are classified as unskilled workers despite their educational and skills qualification. Educational attainment in this sense is no longer significant in the profit making schemes of capitalists and factory owners.
The EPS is full of flaws especially in the employment term. The 3 years original employment term plus another 2 years extension has been legally prescribed and migrant workers are forced to leave the country without the possibility of further term extension nor changing visa status for long term employment or for acquiring residency status. The outcry of most EPS workers is for them to extend their employment term for they have already become skillful in their respective jobs and grant them the possibility to gain residency status to pay-off their deployment expenses and alleviate their families’ economic situation.
Also, the EPS workers in most cases have to work on extended hours up to 12 hours beyond the eight-hour labor law, without getting overtime pay. This is no different from what the undocumented workers are experiencing. Although there is a clear provision in the EPS law that that the Korean Labor Standards Act applies to all migrant workers, but the Korean government is just making a lip service to the plight of migrant workers. Specifically, the change of work places limited to 3 times during the first 3 years or the equivalent of one work place each year has resulted in abuse of workers’ rights and enslavement to inhumane working conditions.
Moreover, fresh recruits to EPS working in construction, agriculture and fishery firms are deceived in signing work contracts that are totally different from the actual work conditions, subjecting them dangerous and life threatening work situations. Compensation for industrial accidents experienced by migrant workers is difficult to process and access and more so with their pension and separation pays. Employers practice deceit by not contributing to the social benefits of migrant workers and they are prosecuted and penalized for such violations.
Furthermore, the Korean government failed miserably to address the situation of undocumented migrant workers aside from offering them voluntary departure or forced deportation. There is no doubt that EPS workers whose term of employment will soon expire but wanted to continue working in the country will become undocumented too. The government should devise new ways of legalizing undocumented workers because just like the EPS and the local workers, they contribute to the wealth of the South Korean economy.
Therefore, KASAMMAKO urges both the Philippine and South Korean governments to exhaustively evaluate and assess the EPS law to improve the working conditions of migrant workers and for them to be free from the enslavement of profiteering employers, companies and capitalist that live luxuriously while their workers are suffering and could hardly survive with their low income incomes.
We urge the South Korean government to synchronize labor and immigration laws that will better the working conditions of migrant workers, giving them more democratic rights and allowing them to exercise their rights to unionize and pursue their employment goals.
POL PAR
Chairperson
KASAMMAKO
17 August 2011
The Employment Permit System (EPS) of the South Korean government set in place in 2004 and has reached its seventh year of implementation has been an instrument of enslavement of the neo-liberal capitalist globalization benefiting the economies of both the source and destination countries of migrant workers. The Philippine government in 2010 reaped 18.8 billion dollars from remittances of over nine million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) worldwide. The amount is 8.2 percent higher than the previous year. It is however an irony that even with the wealth the government has amassed from the hard labor of migrant workers, social services to migrant workers still found wanting.
As an instrument of neo-liberal capitalist globalization the EPS has been the source of cheap labor as there has been a lack of local human resource for small and medium scale industries, thus the recourse to recruitment of migrant workers from overseas. The large scale production in the South Korean economy has undeniably benefitted from the supply of cheap labor from source countries. Access to cheap labor has been legalized through bilateral labor agreements such as the MOU on deployment of migrant workers.
Local capitalists and conglomerates are highly motivated to gain super profits and that requires subcontracted production from SMEs to realize their target profits, but would not give a dent on the suffering and inhumane working conditions of migrant workers. As in the case of many Filipino migrant workers in South Korea under the EPS they are classified as unskilled workers despite their educational and skills qualification. Educational attainment in this sense is no longer significant in the profit making schemes of capitalists and factory owners.
The EPS is full of flaws especially in the employment term. The 3 years original employment term plus another 2 years extension has been legally prescribed and migrant workers are forced to leave the country without the possibility of further term extension nor changing visa status for long term employment or for acquiring residency status. The outcry of most EPS workers is for them to extend their employment term for they have already become skillful in their respective jobs and grant them the possibility to gain residency status to pay-off their deployment expenses and alleviate their families’ economic situation.
Also, the EPS workers in most cases have to work on extended hours up to 12 hours beyond the eight-hour labor law, without getting overtime pay. This is no different from what the undocumented workers are experiencing. Although there is a clear provision in the EPS law that that the Korean Labor Standards Act applies to all migrant workers, but the Korean government is just making a lip service to the plight of migrant workers. Specifically, the change of work places limited to 3 times during the first 3 years or the equivalent of one work place each year has resulted in abuse of workers’ rights and enslavement to inhumane working conditions.
Moreover, fresh recruits to EPS working in construction, agriculture and fishery firms are deceived in signing work contracts that are totally different from the actual work conditions, subjecting them dangerous and life threatening work situations. Compensation for industrial accidents experienced by migrant workers is difficult to process and access and more so with their pension and separation pays. Employers practice deceit by not contributing to the social benefits of migrant workers and they are prosecuted and penalized for such violations.
Furthermore, the Korean government failed miserably to address the situation of undocumented migrant workers aside from offering them voluntary departure or forced deportation. There is no doubt that EPS workers whose term of employment will soon expire but wanted to continue working in the country will become undocumented too. The government should devise new ways of legalizing undocumented workers because just like the EPS and the local workers, they contribute to the wealth of the South Korean economy.
Therefore, KASAMMAKO urges both the Philippine and South Korean governments to exhaustively evaluate and assess the EPS law to improve the working conditions of migrant workers and for them to be free from the enslavement of profiteering employers, companies and capitalist that live luxuriously while their workers are suffering and could hardly survive with their low income incomes.
