Please read and act on this urgent update and appeal from Christine Ahn:
Dear friends,
I have very tragic news to report from Jeju Island, South Korea.
At the crack of dawn on Friday, undercover police officers came to Gangjeong village and arrested three major leaders of the peaceful resistance: Village Chief Kang Dong-Kyun, renowned peace activist Brother Song Kang-Ho, and base opposition leader Ko Kwon-Il.
The South Korean Navy and Minister of Justice Lee Gui Nam also issued a threat to Kang Dong-Kyun and 76 other villagers, peace activists and civil society organizations for blocking the naval base construction. It specifies the following:
(1) These 77 individuals are banned from getting into the public waters or land near the Joongduk coastline where the naval base will be constructed.
(2) The notice bans the staff and volunteers from five civil society organizations – Peace-Life Association, Jeju Environmental Association, SPARK, Frontiers, and Gangjeong Village Association – from entering the public waters and land near the naval base site.
(3) All facilities from the resistance site must be removed within seven days.
(4) In the case that the facilities are not removed, the Navy and Minister of Justice will charge the village leader Mr. Kang for removing these facilities.
(5) The village leader Mr. Kang will be responsible for paying the Navy 5,000,000 Won ($5,000 US dollars) for each case of violation.
The South Korean military is trying to quash the resistance by arresting its leaders and inciting fear among villagers who are fighting for their land, community and livelihoods. As one of activist wrote, “I feel the martial law atmosphere here.”
The truth is: the villagers and their leaders are not alone. There is a growing tide of people from throughout the Korean peninsula and around the world who are behind them. We must let them know we have their backs by spreading this information – far and wide – and quick.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Please forward this to the media and as many people as possible.
2. For those in the United States, please call the South Korean Embassy in Washington, DC ASAP and let them know the repression against the villagers conveys to the world that South Korea has returned to the era of authoritarian rule. The South Korean Embassy in Washington: (202) 797-6343.
3. Email U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stevens and let her know that we know that the U.S. Forces in Korea oversees the South Korean military, and as American citizens, we won’t stand for more military destruction in the name of so-called national security. EmbassySeoulPA@state.gov.
4. Please keep forwarding this petition to your friends and family. http://signon.org/sign/save-jeju-island-no-naval?source=s.em.cr&r_by=192143
5. Visit www.savejejuisland.org and join the facebook page for quick updates in Gangjeong http://www.facebook.com/groups/Saveprofyang?ap=1.
We must not let the Lee Myung Bak regime repress democracy. We must not let their attempts at intimidation dampen the hope that has inspired so many people around the world to act for peace. We must remain firm in our resolve to support the courageous villagers in Gangjeong who are standing up to their military and government. We must join them in saying, “No Base on Jeju Island.”
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