A key business leader has lashed out at a government plan to construct an interim storage facility for radioactive waste in Fukushima Prefecture, site of an ongoing nuclear crisis, rather than in Tokyo.
Toshio Seya, a former banker and head of the Fukushima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, asked during a regular news conference on Aug. 30: "Why doesn't the government build (the proposed facility to store radioactive waste) in Tokyo's Odaiba district? After all, the beneficiary of nuclear power is Tokyo."
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Asahi: Fukushima leader blasts Kan's plan to transform Fukushima into a nuclear waste dump
Noriyoshi Ohtsuki reports on the local response to former PM Kan's last-minute proposal before he left office: "Fukushima leader blasts nuclear waste site plan" at Asahi Japan Watch today:
Greenpeace: Fukushima Schools Unsafe After Clean-Up
Finance Greenwatch:
"Greenpeace: Fukushima Schools Unsafe After Clean-Up" (PlanetArk)
August 30th, 2011
Greenpeace said on Monday that schools and surrounding areas located 60 km (38 miles) from Japan’s tsunami-hit nuclear power plant were unsafe for children, showing radiation readings as much as 70 times internationally accepted levels...
David McNeill: "Why the Fukushima disaster is worse than Chernobyl"
David McNeill's latest, "Why the Fukushima disaster is worse than Chernobyl", published at The Independent:
Slowly, steadily, and often well behind the curve, the government has worsened its prognosis of the disaster. Last Friday, scientists affiliated with the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the plant had released 15,000 terabecquerels of cancer-causing Cesium, equivalent to about 168 times the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the event that ushered in the nuclear age. (Professor Busby says the release is at least 72,000 times worse than Hiroshima)...
Many parents have already sent their children to live with relatives or friends hundreds of kilometres away. Some want the government to evacuate the entire two million population of Fukushima Prefecture. "They're demanding the right to be able to evacuate," says anti-nuclear activist Aileen Mioko Smith, who works with the parents. "In other words, if they evacuate they want the government to support them."
So far, at least, the authorities say that is not necessary. The official line is that the accident at the plant is winding down and radiation levels outside of the exclusion zone and designated "hot spots" are safe.
But many experts warn that the crisis is just beginning. Professor Tim Mousseau, a biological scientist who has spent more than a decade researching the genetic impact of radiation around Chernobyl, says he worries that many people in Fukushima are "burying their heads in the sand." His Chernobyl research concluded that biodiversity and the numbers of insects and spiders had shrunk inside the irradiated zone, and the bird population showed evidence of genetic defects, including smaller brain sizes.
Earth Science News: "China Finds 100,000 SQ Miles of Radiation In Pacific Ocean Up 300 Times Higher Than Normal"
Via BP Oil Spill - Crisis in the Gulf which makes the connections (on many levels) between BP in the Gulf of Mexico and other oil spills, Fukushima and other nuclear meltdowns, Appalachian mountaintop removal, and other non-renewable energy production disasters...
Earth Science News: "China Finds 100,000 SQ Miles of Radiation In Pacific Ocean Up 300 Times Higher Than Normal":
Earth Science News: "China Finds 100,000 SQ Miles of Radiation In Pacific Ocean Up 300 Times Higher Than Normal":
BP Oil Spill - Crisis in the Gulf's mission statement:
China says the radioactive contamination in the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear power plant is far wider than the areas released by the Japanese government.
China has discovered 100,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean waters, at distances up to 800 kilometers from Fukushima, with Cesium radiation levels up to 300 times normal and Strontium radiation levels up to 100 times normal.
"This is the 9/11 of ecological opportunism. We're alarmed once the disaster hits us, but have been quite willing to cast a blind eye while US corporations have drilled elsewhere continuously for decades in the heartlands of indigenous territories with the same destructive impact and consequences.
What we're witnessing in the Gulf right now is just the daily reality of indigenous peoples around the globe where corporations involved in oil and mineral extraction, mountaintop removal, etc. pollute and lay their once pristine lands to waste, effectively decimating whole ways of life and causing all kinds of health and psychological problems while the criminal perpetrators exit scot-free with their resource plunder and profits which we in the first world overwhelmingly get to enjoy.
It is this connection that must now be made if oil companies and other corporations are ever to be contested and held accountable by ordinary people.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Jeju District Court: Obstructing Democracy
Yesterday the Jeju District Court granted an injunction to the Navy and the central government to forbid resident froms engaging in demonstrations against the seizure of their homes and farms and the planned destruction of one of Jeju Island's most beautiful coasts (South Korea's only natural dolphin habitat) to make way for a massive naval base to house warships meant to intimidate China.
The court rejected an application by residents challenging the state seizure, demolition of the coastline, and destruction of the soft coral habitat. The residents argued that the state did not follow democratic due process and and failed to adequately assess the environmental impact to the coastline from the planned demolition and military construction.
The court said the residents and their supporters must not return to the residents' homes and farms. If they try return to their property, they will be fined 2 million won ($1,863).
Local residents have been joined by democratic and environmentalist activists and religious leaders from all over Korea. They are also supported by environmentalist, democratic, and religious supporters worldwide, including scholars and luminaries such as Gloria Steinem.
In a replay of South Korea's brutal postwar military dictatorship, the state has sent in hundreds of riot police, who are mostly conscripted youth, many of whom appear confused and unhappy about having to perpetrate threat of violence or violence upon their fellow citizens.
South Korea is known for its history of severe authoritarian state violence against its citizens, including massacres. In April, 1948, one of the worst massacres in Korean history took place at Jeju Island. Many of the demonstrators are descendants of that massacre. South Koreans struggled for decades to democratize their nation, only overcoming rule by military dictatorship in 1980.
The court rejected an application by residents challenging the state seizure, demolition of the coastline, and destruction of the soft coral habitat. The residents argued that the state did not follow democratic due process and and failed to adequately assess the environmental impact to the coastline from the planned demolition and military construction.
The court said the residents and their supporters must not return to the residents' homes and farms. If they try return to their property, they will be fined 2 million won ($1,863).
Local residents have been joined by democratic and environmentalist activists and religious leaders from all over Korea. They are also supported by environmentalist, democratic, and religious supporters worldwide, including scholars and luminaries such as Gloria Steinem.