We urge the South Korean government to synchronize labor and immigration laws that will better the working conditions of migrant workers, giving them more democratic rights and allowing them to exercise their rights to unionize and pursue their employment goals.
POL PAR
Chairperson
KASAMMAKO
17 August 2011
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Imperialist wars of agression should be opposed: Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In commemoration of the 66th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings
By Prof. JOSE MARIA SISON
Chairperson, International Coordinating Committee
Internatiobal League of Peoples' Struggle
On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the barbaric bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US, the International League of People's Struggles joins the Japanese people and all peace-loving peoples in commemorating the event and in condemning the continuing nuclear threat from the US and its imperialist allies.
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was incinerated by a nuclear weapon with a core of enriched uranium released by the US over the city. The nuclear radiation, explosion, heat and resulting fires killed 90,000 people almost immediately. This number rose to more than a hundred thousand by the end of 1945.
On August 9, 1945, Nagasaki was destroyed by a second atomic weapon with a core of plutonium 239 killing immediately some 40,000 and left 70,000 more dying by the end of the year. Tens of thousands more died later from radiation sickness. The combined death toll from the two atomic attacks run up to nearly two hundred thousand.
Despite the passage of 66 years, the surviving victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings suffer from the after effects and the second and third generations of the victims live in fear of consequences adverse to their health. The Japanese government has not provided to the victims state compensation and the necessary medical services.
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki sixty-six years ago is one that is an exercise of unnecessary and excessive force. With the objective of enabling the US military to assess the effects and power of the newly developed atomic bomb, the US chose the two cities that were relatively unscathed by aerial bombing for its atrocious experiment. The twin bombing ranks as one of the worst war crimes and crimes against humanity ever committed in history. Yet despite this horrifying example of destruction, the threat of nuclear weapons remains from the only country that has used these weapons of mass destruction in war.
There are still roughly 20,500 nuclear weapons in the world. Fourteen thousand of these are in military stockpiles and around 4,830 are deployed in operational strategic role. More than 95 percent of nuclear weapons are with the US and Russia which continue to integrate these weapons into their military strategies. The rest of the weapons are with the UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea.
Although both the US and Russia have recently said that nuclear war between them is now "unthinkable," their strategic war plans still put nuclear strikes with hundreds of targets as options. Both countries still have the capacity to initiate a nuclear attack in a matter of a few seconds. Between the two, there are more than 800 ready-to-fire ballistic missiles armed with at nearly 2,000 strategic nuclear warheads on high alert, ready for use on short notice.
The US continues to test its intercontinental ballistic missiles such as the Minuteman III for readiness and keeps its Global Strike capability to hit targets anywhere in the globe in less than an hour. As the US puts the prevention of nuclear terrorism and proliferation in its 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, it has increased funding for the rebuilding of its “aging” nuclear infrastructure.
The Obama administration plans to spend $6.3 billion until 2016 to extend the lifetime and usage capabilities of the warheads in their stockpile. It seeks to finish the construction of nuclear materials production facilities which costs more than $10 billion and pledged another $6.24 billion to modernize its missiles, SSBN submarines, Joint Strike fighter planes and B-2 and B-52 bombers that are designed to deliver nuclear warheads.
The US military budget of $698 billion in 2010 is nearly 43% of the world's total military spending. It also remains the largest arms exporter in the world selling nearly $38 billion last year which is predicted to surge up to $50 billion in 2011. Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt consistently rank among the top five importers of U.S. weaponry.
The US continues to expand its war foothold with new military bases such as that on Jeju Island in South Korea and in Okinawa despite resistance from local residents. It uses bilateral military agreements such as status of forces and base sharing agreements to virtually convert whole countries as their military base.
The new NATO Strategic Concept at the Lisbon Summit in 2010 reaffirmed the importance of nuclear weapons in the designs of the alliance in Europe. NATO's nuclear posture with roughly 200 non-strategic warheads remains tied directly to US interests. Plans to retrofit strategic nuclear bombs currently deployed in Europe as well as to build new F-35 planes to carry these bombs are being pushed to enhance NATO's capability to knock out military targets.
The US promotes double standards in nuclear proliferation– one set of rules for Israel and India and another set for potential enemies such as North Korea and Iran. It expands its role in assigning itself as global cop to hold “fully accountable any state, terrorist group, or other non-state actor that supports or enables terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction, whether by facilitating, financing, or providing expertise or safe haven for such efforts.”
It enforces this through US-led agreements such as their Proliferation Security Initiative which lets US allies interdict ships unilaterally on the high seas on mere suspicion that these are carrying “nuclear materials and contraband”. Such initiatives which inflame tensions are mainly focused on such states as Iran and the DPRK and are seen as aggressive moves by these countries.
In 1954, the US used nuclear technology to entice and bring into its fold other countries such as Japan in order to counteract Soviet influence. The US uses the same tactic, in reverse, in denying Iran and the DPRK nuclear technologies to counter proliferation. This introduction of nuclear technology to Japan brought in US designed reactors such as the Fukushima Dai-ichi plants that melted down last March 2011. As nuclear power has shown its deadly bite with the meltdown of the reactors in Fukushima, the threat of nuclear war still remains with us.
Through nuclear intimidation and blackmail, the US has caused the suffering of tens of millions of people who came under its wars of aggression and intervention in Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and elsewhere. Further, the US has enabled its puppet regimes to massacre and maim millions more of people.. The oppressive and exploitative globalization policies unleashed by the US and its local partners have put hundreds of millions of people into misery and poverty.
In commemorating the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we stand in solidarity with the people of the world against any form of imperialist war, military intervention and oppression. We are moved to resist imperialist aggression as we witness today the extremely high numbers of people being killed and injured in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.
