Here are some dispatches about the South Korean police raid of the Gangjeong village protest against a Navy base. This is on Jeju Island in South Korea, a world designated peace island. But the Korean Navy wants a Navy base. This is widely understood to be a base that will be used by U.S. aegis ships. See updates about the arrests and how to help at this site: http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/
“ My heart is broken. We are helpless and they are forcefully driving the naval base. The Jeju is the Island of the Peace. There should be absolutely no war base. We need the support by all Koreans and all international peace-loving people. We are just the innocent farmers without much knowledge. We need your help.”
(A villager, Hong Keun-Pyo, 52, during the talk by phone on Jan. 18, 2010)
Update (around 10pm)
Situation on Jan. 18, Gangjeong Village, Korea
Around 5am: 500 police were mobilized with three cranes. Police raided the planned site for the ceremony for starting to work on the naval base. It is in the east side of the village and the village people had been barricading the site with the cars since when the cranes contracted by the navy first entered the site on Jan. 6. About 30 village people succeeded to block it at the time (click HERE) It is known that the police harshly acted today, against the people who are mostly in their old ages. The village people laid their bodies on the ground and cried to rather kill all of them. They pushed the old women and men. The police did not even mind women’s under wears were taken off during the body struggles. The whole story reminds the Pyeongteak when the police attacked the village early in the dawn of May 4, 2006.
Around 6~8pm: About 47 village people including a mayor were taken away to the police station. The police unconditionally took away all the people if they protested.
8~10:30am: five activists including Secretary Go Yu Gi, and two Catholic fathers were taken away to the police, after the short press interview. The activists strongly protested against the police and were dragged from the cranes they were protesting on the top of them. All the captured were separately detained in the three police stations of the Jeju Island. Some may be released soon or some may be even restrained. We don’t know yet but the mayor is expected to get the arrest warrant.
Wounded
A 70year old man is in comma. He hit his head on the stone when he was pushed by a police man. He was protesting against the police who was pushing an old woman.
A Korean Confederation of Trade Union activist, 41 was carried to the hospital but released hours later.
After 1pm.
The remaining village people and the activists continued to confront against the police without the clash.
Currently (at 8pm), about 30~40 people including 20 village people (mostly in their ages of 40~60) and 20 Jeju activists (30~40 years old) are doing the candle light vigil overnight in the confined area. The police blocked the people entering the place. The police are expected to be mobilized again tomorrow morning. A Jeju activist there says, once they are all taken away by the police tomorrow, they may not be able to enter the area again. Because of small numbers there, brutal taking away is expected. But she said the protests in front of the area will go on, afterward. It is possible to contact with the people there by phone and all the international message are carried briefly via it. It empowers the people there.
In the area for the planned ceremony, all the barricades of cars by the village people were removed. Wire fence was set up. And the contracted cranes have done the basic construction process. There are about 6 cranes in the area for tomorrow’s continued construction.
What you can do.
- Send the strong solidarity message to the village people
- Put the pressure to the South Korean government
Prime Minister’s Office
Central Government Complex, 55 Sejong-no, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Korea (110-760)
Tel: 82-2-2100-2114
webmaster@pmo.go.kr
www.pmo.go.kr
(Find English at the top right)
Consider to come to the village and join the struggle. Even if it is a few days, it will be the greatest support to the village people. The Jeju organizations can provide the accommodation place but not airplane fees. The experience of the Vieques will be much help here in Jeju that is an isolated place from the mainland of Korea. More details will be followed later.
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