In a replay of South Korea's brutal postwar military dictatorship, the state has sent in hundreds of riot police, who are mostly conscripted youth, many of whom appear confused and unhappy about having to perpetrate threat of violence or violence upon their fellow citizens.
South Korea is known for its history of severe authoritarian state violence against its citizens, including massacres. In April, 1948, one of the worst massacres in Korean history took place at Jeju Island. Many of the demonstrators are descendants of that massacre. South Koreans struggled for decades to democratize their nation, only overcoming rule by military dictatorship in 1980.
Iara Lee: "'Obstructing Business': South Koreans on the March"
"Obstructing Business": South Koreans on the March
Iara Lee
Huffington Post
8/29/11
I was in Seoul, South Korea this month at the invitation of the wonderful EBS TV Documentary Festival, and was truly, happily surprised to see a resurgence of activism among ordinary Koreans. Don't get me wrong. Since its founding, Korea has had a tradition of fierce, die-hard activism (which Koreans themselves may attribute to a diet high in garlic and red pepper, as well as their commitment to social justice), but this ferocity seemed to have gone dormant in the mid-nineties. I was overjoyed to find that this was no longer the case.
While in Korea, I had the opportunity to slip away to Jeju-do for a few days. It had been 20 years since the last time I had visited the island, when I had gone for vacation like most visitors to Jeju-do. An idyllic, sub-tropical climate and a UNESCO heritage site status have made Jeju-do an extremely popular tourist and honeymoon destination, while the remoteness of the island from mainland Korea has bred a unique and independent culture.
In 2005, Jeju-do was dubbed "Island of World Peace" by then Korean president Roh Moo-hyun. This was perhaps in an effort to scrub itself clean of a bloody past, as Jeju-do is the site of one of the most disturbing and grisly episodes leading up to the Korean War. Under the leadership of American puppet Syngman Rhee, right-wing paramilitary forces from the mainland waged a brutal campaign against a "communist" uprising which, at the most conservative estimates, killed 30,000 people (one-tenth of the population of the island) and displaced countless others. This memory of the April 3, 1948 massacre is still vivid in the minds of Jeju-do villagers, who are once again mobilizing against repression.
One might also see this designation of "peace island" as a hopeful talisman against further abuse, but for several years the South Korean government, at American urging, has been relentless in its attempts to build a naval base on Jeju-do, and now have their sights set on the tranquil coastal village of Gangjeong.
While offering several reasons for building the base -- to protect commercial interests, to serve as yet another defense against a belligerent North Korea -- most of the islanders understand that the base at Gangjeong will offer little protection against a possible attack by North Korea, functioning mostly as a proxy for American missile defense against an ascendant China. In other words, American militaristic posturing at a grievous cost to the local ecology -- an unwelcome combination to the island, and to a region that has suffered enough war in the 20th century.
The Jeju-do I visited this time around was radically different from my previous experience. In addition to water sports and walks along the shoreline, the people there were engaged in some less likely activities for a paradise island, like chaining themselves to construction equipment, tethering their bodies to each other and to the site of the proposed naval base. I also attended the celebratory release of Sung Hee Choi, an artist who was being released from jail after three months and remains on probation. Her crime, like so many others protesting the base, was "obstructing business" -- in Choi's case, standing in front of oncoming cement trucks. Choi was in good company, as people from all sectors of the community, including the mayor of Gangjeong, have also been brutalized and imprisoned by police forces. Upon my arrival, I have learned that an additional 600 riot police, including water cannons and riot buses had been imported from the mainland in anticipation of larger protests, leaving the community on edge.(Korean activists prepare to chain themselves to construction equipment, tethering their bodies to each other and to the site of the proposed South Korean naval base (to be used by the U.S.))
Back on the mainland, things are equally restless. As the economy lags, and the government of South Korea moves increasingly to the right, labor has suffered greatly. Enter Jin-suk Kim and her "aerial protest."
In the southern coastal city of Pusan, a woman named Jin-suk Kim has been confining herself in a high-rise crane for nearly eight months. Kim is a member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), and has been up in crane no. 85 in the Yeongdo shipyard since January 6, in protest of severe layoffs by the Hanjin corporation (HHIC).
Incidentally, crane no. 85 was the site of another protest eight years ago -- but rather than a prolonged sit-in inside the crane, the protestor in question preferred to string a noose and hang himself from it.
Although initially flying solo in her aerial protest, Kim is not alone. Caravans of "Hope Buses" carrying thousands of supporters have been visiting the crane area to offer their support. Like the protests on Jeju-do, this has not been without obstacles -- one caravan was met with batons, tear gas, and water cannons as they tried to push the police line. The founder of the Hope Bus campaign, a poet named Kyung-dong Song, himself stands a vigil of sorts in the KCTU trade union offices in Seoul. If he leaves KCTU safe haven, he will be immediately arrested by the police hovering around the building day and night, waiting for that opportunity. This is the price Mr. Song will pay for successfully "obstructing business" and organizing large demonstrations without a government permit. Again, just this past weekend in Seoul, hundreds of miles from the no. 85 crane in Pusan, 9,000 police have been deployed to disrupt around 2,500 "Hope Bus" protestors demonstrating against the Hanjin layoffs with water cannons and other means of force...
What I saw in Korea was a beautiful thing, true solidarity among people of different interests and nationalities, thousands of people, ordinary people, who have found that when they speak as one, it is impossible not to hear them.
August 30: International Day of the Disappeared
Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) is a federation of human rights organizations working directly on the issue of involuntary disappearances in Asia. Envisioning a world without disappearances, the Federation was founded on June 4, 1998 in Manila, Philippines:
The Federation was established based on the common phenomena of enforced or involuntary disappearances in many Asian countries and the imperative of regional and international solidarity in order to strongly respond to the problem.Today's statement:
The perpetrators, being agents of states, are so powerful that an equally strong response is needed to effect a huge impact. Since it is a violation of a number of basic human rights, civil and political as well as economic and social, enforced disappearance is the cruelest form of human rights violation.