We vigorously oppose the U.S.-Japanese military alliance and its core strategic policy of nuclear blackmail. It is just for the people of Japan and the world to condemn and resist the scheme of the U.S. and Japanese governments in the consolidation of US bases in Okinawa, Iwakuni and Kanagawa. These are meant to perpetuate US domination over the Asia-Pacific region.
Since the latter half of the 1960s, the US and Japanese monopoly bourgeoisie have undermined and weakened the yearly commemoration of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bombings in order to reduce remembrance of these, lessen fears about nuclear radiation and pave the way for the rapid construction of nuclear power plants in Japan. There are now more than 55 nuclear reactors in Japan, with 14 more power plants previously planned.
Now, we are confronted with a grave nuclear disaster, the meltdown of reactors in Fukusihma Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Radiation leaks continue and spread. A great number of people are exposed to radiation in the Fukushima and neighboring prefectures. Land, seawater and crops are polluted and local communities are victimized. The myths of safety in the use of nuclear power plants have been exposed.
We hereby express our firm and continuing support to the Japanese people in their demands for the state to provide compensation and medical services to the A-bomb victims and their second and third generations, for banning and shutting down all the nuclear power plants and stopping the construction of new ones, for holding the Japanese state responsible for acts of aggression during World War and for indemnifying all war victims in Asia, for topping the nuclear armament of Japan, for scrapping the US-Japan security alliance and dismantling the US military bases in Japan and for the withdrawal of all US military forces in Asia.
The anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are reminders of the continued peril that the peoples of the world face under imperialist aggression. The ILPS calls on all the world’s peoples to intensify their struggle against US imperialism and its barbaric and terrorist policy of producing, maintaining, using and threatening to use nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.***
By Prof. JOSE MARIA SISON
Chairperson, International Coordinating Committee
Internatiobal League of Peoples' Struggle
On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the barbaric bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US, the International League of People's Struggles joins the Japanese people and all peace-loving peoples in commemorating the event and in condemning the continuing nuclear threat from the US and its imperialist allies.
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was incinerated by a nuclear weapon with a core of enriched uranium released by the US over the city. The nuclear radiation, explosion, heat and resulting fires killed 90,000 people almost immediately. This number rose to more than a hundred thousand by the end of 1945.
On August 9, 1945, Nagasaki was destroyed by a second atomic weapon with a core of plutonium 239 killing immediately some 40,000 and left 70,000 more dying by the end of the year. Tens of thousands more died later from radiation sickness. The combined death toll from the two atomic attacks run up to nearly two hundred thousand.
Despite the passage of 66 years, the surviving victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings suffer from the after effects and the second and third generations of the victims live in fear of consequences adverse to their health. The Japanese government has not provided to the victims state compensation and the necessary medical services.
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki sixty-six years ago is one that is an exercise of unnecessary and excessive force. With the objective of enabling the US military to assess the effects and power of the newly developed atomic bomb, the US chose the two cities that were relatively unscathed by aerial bombing for its atrocious experiment. The twin bombing ranks as one of the worst war crimes and crimes against humanity ever committed in history. Yet despite this horrifying example of destruction, the threat of nuclear weapons remains from the only country that has used these weapons of mass destruction in war.
There are still roughly 20,500 nuclear weapons in the world. Fourteen thousand of these are in military stockpiles and around 4,830 are deployed in operational strategic role. More than 95 percent of nuclear weapons are with the US and Russia which continue to integrate these weapons into their military strategies. The rest of the weapons are with the UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea.
Although both the US and Russia have recently said that nuclear war between them is now "unthinkable," their strategic war plans still put nuclear strikes with hundreds of targets as options. Both countries still have the capacity to initiate a nuclear attack in a matter of a few seconds. Between the two, there are more than 800 ready-to-fire ballistic missiles armed with at nearly 2,000 strategic nuclear warheads on high alert, ready for use on short notice.
The US continues to test its intercontinental ballistic missiles such as the Minuteman III for readiness and keeps its Global Strike capability to hit targets anywhere in the globe in less than an hour. As the US puts the prevention of nuclear terrorism and proliferation in its 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, it has increased funding for the rebuilding of its “aging” nuclear infrastructure.
The Obama administration plans to spend $6.3 billion until 2016 to extend the lifetime and usage capabilities of the warheads in their stockpile. It seeks to finish the construction of nuclear materials production facilities which costs more than $10 billion and pledged another $6.24 billion to modernize its missiles, SSBN submarines, Joint Strike fighter planes and B-2 and B-52 bombers that are designed to deliver nuclear warheads.
The US military budget of $698 billion in 2010 is nearly 43% of the world's total military spending. It also remains the largest arms exporter in the world selling nearly $38 billion last year which is predicted to surge up to $50 billion in 2011. Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt consistently rank among the top five importers of U.S. weaponry.
The US continues to expand its war foothold with new military bases such as that on Jeju Island in South Korea and in Okinawa despite resistance from local residents. It uses bilateral military agreements such as status of forces and base sharing agreements to virtually convert whole countries as their military base.
The new NATO Strategic Concept at the Lisbon Summit in 2010 reaffirmed the importance of nuclear weapons in the designs of the alliance in Europe. NATO's nuclear posture with roughly 200 non-strategic warheads remains tied directly to US interests. Plans to retrofit strategic nuclear bombs currently deployed in Europe as well as to build new F-35 planes to carry these bombs are being pushed to enhance NATO's capability to knock out military targets.
The US promotes double standards in nuclear proliferation– one set of rules for Israel and India and another set for potential enemies such as North Korea and Iran. It expands its role in assigning itself as global cop to hold “fully accountable any state, terrorist group, or other non-state actor that supports or enables terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction, whether by facilitating, financing, or providing expertise or safe haven for such efforts.”
It enforces this through US-led agreements such as their Proliferation Security Initiative which lets US allies interdict ships unilaterally on the high seas on mere suspicion that these are carrying “nuclear materials and contraband”. Such initiatives which inflame tensions are mainly focused on such states as Iran and the DPRK and are seen as aggressive moves by these countries.
In 1954, the US used nuclear technology to entice and bring into its fold other countries such as Japan in order to counteract Soviet influence. The US uses the same tactic, in reverse, in denying Iran and the DPRK nuclear technologies to counter proliferation. This introduction of nuclear technology to Japan brought in US designed reactors such as the Fukushima Dai-ichi plants that melted down last March 2011. As nuclear power has shown its deadly bite with the meltdown of the reactors in Fukushima, the threat of nuclear war still remains with us.
Through nuclear intimidation and blackmail, the US has caused the suffering of tens of millions of people who came under its wars of aggression and intervention in Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and elsewhere. Further, the US has enabled its puppet regimes to massacre and maim millions more of people.. The oppressive and exploitative globalization policies unleashed by the US and its local partners have put hundreds of millions of people into misery and poverty.
In commemorating the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we stand in solidarity with the people of the world against any form of imperialist war, military intervention and oppression. We are moved to resist imperialist aggression as we witness today the extremely high numbers of people being killed and injured in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.
We vigorously oppose the U.S.-Japanese military alliance and its core strategic policy of nuclear blackmail. It is just for the people of Japan and the world to condemn and resist the scheme of the U.S. and Japanese governments in the consolidation of US bases in Okinawa, Iwakuni and Kanagawa. These are meant to perpetuate US domination over the Asia-Pacific region.
Since the latter half of the 1960s, the US and Japanese monopoly bourgeoisie have undermined and weakened the yearly commemoration of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bombings in order to reduce remembrance of these, lessen fears about nuclear radiation and pave the way for the rapid construction of nuclear power plants in Japan. There are now more than 55 nuclear reactors in Japan, with 14 more power plants previously planned.
Now, we are confronted with a grave nuclear disaster, the meltdown of reactors in Fukusihma Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Radiation leaks continue and spread. A great number of people are exposed to radiation in the Fukushima and neighboring prefectures. Land, seawater and crops are polluted and local communities are victimized. The myths of safety in the use of nuclear power plants have been exposed.
We hereby express our firm and continuing support to the Japanese people in their demands for the state to provide compensation and medical services to the A-bomb victims and their second and third generations, for banning and shutting down all the nuclear power plants and stopping the construction of new ones, for holding the Japanese state responsible for acts of aggression during World War and for indemnifying all war victims in Asia, for topping the nuclear armament of Japan, for scrapping the US-Japan security alliance and dismantling the US military bases in Japan and for the withdrawal of all US military forces in Asia.
The anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are reminders of the continued peril that the peoples of the world face under imperialist aggression. The ILPS calls on all the world’s peoples to intensify their struggle against US imperialism and its barbaric and terrorist policy of producing, maintaining, using and threatening to use nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.***
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Oh God Restore Us
PROK staff morning prayer
Scripture text: Psalm 80
04August2011
PRAYER
Most loving and redeeming God:
We thank and praise you for this opportunity to come to you in prayer.
The Psalmist reminds us that both in our personal and social life there are brokenness that need to be mended and healed. We are becoming aware of your forgiveness when we are confronted with the senile effects of aggression or of perfectionism that haunt our lives.
We have been conscious of our separation from your mind and will when we are anxious of what others might judge us. In your tender mercies restore us to your loving will and help us to share your grace in acts of service to the least of your people.
We pray for all the people in our country and the world who are struggling for justice, freedom and peace. They who have been deprived and oppressed by the powers and instrumentalities of states and nations. May they attain the fruits of their struggles.
Bless and sustain us in our work today. May patience, unselfishness and understanding remain in our hearts and minds. We pray that your redeeming love in Jesus Christ will restore us to who we are as you intended us to be. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture text: Psalm 80
04August2011
PRAYER
Most loving and redeeming God:
We thank and praise you for this opportunity to come to you in prayer.
The Psalmist reminds us that both in our personal and social life there are brokenness that need to be mended and healed. We are becoming aware of your forgiveness when we are confronted with the senile effects of aggression or of perfectionism that haunt our lives.
We have been conscious of our separation from your mind and will when we are anxious of what others might judge us. In your tender mercies restore us to your loving will and help us to share your grace in acts of service to the least of your people.
We pray for all the people in our country and the world who are struggling for justice, freedom and peace. They who have been deprived and oppressed by the powers and instrumentalities of states and nations. May they attain the fruits of their struggles.
Bless and sustain us in our work today. May patience, unselfishness and understanding remain in our hearts and minds. We pray that your redeeming love in Jesus Christ will restore us to who we are as you intended us to be. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Korean NGOs and Churches Appeals for Support in Opposing Naval Base Construction in Jeju Island
The National Council of Churches Invitation to join in opposing construction of naval
base in Jeju Island.
July 19, 2011
Dear friends of peace worldwide:
Below you will find information about the naval base the Korean government is proposing building on Jeju Island, situated 56 miles south of the Korean mainland, a beautiful island recognized by UNESCO as a valuable resource for the world. The last online newsletter of the NCCK included an
article about this. Opposition is gathering to this construction, and below is the statement of the National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island, a diverse body representing many organizations, which has come together for this purpose. Each
representative organization has promised to contact their global counterparts, and the NCCK is connected to many faith-based bodies who are hereby receiving this communication.
Below this official statement of the National Network, you will find a letter and information from peace activist Kichul Lee, who invites readers to join the petition he is circulating, along with a link to the website about the action - cafe.daum.net/peacekj. Perhaps the website will come up in Korean, but click on the instruction for English.