A Federation, whose own strength is drawn from the intrinsic strength of its member-organizations, is imperative in order to respond to the needs of the families of the disappeared. It intends to facilitate their empowerment which is necessary for the realization of a world without desaparecidos.
Today, we honor all victims of enforced disappearance, considered one of the cruelest forms of human rights violations. In 2010, recognizing the global magnitude of the crime and the never ending sufferings of the desaparecidos’ families, the United Nations officially recognized August 30 as the International Day of the Disappeared. The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), which is the Focal Point of the International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances, joins all the families of the disappeared and human rights advocates world-wide in commemorating this day by resonating the call for an end to enforced disappearance and by renewing its organizational commitment to take action.
Enforced disappearance is an international phenomenon. It is a major concern of 94 countries based on the 2010 report of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID). Many of these cases occur in 27 countries of Asia, a continent that has the highest number of cases submitted to the UNWGEID in recent years. Unfortunately, Asia lacks a strong regional mechanism for redress. No Asian country has a domestic law penalizing enforced disappearance as a separate and autonomous criminal offense. This condition perpetuates a climate of impunity allowing perpetrators to escape accountability and increasing possibilities for repetition.
Indeed, globally, thousands of people are forcibly disappeared by their own governments or individuals or groups acting on states’ authorization, support or acquiescence. Bereft of legal safeguards, they are often tortured, confined under constant fear or threat of death, and in many instances, murdered without any trace.
Their families are equally victimized, not knowing their loved ones’ fate and whereabouts and are put in a perpetual state of hope and despair, wondering and waiting, pleading and demanding for answers that may never ever come.
We reckon that enforced disappearance has a particular universal impact on women and children. Most of the disappeared are men. Hence, women who are usually left behind to tend to their families bear the brunt of serious hardships. When women are themselves direct victims of disappearance, they are particularly vulnerable to sexual and other forms of violence. The children of the disappeared are also victims. The disappearance of a child or of a parent is a serious violation of children’s rights.
As we remember all the desaparecidos of the world, we demand that the perpetrators of enforced disappearances be brought to justice. A concrete step to combat impunity is to urge all governments to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (The Convention). The Convention which was adopted in 2006 by the United Nations General Assembly, entered into force on 23 December 2010. To date, this international human rights instrument has 88 signatories and 29 States Parties. To ensure its implementation, States are under the obligation to codify enforced disappearance in their statute of books. To note, the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, composed of 10 individual experts, was established on 31 May 2011 to ensure the treaty’s implementation.
Today, member-organizations of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, through varying forms of public awareness, call for a stop to enforced disappearances and reiterate their call to all States to sign and ratify the Convention, recognize the competences of the Committee Against Enforced Disappearances, enact domestic laws penalizing enforced disappearance and end enforced disappearances NOW.
As we pay tribute to all the desaparecidos of the world, we must also highlight the long drawn struggle of the families and human rights organizations particularly in Asia to obtain truth and justice and to work for the complete eradication of enforced disappearance from the face of the earth.
The International Day of the Disappeared is a time to remember and in remembering, we must take action.
Monday, August 29, 2011
September 1, 2011 - Road to Taiji: http://savejapandolphins.org
Save Japan Dolphins:
If you’d like to participate in a Sept. 1st Japan Dolphins Day event near you for the dolphins, you can see my [Ric O'Barry] blog here:
http://savejapandolphins.org/blog/post/celebrate-japan-dolphins-day
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Help save South Korea's only natural dolphin habitat in Jeju Island
(Every summer, hundreds of dolphins, traveling from Alaska, visit the sea off the village of Gangjeong, Jeju Island. Video courtesy of Yang Dong-Kyu, a filmmaker who took this hauntingly beautiful footage of the dolphins responding to his calls during summer 2009. )
Jeju Island, a World Heritage Site, is a jewel of biodiversity. The southern coast of Jeju Island is home to soft coral habitat. In 2001, the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration designated it a national monument protection area. The Gangjeong coast is a seasonal habitat for hundreds of dolphins that live there from June until September. They migrate from Alaska through the North Pacific Ocean to Jeju Island, the only dolphin habitat in South Korea.
And now the South Korean government wants to destroy the dolphin habitat and the traditional farming and fishing village of Gangjeong to build a naval base to house warships. Jeju activist Sung-Hee Choi asks "Where will the sea creatures go?" Let's hope not into Jeju Island's dolphin aquariums.
Wouldn't it be smarter for the South Korean government to protect the nation's only natural dolphin habitat and to support dolphin-friendly tourism at Jeju, one of the world's most beautiful tourist havens?
Please help stop Seoul's planned destruction of this beautiful coast. To learn how, visit Save jeju Island.
The Cove star praises Miyake island's dolphin watching; hopes Taiji dolphin slaughter will end
The world's eye is again turning on Taiji, Wakayama, where local fishermen annually kill thousands of dolphins with harpoons. Among countless forms of systematic animal abuse worldwide, Taiji's dolphin hunt vies with the worst (American aerial "trophy" shooting of wolves and Canadian clubbing of baby seals) in its horrifying cruelty.
The Japanese government defends the dolphin hunt at Taiji as part of Japanese culinary culture, however this sounds like an "invented tradition." Does anyone know a Japanese person who has actually eaten a dolphin?
Let's also hope the dolphin activists who come to Taiji will also speak out against the planned dolphin aquarium in Kyoto.
The Japanese government defends the dolphin hunt at Taiji as part of Japanese culinary culture, however this sounds like an "invented tradition." Does anyone know a Japanese person who has actually eaten a dolphin?
Let's also hope the dolphin activists who come to Taiji will also speak out against the planned dolphin aquarium in Kyoto.
The Cove star praises dolphin-watching in Japan, hopes slaughter will end in TaijiRead the entire article here. The Cove website: www.thecovemovie.com.
Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press
Aug 26, 2011
TOKYO - The star of the Oscar-winning movie about dolphin-killing in Japan had only praise for a small island off the eastern coast that thrives on snorkeling with dolphins, and he urged the rest of the country to follow that example. Ric O'Barry was heading to Taiji, the southwestern town made notorious in the documentary The Cove, where the annual dolphin hunt is set to start Sept. 1. But he stopped along the way at the island of Miyakejima for a look at how dolphins can be spared and used for tourism.