Please circulate this among your constituents and those you know will be concerned about the village of Gangjeong, the island of Jeju, the nation of Korea, and the peace of the world.
With thanks and prayers for peace
NCCK (National Council of Churches of Korea) - Kim Young Ju,
General Secretary
Rm. 706, Korea Christian Bldg,
Yeonji-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-736, Korea
Ph. 82-2-764-0203, Fax 82-2-744-6189
------------000--------------
Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island
We, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island, had a press conference and released this statement of appeal on 13th July.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide to give Gangjeong residents and peace activists international support and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction.
Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your support and solidarity.
Statement of Appeal
We appeal to save Gangjeong!
The Joongduk coast of Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island is now suffering. In 2006, Jeju Island was designated as an Island of Peace for the purpose of consoling the deep sorrow of the April 3rd Massacre. And the Joongduk coast was appointed as a Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site,
and Global Geological Park by UNESCO. It is an Absolute Preservation Area, which is now suffering from naval base construction.
Insisting that the naval base is vital for national security, the Korean government and the navy are enforcing the construction. However, the Ocean Navy expansion plan upon which the base construction was justified has been discarded in revisions to the national defense bill regarding strategies to counteract recent security threats, leaving no justification for this new base. In addition, the original argument from the government when the National Assembly budget bill was passed was to construct a Joint Civil Military site to be used for tourism as well as military purposes. However, that plan has disappeared and now only the military base is being constructed.
By maintaining military alliances with Japan, Australia, South Korea, and India, and through joint military exercises with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the U.S. is attempting to build up its defense line against China. If the Jeju naval base is constructed, the U.S., which possesses the right to station there according to the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement, will surely use this base to stand up against China. In that case, Jeju Island, an Island of Peace, will become a center of military conflict between the U.S. and China, jeopardizing South
Korea’s national security.
Government and military authorities, however, are turning a blind eye to the voices of Gangjeong residents and civil peace activists, as well as to the demands to suspend the construction coming from the opposition parties and the investigation committee of the National Assembly. The navy has even used violence against a protesting civilian. On July 11, the national government recommended that the city government barricade a farm road on the Joongduk coast, which is the last remaining piece of state- owned land under the jurisdiction of Seogwipo city within the site of the naval base construction. This action was a response to the demand from the Ministry of National Defense to discourage any attempts to stage a protest against the naval base construction. However, such efforts by the government to enforce the construction only bring about stronger resistance and conflicts from Gangjeong residents and peace activists. The
construction must be stopped before any unf ortunate accidents take place.
We appeal to the government and military authorities
The argument for the base construction by the government and the navy is no longer valid. Moreover, the means and procedures used to promote the construction have been so violent and deceptive that they are only causing more resistance and resentment. Unilaterally pushing ahead with the construction, in the name of the national project, is obviously not a wise way. We call upon the government and military authorities to withdraw their plan to close the farm road and to completely reexamine the Jeju naval base construction project.
We appeal to Woo Keun-Min, Jeju governor
Governor Woo, you were aware of the negative consequences that could result from the naval base construction and you were right. We urge you to give up the futile illusion about the development profit and to listen to the desperate voices of the residents. We further request you to use your authority to cancel the removal of the “absolute preservation area” designation of Joongduk coast. If you do so, history would remember you as a person who protects the peace of Jeju and the Korean peninsula.
We appeal to the national assembly.
As an entity representing citizens, the national assembly has a duty to listen to and respond to citizens’ voices. We appeal to the opposition parties to be more active in nullifying the Jeju naval base construction project. The Grand National Party, as the current ruling party, should seriously examine whether the base is really needed and whether national budget should be spent on inflating military forces and feeding construction capital.
We appeal to citizens.
Gangjeong citizens have been fighting alone for over four long years. In the meantime, the village community has been torn apart, leaving indelible scars. Citizens are also engulfed with fears due to various lawsuits from the government and construction companies, as well as fines
up to tens of millions of won. They are suffering from the fact that the Goorungbi boulder, which represents their dreams and memories, might be covered with cement block.
Please express your solidarity and give them your consolation. And if you can, please visit Gangjeong Village. Then you might be able to understand more clearly why the construction must be stopped. In addition, please use your wisdom and energy to do whatever you can in your position to prevent the Jeju naval base construction.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide
International support, advocacy, and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction give Gangjeong residents and peace activists strength and courage. Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your
support and solidarity.
We will try our best to prevent the Jeju naval base construction which endangers the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia, and which is destroying the lives of Gangjeong residents and the natural environment, a gift from heaven. We firmly believe that this struggle is our responsibility to Jeju Island, where the sorrow of the April 3rd massacre is deeply embedded, that this is a expression of our conscience regarding the suffering Gangjeong residents, and that it is the demand of the times to protect and ensure peace for our children. We sincerely appeal to everybody who stands alongside us to protect Gangjeong Village and Jeju
Island.
July 13, 2011
National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval
Base in Jeju Island.
base in Jeju Island.
July 19, 2011
Dear friends of peace worldwide:
Below you will find information about the naval base the Korean government is proposing building on Jeju Island, situated 56 miles south of the Korean mainland, a beautiful island recognized by UNESCO as a valuable resource for the world. The last online newsletter of the NCCK included an
article about this. Opposition is gathering to this construction, and below is the statement of the National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island, a diverse body representing many organizations, which has come together for this purpose. Each
representative organization has promised to contact their global counterparts, and the NCCK is connected to many faith-based bodies who are hereby receiving this communication.