"It's very encouraging to see people celebrating dolphins, respecting dolphins, and I'm all for that," O'Barry said Friday. "We support them all the way."
Chikara Atsuta, an official with the tourism agency at Miyakejima, said he welcomed O'Barry's praise, and expressed hopes more people from abroad would visit the island of 2,700 people, 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of Tokyo.
"I feel so grateful," he said. "We do not hunt dolphins."
Miyakejima's dolphins live in the area so residents have even given them names. In contrast, dolphins are migratory in Taiji and so the same kind of dolphin-watching would be difficult to duplicate.
But O'Barry urged Taiji to turn to whale-watching and other forms of tourism that are kinder to animal life.
O'Barry said he will lead a prayer ceremony in Taiji for people who have died in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster and for the dolphins about to die in the hunt. He is travelling by bus with two dozen people who are all dolphin-lovers, he said.
Wakayama Prefectural police have said some 100 riot police are carrying out drills to prepare for possible confrontation with activists as the annual dolphin hunts begins, including chasing boats and making arrests...
O'Barry was an expert at training dolphins, such as the ones for the 1960s "Flipper" TV series, until he had a change of heart and instead devoted his life to saving dolphins...
Only about 2,000 dolphins are caught in Taiji every year. But the slaughter, as captured in The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos, is so striking that the town has become synonymous with the practice.
In that film, fishermen on boats scare dolphins into a small cove and bayonet them. The dolphins writhe in pain and turn the waters red with blood...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Okinawa Outreach: Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa demands halt to construction of U.S helipads in Yanbaru Forest
Okinawa Outreach, a new blog edited by Okinawan scholars and activists, offers news, photos, & analysis directly from Okinawa.
Its July reports describe efforts by the Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa (Okinawa BD) to obtain answers from the Okinawan Defense Bureau (the Japan Defense Bureau's branch in Okinawa) regarding U.S. military plans for training accident-prone military Osprey aircraft in biodiverse Yanbaru Forest. The Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa demanded a halt to the construction of helipads which the U.S. wants to locate in one of the most well-preserved areas of the forest, a habitat for numerous endangered species unique to northern Okinawa.
Okinawa Outreach also provided updates to the Okinawan Defense Bureau's November 2008 legal action against 15 residents of the Takae community (including a child), who, since July 2007, had been conducting a peaceful sit-in protest against the helipad construction on the prefectural road near the construction sites. Many consider this frivolous litigation, a SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) action, intended to intimidate and silence critics. The next hearing is scheduled for the end of August:
Its July reports describe efforts by the Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa (Okinawa BD) to obtain answers from the Okinawan Defense Bureau (the Japan Defense Bureau's branch in Okinawa) regarding U.S. military plans for training accident-prone military Osprey aircraft in biodiverse Yanbaru Forest. The Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa demanded a halt to the construction of helipads which the U.S. wants to locate in one of the most well-preserved areas of the forest, a habitat for numerous endangered species unique to northern Okinawa.
Okinawa Outreach also provided updates to the Okinawan Defense Bureau's November 2008 legal action against 15 residents of the Takae community (including a child), who, since July 2007, had been conducting a peaceful sit-in protest against the helipad construction on the prefectural road near the construction sites. Many consider this frivolous litigation, a SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) action, intended to intimidate and silence critics. The next hearing is scheduled for the end of August:
Okinawa BD's “Tanabata” Action
July 17, 2011(Okinawa Defense Bureau and Peace Bamboo)
On July 7, Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa (Okinawa BD) had an official meeting with the Okinawa Defense Bureau [the Japan Defense Bureau's Okinawa branch] to make inquiries about US military helipad construction in Takae in the Yanbaru forest area and request the Bureau to stop the construction.
The meeting took place in light of the Japanese government’s recent announcement that the controversial MV-22 Osprey will be deployed to the US Marine Futenma Air Station, beginning in October 2012.
As a public outcry against Osprey deployment spreads across Okinawa (see Ryukyu Shimpo article here) the focus of the Okinawa BD’s inquires was on the possibility of the helipads under construction in Takae being used by the Osprey in the future.
(No Helipad in Yanbaru Forest - WWF Japan Hanawa)
Okinawa Defense Bureau Declined to Answer
July 18, 2011
In the meeting on July 7, the Okinawa Defense Bureau declined to answer any part of Okinawa BD’s inquiries, reiterating the “[the Bureau] can’t answer or make a comment because the Takae lawsuit is still pending” (for info on the Takae lawsuit, see below). The Bureau also maintained that it would proceed with the construction plan.
In the previous two meetings between Okinawa BD and the Bureau, the Bureau used the same excuse, "the Takae Lawsuit," to evade the questions Okinawa BD submitted in its “Open Question Letter” to the Bureau.
It remains to be seen however how long the Bureau can keep its silence on the Osprey deployment plan.
Prominent political voices in Okinawa, led by Okinawa Prefectural Governor Nakaima, are now also demanding for a full explanation from the Bureau and the Defense Ministry.( Yanbaru Forest is the source of our life)
Below are Okinawa BD’s inquiries and demands and the Bureau’s (non) responses in the meeting on July 7.
Okinawa BD’s Inquiries:
1) Will the MV-22 Osprey training take place in the Northern Training Area ? Will the MV-22 Osprey use the US helipads under construction in Takae ?
The Okinawa Defense Bureau responded by saying that it declined to answer or make a comment on these questions "because the Takae lawsuit* is still pending."
*Takae Lawsuit
In November 2008, the Okinawa Defense Bureau filed for a temporary injunction in the Naha District Court against 15 residents of the Takae community who, since July 2007, had been conducting a peaceful sit-in protest against the helipad construction on the prefectural road near the construction sites.
In what many consider a SLAPP [strategic lawsuit against public participation, intended to intimidate and silence critics] lawsuit, the Bureau charged these local residents for “obstruction of traffic."
In December 2008, the Bureau dropped the charges against one member (a child). In December 2009, the Naha District Court also dismissed the charges against 12 members. The trial for the remaining two residents began in January 2010.