Below this official statement of the National Network, you will find a letter and information from peace activist Kichul Lee, who invites readers to join the petition he is circulating, along with a link to the website about the action - cafe.daum.net/peacekj. Perhaps the website will come up in Korean, but click on the instruction for English.
Please circulate this among your constituents and those you know will be concerned about the village of Gangjeong, the island of Jeju, the nation of Korea, and the peace of the world.
With thanks and prayers for peace
NCCK (National Council of Churches of Korea) - Kim Young Ju,
General Secretary
Rm. 706, Korea Christian Bldg,
Yeonji-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-736, Korea
Ph. 82-2-764-0203, Fax 82-2-744-6189
------------000--------------
Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island
We, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island, had a press conference and released this statement of appeal on 13th July.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide to give Gangjeong residents and peace activists international support and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction.
Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your support and solidarity.
Statement of Appeal
We appeal to save Gangjeong!
The Joongduk coast of Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island is now suffering. In 2006, Jeju Island was designated as an Island of Peace for the purpose of consoling the deep sorrow of the April 3rd Massacre. And the Joongduk coast was appointed as a Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site,
and Global Geological Park by UNESCO. It is an Absolute Preservation Area, which is now suffering from naval base construction.
Insisting that the naval base is vital for national security, the Korean government and the navy are enforcing the construction. However, the Ocean Navy expansion plan upon which the base construction was justified has been discarded in revisions to the national defense bill regarding strategies to counteract recent security threats, leaving no justification for this new base. In addition, the original argument from the government when the National Assembly budget bill was passed was to construct a Joint Civil Military site to be used for tourism as well as military purposes. However, that plan has disappeared and now only the military base is being constructed.
By maintaining military alliances with Japan, Australia, South Korea, and India, and through joint military exercises with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the U.S. is attempting to build up its defense line against China. If the Jeju naval base is constructed, the U.S., which possesses the right to station there according to the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement, will surely use this base to stand up against China. In that case, Jeju Island, an Island of Peace, will become a center of military conflict between the U.S. and China, jeopardizing South
Korea’s national security.
Government and military authorities, however, are turning a blind eye to the voices of Gangjeong residents and civil peace activists, as well as to the demands to suspend the construction coming from the opposition parties and the investigation committee of the National Assembly. The navy has even used violence against a protesting civilian. On July 11, the national government recommended that the city government barricade a farm road on the Joongduk coast, which is the last remaining piece of state- owned land under the jurisdiction of Seogwipo city within the site of the naval base construction. This action was a response to the demand from the Ministry of National Defense to discourage any attempts to stage a protest against the naval base construction. However, such efforts by the government to enforce the construction only bring about stronger resistance and conflicts from Gangjeong residents and peace activists. The
construction must be stopped before any unf ortunate accidents take place.
We appeal to the government and military authorities
The argument for the base construction by the government and the navy is no longer valid. Moreover, the means and procedures used to promote the construction have been so violent and deceptive that they are only causing more resistance and resentment. Unilaterally pushing ahead with the construction, in the name of the national project, is obviously not a wise way. We call upon the government and military authorities to withdraw their plan to close the farm road and to completely reexamine the Jeju naval base construction project.
We appeal to Woo Keun-Min, Jeju governor
Governor Woo, you were aware of the negative consequences that could result from the naval base construction and you were right. We urge you to give up the futile illusion about the development profit and to listen to the desperate voices of the residents. We further request you to use your authority to cancel the removal of the “absolute preservation area” designation of Joongduk coast. If you do so, history would remember you as a person who protects the peace of Jeju and the Korean peninsula.
We appeal to the national assembly.
As an entity representing citizens, the national assembly has a duty to listen to and respond to citizens’ voices. We appeal to the opposition parties to be more active in nullifying the Jeju naval base construction project. The Grand National Party, as the current ruling party, should seriously examine whether the base is really needed and whether national budget should be spent on inflating military forces and feeding construction capital.
We appeal to citizens.
Gangjeong citizens have been fighting alone for over four long years. In the meantime, the village community has been torn apart, leaving indelible scars. Citizens are also engulfed with fears due to various lawsuits from the government and construction companies, as well as fines
up to tens of millions of won. They are suffering from the fact that the Goorungbi boulder, which represents their dreams and memories, might be covered with cement block.
Please express your solidarity and give them your consolation. And if you can, please visit Gangjeong Village. Then you might be able to understand more clearly why the construction must be stopped. In addition, please use your wisdom and energy to do whatever you can in your position to prevent the Jeju naval base construction.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide
International support, advocacy, and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction give Gangjeong residents and peace activists strength and courage. Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your
support and solidarity.
We will try our best to prevent the Jeju naval base construction which endangers the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia, and which is destroying the lives of Gangjeong residents and the natural environment, a gift from heaven. We firmly believe that this struggle is our responsibility to Jeju Island, where the sorrow of the April 3rd massacre is deeply embedded, that this is a expression of our conscience regarding the suffering Gangjeong residents, and that it is the demand of the times to protect and ensure peace for our children. We sincerely appeal to everybody who stands alongside us to protect Gangjeong Village and Jeju
Island.
July 13, 2011
National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval
Base in Jeju Island.
Korean NGOs and Churches Appeals for Support in Opposing Naval Base Construction in Jeju Island
The National Council of Churches Invitation to join in opposing construction of naval
base in Jeju Island.
July 19, 2011
Dear friends of peace worldwide:
Below you will find information about the naval base the Korean government is proposing building on Jeju Island, situated 56 miles south of the Korean mainland, a beautiful island recognized by UNESCO as a valuable resource for the world. The last online newsletter of the NCCK included an
article about this. Opposition is gathering to this construction, and below is the statement of the National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island, a diverse body representing many organizations, which has come together for this purpose. Each
representative organization has promised to contact their global counterparts, and the NCCK is connected to many faith-based bodies who are hereby receiving this communication.
Below this official statement of the National Network, you will find a letter and information from peace activist Kichul Lee, who invites readers to join the petition he is circulating, along with a link to the website about the action - cafe.daum.net/peacekj. Perhaps the website will come up in Korean, but click on the instruction for English.
Please circulate this among your constituents and those you know will be concerned about the village of Gangjeong, the island of Jeju, the nation of Korea, and the peace of the world.
With thanks and prayers for peace
NCCK (National Council of Churches of Korea) - Kim Young Ju,
General Secretary
Rm. 706, Korea Christian Bldg,
Yeonji-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-736, Korea
Ph. 82-2-764-0203, Fax 82-2-744-6189
------------000--------------
Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island
We, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island, had a press conference and released this statement of appeal on 13th July.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide to give Gangjeong residents and peace activists international support and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction.
Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your support and solidarity.
Statement of Appeal
We appeal to save Gangjeong!
The Joongduk coast of Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island is now suffering. In 2006, Jeju Island was designated as an Island of Peace for the purpose of consoling the deep sorrow of the April 3rd Massacre. And the Joongduk coast was appointed as a Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site,
and Global Geological Park by UNESCO. It is an Absolute Preservation Area, which is now suffering from naval base construction.
Insisting that the naval base is vital for national security, the Korean government and the navy are enforcing the construction. However, the Ocean Navy expansion plan upon which the base construction was justified has been discarded in revisions to the national defense bill regarding strategies to counteract recent security threats, leaving no justification for this new base. In addition, the original argument from the government when the National Assembly budget bill was passed was to construct a Joint Civil Military site to be used for tourism as well as military purposes. However, that plan has disappeared and now only the military base is being constructed.
By maintaining military alliances with Japan, Australia, South Korea, and India, and through joint military exercises with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the U.S. is attempting to build up its defense line against China. If the Jeju naval base is constructed, the U.S., which possesses the right to station there according to the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement, will surely use this base to stand up against China. In that case, Jeju Island, an Island of Peace, will become a center of military conflict between the U.S. and China, jeopardizing South
Korea’s national security.
Government and military authorities, however, are turning a blind eye to the voices of Gangjeong residents and civil peace activists, as well as to the demands to suspend the construction coming from the opposition parties and the investigation committee of the National Assembly. The navy has even used violence against a protesting civilian. On July 11, the national government recommended that the city government barricade a farm road on the Joongduk coast, which is the last remaining piece of state- owned land under the jurisdiction of Seogwipo city within the site of the naval base construction. This action was a response to the demand from the Ministry of National Defense to discourage any attempts to stage a protest against the naval base construction. However, such efforts by the government to enforce the construction only bring about stronger resistance and conflicts from Gangjeong residents and peace activists. The
construction must be stopped before any unf ortunate accidents take place.
We appeal to the government and military authorities
The argument for the base construction by the government and the navy is no longer valid. Moreover, the means and procedures used to promote the construction have been so violent and deceptive that they are only causing more resistance and resentment. Unilaterally pushing ahead with the construction, in the name of the national project, is obviously not a wise way. We call upon the government and military authorities to withdraw their plan to close the farm road and to completely reexamine the Jeju naval base construction project.
We appeal to Woo Keun-Min, Jeju governor
Governor Woo, you were aware of the negative consequences that could result from the naval base construction and you were right. We urge you to give up the futile illusion about the development profit and to listen to the desperate voices of the residents. We further request you to use your authority to cancel the removal of the “absolute preservation area” designation of Joongduk coast. If you do so, history would remember you as a person who protects the peace of Jeju and the Korean peninsula.
We appeal to the national assembly.
As an entity representing citizens, the national assembly has a duty to listen to and respond to citizens’ voices. We appeal to the opposition parties to be more active in nullifying the Jeju naval base construction project. The Grand National Party, as the current ruling party, should seriously examine whether the base is really needed and whether national budget should be spent on inflating military forces and feeding construction capital.
We appeal to citizens.
Gangjeong citizens have been fighting alone for over four long years. In the meantime, the village community has been torn apart, leaving indelible scars. Citizens are also engulfed with fears due to various lawsuits from the government and construction companies, as well as fines
up to tens of millions of won. They are suffering from the fact that the Goorungbi boulder, which represents their dreams and memories, might be covered with cement block.
Please express your solidarity and give them your consolation. And if you can, please visit Gangjeong Village. Then you might be able to understand more clearly why the construction must be stopped. In addition, please use your wisdom and energy to do whatever you can in your position to prevent the Jeju naval base construction.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide
International support, advocacy, and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction give Gangjeong residents and peace activists strength and courage. Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your
support and solidarity.
We will try our best to prevent the Jeju naval base construction which endangers the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia, and which is destroying the lives of Gangjeong residents and the natural environment, a gift from heaven. We firmly believe that this struggle is our responsibility to Jeju Island, where the sorrow of the April 3rd massacre is deeply embedded, that this is a expression of our conscience regarding the suffering Gangjeong residents, and that it is the demand of the times to protect and ensure peace for our children. We sincerely appeal to everybody who stands alongside us to protect Gangjeong Village and Jeju
Island.
July 13, 2011
National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval
Base in Jeju Island.
base in Jeju Island.
July 19, 2011
Dear friends of peace worldwide:
Below you will find information about the naval base the Korean government is proposing building on Jeju Island, situated 56 miles south of the Korean mainland, a beautiful island recognized by UNESCO as a valuable resource for the world. The last online newsletter of the NCCK included an
article about this. Opposition is gathering to this construction, and below is the statement of the National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island, a diverse body representing many organizations, which has come together for this purpose. Each
representative organization has promised to contact their global counterparts, and the NCCK is connected to many faith-based bodies who are hereby receiving this communication.