In May 2010, pointing to the peculiar nature of the lawsuit, the Naha court ordered both the Bureau and the two residents to enter negotiation outside of court. Negotiation has not however taken place as the Okinawa Defense Bureau keeps refusing to negotiate.
The next hearing of the Takae lawsuit is scheduled to be held at the end of August.
2) The local media reported that the US military will conduct an “Environmental Review” on the deployment plan of MV-22 Osprey to U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station until March, 2012.
What is an “Environmental Review”? What does it entail?
Will an “Environmental Review” be conducted on the construction of helipads in Takae?
To the first part of the questions, the Okinawa Defense Bureau responded by saying that it had not been informed by the US of the details of the proposed “Environmental Review" and that, since it is the US that conducta such reviews, the Bureau had no knowledge of what the Environmental Review would entail. The Bureau also stated that it would make the details of the Environmental Review public as they come in.
To the second part, the Bureau responded by saying that it declined to answer or make a comment on the question of whether an Environmental Review will be conducted or in relation to the helipad construction in Takae "because the Takae lawsuit is still pending."
The Bureau also stated that it “does not know who the Japanese counterpart responsible for dealing with the issue of the Environmental Review is." The Bureau suggested that Okinawa BD make inquires directly to the US and US military regarding the issues of the Environmental Review.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3） It is well known that, in the US, “Environment Impact Assessment” (EIA) has been conducted on the deployment plans of the Osprey. The Okinawa local media reported that, in Okinawa, the US government/military plans to carry out only an “Environment Review.” We regard this as a “double-standard” on the part of the US.
What is the Okinawa Defense Bureau's stance on this issue?
Does the Bureau plan to request the US government/military to conduct an EIA for deployment of the Osprey to the Futenma Air Station and the Northern Training Area?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the first part, the Okinawa Defense Bureau responded by saying that the Japanese government is in no position to make any judgments on the US systems of Environmental Review and EIA since it is the US that conducts them.
To the second part, the Bureau responded by saying that it declined to answer or make a comment on the question of whether the Bureau would plan to request the US government/military to conduct an EIA for deployment of the Osprey to the Futenma Air Station and the Northern Training Area "because the lawsuit is still pending."-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demands
１）We demand the Okinawa Defense Bureau to suspend the construction of helipads in Takae it is now resuming and to withdraw the construction plan. (We believe that the Bureau cannot resume the construction while the US military is conducting its Environmental Review).
The Okinawa Defense Bureau responded by stating that it would proceed with the construction upon ensuring the safety of construction sites/procedures in order to assure the early return of the land in the Northern Training area, which was promised to be returned to Okinawa in the 1996 SACO agreement.
２）Please answer the questions in Okinawa BD’s "Open Question Letter" submitted to the Bureau on June 24, 2010.
The Okinawa Defense Bureau responded by saying that it declined to answer or make a comment "because the lawsuit is pending."
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Virtual Event to support Mass by Bishop Lee Byong-ho of Jeonju diocese - September 1 at Guromby rock, Gangjeong, Jeju Island, South Korea
Mass by Bishop Lee Byong-ho of Jeonju diocese
Time: Thursday, September 1 · 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Guromby rock, Gangjeong, Jeju Island, South Korea
Created By: MacGregor Eddy
For No Naval Base on Jeju! (on Facebook)
If you cannot come in person, join by fasting for one day and use the time that is for cooking and eating to write a letter, make a call, or educate one person about what is happening in Gangjeong. This way we will have a virtual event all over the world on Sept 1.
Jeju is a beautiful volcanic island of 77,981.87 km² situated in the Korea Strait. The island has many UNESCO World Natural sites: Hallasan, the 1950m extinct volcano, which last erupted 1000 years ago; Geomun Oreum Lava Tubes and Seongsan Ichulbong, also known as Sunrise Peak, a rare example of tuff cone.
In 2005, Jeju was declared by the South Korean government as "Island of Peace" for not only its natural beauty but its tragic history of the April 3 uprising, where around 30,000 innocent people lost their lives. Currently, the government of the ROK plans to construct a huge naval base on this magnificent island against the will of the Jeju people.
The naval base will not only destroy livelihoods of Gangjeong villagers and extinguish many endangered marine species but also create and exacerbate tension in the Northeast Asian region. That is why we need to struggle against the construction of this naval base.
Msgr. Peter Kang U-il calls planned base "against Christian conscience" • SPARK & Pax Christi Int. call for prayers for Jeju Island
(Mass at the pristine, biodiverse Jeju Island coast slated for destruction by the S. Korean govt. to make way for a naval base to house warships. Catholic priests in Jeju parish have stayed in protest tents to block a sudden police action since July 25, 2011. They are holding mass on the coast every Thursday; sometimes with over a thousand people in attendance. Catholic priests and nuns, Christians of other denominations and Engaged Buddhists have been a part of the resistance against the state seizure of farmland since locals first voiced democratically expressed opposition to the plan 4 years ago. Photo: Jeju Sori)The Church against the military base in Jeju Island: "It is against Christian conscience"Earlier this year SPARK (Solidarity, Peace, And Reunification Korea) and Pax Christi International issue a call for solidarity and action:
For over 7 years, the island was the theatre of a massacre of civilians by the former military dictatorship in South Korea's: Today, Seoul wants to settle thousands of marines there. The President of the Korean bishops on a visit: "To remember the voice of the popes in search of disarmament, not ...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
By Asia News
Seoul - The island of Jeju "should be a constant invitation to peace. Building a military base here, where so much innocent blood has been spilled, offends Christian conscience: we remember the calls of all the great popes of centuries past and give voice to peace, not war”, said the president of the Korean Bishops Conference, Msgr. Peter Kang U-il, yesterday during a visit to the island.
The South Korean government plans to build on this island, which lies in the south of the Korean peninsula, a base for the national and U.S Marines. As recalled by the bishop, however, "this must be a land of peace, especially in light of the incidents of April 3. With a military presence the meaning of the death of those who have sacrificed their lives for freedom is lost. "
The prelate was referring to the massacre that began on Jeju April 3, 1947 lasting until 1954, when South Korea was divided between the military dictatorship and the U.S. presence, thousands of people died on the island. These were part of armed civilian groups, who opposed the bloody rule of Seoul. Thanks also to the leadership of the Church, the dictatorship was defeated and Jeju became a symbol of resistance.