Below this official statement of the National Network, you will find a letter and information from peace activist Kichul Lee, who invites readers to join the petition he is circulating, along with a link to the website about the action - cafe.daum.net/peacekj. Perhaps the website will come up in Korean, but click on the instruction for English.
Please circulate this among your constituents and those you know will be concerned about the village of Gangjeong, the island of Jeju, the nation of Korea, and the peace of the world.
With thanks and prayers for peace
NCCK (National Council of Churches of Korea) - Kim Young Ju,
General Secretary
Rm. 706, Korea Christian Bldg,
Yeonji-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-736, Korea
Ph. 82-2-764-0203, Fax 82-2-744-6189
------------000--------------
Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island
We, National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island, had a press conference and released this statement of appeal on 13th July.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide to give Gangjeong residents and peace activists international support and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction.
Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your support and solidarity.
Statement of Appeal
We appeal to save Gangjeong!
The Joongduk coast of Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island is now suffering. In 2006, Jeju Island was designated as an Island of Peace for the purpose of consoling the deep sorrow of the April 3rd Massacre. And the Joongduk coast was appointed as a Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site,
and Global Geological Park by UNESCO. It is an Absolute Preservation Area, which is now suffering from naval base construction.
Insisting that the naval base is vital for national security, the Korean government and the navy are enforcing the construction. However, the Ocean Navy expansion plan upon which the base construction was justified has been discarded in revisions to the national defense bill regarding strategies to counteract recent security threats, leaving no justification for this new base. In addition, the original argument from the government when the National Assembly budget bill was passed was to construct a Joint Civil Military site to be used for tourism as well as military purposes. However, that plan has disappeared and now only the military base is being constructed.
By maintaining military alliances with Japan, Australia, South Korea, and India, and through joint military exercises with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the U.S. is attempting to build up its defense line against China. If the Jeju naval base is constructed, the U.S., which possesses the right to station there according to the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement, will surely use this base to stand up against China. In that case, Jeju Island, an Island of Peace, will become a center of military conflict between the U.S. and China, jeopardizing South
Korea’s national security.
Government and military authorities, however, are turning a blind eye to the voices of Gangjeong residents and civil peace activists, as well as to the demands to suspend the construction coming from the opposition parties and the investigation committee of the National Assembly. The navy has even used violence against a protesting civilian. On July 11, the national government recommended that the city government barricade a farm road on the Joongduk coast, which is the last remaining piece of state- owned land under the jurisdiction of Seogwipo city within the site of the naval base construction. This action was a response to the demand from the Ministry of National Defense to discourage any attempts to stage a protest against the naval base construction. However, such efforts by the government to enforce the construction only bring about stronger resistance and conflicts from Gangjeong residents and peace activists. The
construction must be stopped before any unf ortunate accidents take place.
We appeal to the government and military authorities
The argument for the base construction by the government and the navy is no longer valid. Moreover, the means and procedures used to promote the construction have been so violent and deceptive that they are only causing more resistance and resentment. Unilaterally pushing ahead with the construction, in the name of the national project, is obviously not a wise way. We call upon the government and military authorities to withdraw their plan to close the farm road and to completely reexamine the Jeju naval base construction project.
We appeal to Woo Keun-Min, Jeju governor
Governor Woo, you were aware of the negative consequences that could result from the naval base construction and you were right. We urge you to give up the futile illusion about the development profit and to listen to the desperate voices of the residents. We further request you to use your authority to cancel the removal of the “absolute preservation area” designation of Joongduk coast. If you do so, history would remember you as a person who protects the peace of Jeju and the Korean peninsula.
We appeal to the national assembly.
As an entity representing citizens, the national assembly has a duty to listen to and respond to citizens’ voices. We appeal to the opposition parties to be more active in nullifying the Jeju naval base construction project. The Grand National Party, as the current ruling party, should seriously examine whether the base is really needed and whether national budget should be spent on inflating military forces and feeding construction capital.
We appeal to citizens.
Gangjeong citizens have been fighting alone for over four long years. In the meantime, the village community has been torn apart, leaving indelible scars. Citizens are also engulfed with fears due to various lawsuits from the government and construction companies, as well as fines
up to tens of millions of won. They are suffering from the fact that the Goorungbi boulder, which represents their dreams and memories, might be covered with cement block.
Please express your solidarity and give them your consolation. And if you can, please visit Gangjeong Village. Then you might be able to understand more clearly why the construction must be stopped. In addition, please use your wisdom and energy to do whatever you can in your position to prevent the Jeju naval base construction.
We appeal to peace advocates worldwide
International support, advocacy, and solidarity to stop the Jeju naval base construction give Gangjeong residents and peace activists strength and courage. Please spread the news of these problems related to the Jeju naval base construction with your networks and show us your
support and solidarity.
We will try our best to prevent the Jeju naval base construction which endangers the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia, and which is destroying the lives of Gangjeong residents and the natural environment, a gift from heaven. We firmly believe that this struggle is our responsibility to Jeju Island, where the sorrow of the April 3rd massacre is deeply embedded, that this is a expression of our conscience regarding the suffering Gangjeong residents, and that it is the demand of the times to protect and ensure peace for our children. We sincerely appeal to everybody who stands alongside us to protect Gangjeong Village and Jeju
Island.
July 13, 2011
National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval
Base in Jeju Island.
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PROK Staff Morning Prayer 22 March 2012 Text: Mark 8: 34 God of compassion and love: We thank you for this day and for the renewed str... -
Official Statement of Appeal We appeal to peace advocates worldwide to give Gangjeong residents and its peace activists international supp...