In addition, for Msgr. Kang there are also practical questions: "Is it really useful to build a military outpost costing billions of dollars today, in a time when so many people suffer from the economic crisis and the downturn in the markets? I do not think so. Anyway, as Christians our conscience tells us that it is wrong, that this construction is opposed to the divine plan for our salvation. "
Speaking before thousands of faithful, the president of Cbck concluded: "All the popes of our age have with one voice asked the world to follow the path of disarmament. Every Christian should hear this voice that speaks of truth, and be in the front line to save the world from the violence that will destroy it. "
More updates and info on how to help save Jeju Island at the website of the Global Campaign to Save Jeju Island.Solidarity with people of Jeju Island, South Korea
A call from SPARK
Pax Christi International’s member organization in South Korea
Seoul moves to destroy Jeju Island coral habitat to make way for an Aegis destroyer base aimed at China.
Jeju Island, a World Heritage Site, is a jewel of biodiversity whose southern coast is home to a soft coral habitat. In 2001, the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration designated it a national monument protection area. Its Gangjeong coast is also a seasonal habitat for hundreds of dolphins that live there from June until September. They migrate from Alaska through the North Pacific Ocean to Jeju Island, the only dolphin habitat in South Korea.
And now the Seoul Government is about to destroy the dolphin habitat and the traditional farming and fishing village of Gangjeong to transform an island known for biodiversity, international peace, honeymoons, and school trips into a focal point of rising militarism and an arms race in East Asia. Seoul's target: China, ironically the home of many of the tourists who visit Jeju.
On Christmas Day, there was a peace mass, called, ‘the Christmas mass to save life and peace of the Jeju Island.’ It was led by Bishop Kang Woo-Il, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and the Bishop of the Catholic Jeju diocese, along with many priests and women religious on Jeju Island. The event was hosted by the Special Committee for the Island of Peace, Catholic Jeju Diocese. About 400~500 followers and Gangjeong villagers gathered and declared their commitment to save Jeju, Island of Peace, from the naval base construction. Bishop Kang Woo-Il, who led the mass, said “Military bases cannot save peace and life” and that he “would be together with the lonely and oppressed Gangjeong villagers.”
The latest report says that the navy is making moves against the people who have been trying to block the construction machinery from beginning work.
Action proposed:
• Please contact the Embassy of South Korea in your country and ask them to stop the construction of the Navy base for U.S. warships on Jeju Island.
• Organize a prayer vigil.
• Write a letter of solidarity to Bishop Peter Kan-U-Il, president of the Bishops Conference of South Korea. e-mail: catholic-cheju@hanmail.net
For information, you can contact Regina Pyon from Korea: reginapy@hanmail.net
Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) is a member organisation of Pax Christi International
Brussels, February 2011
Fr. Paul Lansu
Pax Christi International
Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 21
B-1000 Bruxelles - Belgium
Office Phone: +32 (0)2 502 55 50 - Direct Phone ++32-(0)2 213 49 11- Fax: +32 (0)2 502 46 26
Mobile Phone ++32-(0)475 38 21 70
www.paxchristi.net
ROK riot police injure & arrest Gangjeong mayor & Catholic priest during community-wide nonviolent protest in Jeju Island
(Jeju Island supporters keep vigil, waiting for the release of Mayor Kang, Fr. Moon, and three others arrested during a nonviolent demonstration in Jeju Island. Villagers and their supporters oppose the non-democratic state seizure and planned destruction of private farmland and a pristine, biodiverse coastline (soft coral and dolphin habitat)Via Sung-Hee Choi (released on probation after lengthy incarceration, trial, and conviction for "obstruction of business" for holding a sign saying "Do not hurt one stone or flower.") is blogging again at No Base Stories of Korea:
Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun, villager Kim Jong-Hwan and peace activist Kim Dong-Won, were among five people arrested on Tuesday at Jeju Island - for protesting state seizure and planned destruction of private farm land and pristine coastline that is home to a biodiverse soft coral habitat. The three are being detained at the Dongbu Police Station in the Jeju City.
Fr. Moon Jung-Hyun was also arrested while he attempted to block a police car moving the three today. Police tore his clothes and broke his cane during the arrest.
Fr. Moon Jung-Hyun sitting, exhausted, after riot police pushed him away from the car carrying Gangjeong mayor who was arrested on trumped up charges. More from Ann Wright via her Facebook page:
Yesterday, August 24, 2011, sirens wailed for citizens to come to the main gate of the Naval Base in Kang Jeong Village on Jeju Island, South Korea where the Korean Navy wants to continue construction of a naval base for 18 ships and a 2 submarines in an area that will destroy a pristine shoreline and endanger marine life. Local villagers and activists from the mainland of South Korea have struggled for five years to prevent the construction of the base.
Sirens signal an emergency-the mayor and four activists are arrested
The siren sounds like a tsunami warning signaling an emergency. And that is what it is-an emergency with 5 activists arrested, including the mayor of the village of Kang Jeong at a huge construction crane on the base. The crane had been brought onto the naval base several years ago in the middle of the night in the Navy’s attempt to escape the wrath of the villagers. It is a huge crane weighing 250 tons and it was brought over a bridge that can hold only 50 tons. The mayor of the village is intent on not allowing the illegal crane to be operated. He wants it dismantled and taken away. The mayor, the peace camp cook and three activists who came racing to the aid of the mayor were also arrested.
Hearing the emergency siren, 60 people quickly arrived to block the main gate of the base with trucks, cars and their own bodies. Others raced to the back entrance to the base to block it. Many were local farmers who had come directly from their fields of tangerine trees and from hot houses where they grow vegetables. They had jumped on their motor scooters to answer the emergency call, not bothering to change from their farm work clothes and wide brimmed work hats and rubber boots. Text messages were flying explaining the situation and directing people to go to the gates of the base. Tweets were alerting solidarity activists around the world to the emergency. An international peace camp had been held here last week and those activists would want to know about the situation.
At the main gate, ten citizens locked chains around their necks and around each other and sat directly in front of a police line that had been placed in front of the gate. One citizen locked a chain around his neck and directly onto a truck that was blocking the entrance to the base.
Crowd stops police car and surround the police
Four of those arrested had been moved from the naval base to the local jail by the time the entrances were blocked. Only the mayor remained inside the base. After several hours, the crowd spotted a police car attempting to leave the base by another entrance and inside was the mayor. The crowd chased the police car on foot, caught it and put their bodies in the way so the driver could not move forward. Cars and trucks quickly followed successfully blocking the police car.
About 60 police reinforcements with batons and shields but no weapons pushed their way past the activists and formed a protective ring around the police car. The police appeared to be new recruits who were doing their obligatory government service. They were very young and looked very scared.
Very quickly the citizens encircled the police and the police car and sat down. From time to time, the police would attempt to move the crowd out of the way, but the citizens would stand up and move directly in front of the police shields. Women, old and young alike, were on the front lines refusing to let the police move and pushing back furiously.
Remarkably, the police did not use their batons on the demonstrators. One person told me that the police on the island are very aware of the history of Jeju Island in which over 30,000 persons, many of whom wanted their country unified after World War II, were massacred by the right wing government of Sighman Rhee that considered them communist sympathizers. Anyone found farther inland that 2 miles were considered guerillas and were hunted down in a scorched earth policy by military and right wing youth brought in from the mainland of Korea.
Many of the police who live on the island had relatives that were killed in what is called the April 3 massacre that lasted over 18 months (1947-48). The small island police force does not want to be seen as heavy handed. Because of this attitude, the national government last month heavy-handedly sent 1,500 mainland police to Jeju Island to use water cannons and tear gas against those challenging the construction of the naval base.
The stalemate of citizens encircling and trapping the police lasted for 5 hours and took on a community event atmosphere. The fiery wife of the mayor stood on the top of a vehicle urged the crowd to protect her husband and then dived into the police line from on top of the vehicle! A huge sound system on the top of another van blasted favorite protest songs including one that told the story of the April 3 massacre. The nightly 8pm candlelight vigil was held in the road with candles placed in front of the police line. Friends sat in small groups talking about the next steps in preventing further construction of the naval base.
Activists chain themselves to a van
Another scene was unfolding back at the main gate. As the police rushed from the main gate up the road to protect the police car carrying the mayor, the way was left open for a protest van to move onto the entrance of the bridge just past the main gate, blocking one of the main roads on the island. Citizens with chains surged to the vehicle and locked themselves onto the undercarriage of the van. A smaller group of police then surrounded the van, but after several hours of watching the group chained to the van, they got tired and sat down along the sides of the bridge.
Police Doublecross
By midnight a deal had been struck. The mayor and four others would be released after making an appearance at the Seogwipo Police Station/jail. The crowds slowly opened so the police and the police car could leave. Not all the citizens agreed to the deal thinking that once the mayor left in the police car, their leverage was gone.
And they were right. 50 citizens slept all the rest of the night on the sidewalk outside the jail waiting for the appearance of the Mayor and the other activists-to no avail! The police violated their agreement and at 2pm all are still in jail.
Another Emergency
In the meantime, another emergency siren blared this morning, calling people to the construction site again. A crane operator was moving some heavy equipment. Citizens raced to the site and laid down in front of the crain where they still are.
Here goes the siren again-another emergency in the lives of the citizens of Gangjeong to save their lovely land.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tatsuhiko Kodama: Fukushima fallout 30 times Hiroshima's; urges systematic monitoring & efficient decontamination
Fukushima fallout said 30 times Hiroshima's: Expert paints dire picture of decontamination zone, slams government for foot-draggingRead the entire article here.
By JUN HONGO
Staff writer
The Japan Times
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011
Kodama, a professor of systems biology and medicine at the University of Tokyo, used clear-cut terms to get his message across. His ruthless criticism of the government's slow response has been viewed at least 1 million times.
"It means a significantly large amount of radioactive material was released compared with the atomic bomb," he told the Diet committee.
"What has the Diet been doing as 70,000 people are forced to evacuate and wander outside of their homes?"
Despite a hard-nosed image, the expert on radiology and cancer briefly showed a softer side while speaking to The Japan Times about his two grandchildren and their summer in the Tokyo heat.
"A lot of people ask me this, but Tokyo is safe from radiation now," Kodama, who heads the university's Radioisotope Center and the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, said Aug. 12.
"My two grandchildren swim outside in the pool, and there is no concern with the safety of food at this point."
But his expression became grave when discussing the 20-km no-go zone in Fukushima, explaining that decontamination of such areas will take not years but decades.
There are places he wouldn't let his grandchildren spend time outdoors freely, even in areas outside of the restricted zone.
"Cesium has been detected from urine and breast milk from those residing in Fukushima Prefecture, and the cause for that is still not specified," he warned...
"My theory is this — instead of trying to decide what is safe and what isn't at this point, we should focus on properly measuring the level of contamination in each area and on how to cleanse them."
According to Kodama, the Radioisotope Center estimates that radioactive materials released from Fukushima No. 1 amount to about 29.6 times of that released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
The group also found out that radiation from Fukushima will only decrease by one-tenth per year, which is about 100 times slower than radiation from the bomb...
Another sign of a lax government can be seen in how local governments appear to be short of equipment to measure radiation contamination in food and other produce.
Considering that contamination will be a major problem for the next couple of decades, the central government shouldn't hesitate to invest in and develop, even mass-produce, equipment that can allow checks for radiation.
Some companies have told Kodama it would only take three months to develop a system for efficient radiation measurement.
Kodama advised the government to take two different approaches in decontaminating Fukushima.
The first step should focus on creating a rough map of the wider area and the level of contamination, possibly using remote-control helicopters and Japan's advanced GPS system.
For emergency decontamination procedures, each community should have a call-in center that conducts quick cleanups once a request is made from residents...
"I am aware that there are many opinions regarding nuclear power. However, I believe all of us can agree that Fukushima and the surrounding area needs to be decontaminated as soon as possible," he said.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
John Einarsen's In the Realm of the Bicycle up for People's Choice Award!
Omedetoo & Congratulations to John Einarsen for the nomination of his recent book of photography, In the Realm of the Bicycle, for a People's Choice Award.
The photographer (and KJ's founding editor, stylish art director) uses photography as a medium to expand and deepen perception. In this book, the focus is bicycles in Japan's ancient capital, but the field of vision is infinite:
Each encounter I had with a member of this vast race revealed an individual with a personality all its own, the result of a history at once common and mysterious. Inevitably, I came to see them as they really were: creatures who populated the niches and nooks and corners and alleys of neighborhoods and streets and lives....Cycle Kyoto adds this note:
Most of the images in the book were taken in Kyoto over the years.
Each photo in In the Realm of the Bicycle is a haiku, a brief fleeting moment that contains a larger truth.To view a sample some of the pages, go to: blurb.com.
The cover of In the Realm of the Bicycle is by long-time KJ graphic designer Tiery Le.
The Kyoto Journal: Perspectives From Asia (a/k/a KJ) emerged from Kyoto's international cultural milieu during the 1980's; the iconic English-language quarterly will embark a new incarnation online in September.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Gill Chun Koh: Jeju Island graffiti
To learn about extraordinary Jeju Island artist Gill Chun Koh, please see these articles at The Jeju Weekly:
"'Sasam Art': The artists' way: Jeju artists lead way to truth, justice, and healing"
"An artist's focus on social causes: Gill Chun Koh, April 3 artist and activist"
"Island of Peace: The Peace Culture of Jeju"
Friday, August 19, 2011
Lao Tzu: War as futile death wish & collective funeral
One who would guide a leader of men in
the uses of life
Will warn him against the use of arms for
conquest.
Even the finest arms are an instrument of
evil;
An army's harvest is a waste of thorns
In time of war men, civilized in peace,
Turn from their higher to their lower
nature.
But triumph is not beautiful.
He who thinks a triumph beautiful
Is one with a will to kill.
The death of a multitude is cause for
mourning
Conduct your triumph as a funeral.
- Lao Tzu
Thursday, August 18, 2011
最終弁論, 容疑2011 /Kodan 318 営業妨害, 被告: Choi Sung-hee
Japanese translation (courtesy of Makiko Sato) of Sung-Hee Choi's Final Testimony, published at Save Jeju Island:
フリーランスの歴史家で学識者John, Cha, カリフォルニア大学バークレー校教授、Jinsoon,An, シカゴ大学学部生で非凡な活動家であるJun Hyung Kim,そしてカリフォルニア大学バークレー校のアジアアメリカおよび重要な環太平洋研究の教授であるChristine Hongに対し、このすばらしい翻訳をして頂いたことを感謝します。
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
最終弁論
容疑2011 /Kodan 318 営業妨害 （2011 Kodan511 combined ）
被告: Choi Sung-hee
私、サンヒー・チョイ（Sung-Hee, Choi）はビジュアル・アーティストです。私は韓国の真珠であるJeju島の美しさに惹きつけられ、またJeju島のダイヤモンドと呼ばれてきたGangjeong村の美しい生態系の保存に心を引かれましたた。私はまたその自然と平和に暮らすその村の人々の友好的な精神にも惹きつけられました。その自然環境を保護し慈しもうとする彼らの気持ちは私を深く感動させましたし、また村の保存と保護を通じより広範なJeju島民の平和を実現するための彼らGangjeong村住民の昔からの自立した意識に私は鼓舞されてきました。私は彼らの称賛すべきこの精神は、世界の人々だけでなく韓国市民すべての支援と尊敬に値すると考えます。まさにこの理由により私は、海軍基地建設に対する彼ら村民の非暴力、平和的抵抗への支援を行ったのです。
海軍基地建設を実行するための不法でずるく懐柔的な措置に対し抗議しようとして建設作業のトラックのタイヤの下に身を投げ出した度に、私は二つの重要なモットーを思い出しました。それは年配世代の同志が明確に述べたものです。一つ目は「あなたが行動を起こさない限り、誰がしゃべることができない、あのサンゴや魚や貝のために話すだろうか？」、二つ目は「私たちが住んでいるこの土地は、次ぎの世代の人から借りている」というものです。
私が守ろうとした建設地域は赤足カニやヒメアマガエルのような絶滅の恐れがある種の生息地で、それらの棲息は環境省によっても確認されています。2011年3月15日にJeju道議会は「絶対保護地域」指定を無効にする動議を破棄し、それによりJungdeok海岸の保護のための法的根拠を再確立しました。地元住民による幾つかの訴訟も現在進行中であり、その中にはこの地域を国防のためや軍事施設として使用することへの許可の破棄を求める訴え、「絶対保護地域」指定を確認する上告、さらにきれいな上水への市民の権利を確保するための訴えなどが含まれます。
加えて文化資産保全のための事業も進行中ですが、それなのにこれまでこの事業を通じて評価されたものは地元住民に適切に伝えられていません。これらの訴訟の進捗状況および文化資産評価の観点から私は、適切な手続きに従っておらず、またその手続きが取られたかを検証もせずに建設を強行し続けるその動きは不法であるとの結論に到達せずにはおられません。Saemangum地域の訴訟では、建設は法律論争のため膠着状態になりました。それなのになぜJeju島での建設は、法的規制への遵守や説明責任なしに強行されつつあるのでしょう？ 建設会社は工事の中断は営業妨害であると主張しますが、その会社が下請け会社をたくさん雇い、その下請け会社自身が問題を生じさせる状態を助長しているのです。
建設会社、海軍、検察および警察は20件もの営業妨害の罪により私を起訴しましたが、私が行ったことは彼らの不法な行為を妨害することでした。実際私が行ったのは、権力の偏狭な利害を進展させるため人々を搾取するような、法律の不正操作
を止めるのが目的でした。権力の全部門、すなわち立法府、行政府、司法府は社会の権力者に味方し、市民の不服従と反対意見のためのいかなる余地をも小さくしようとの試みで絶対的な力を行使し不法な暴力をふるいます。私の行動が自己防衛を法的に訴えるための最後の手段として着手された限りにおいて、私は無罪です。
私は5月19日の出来事に関する起訴に反論します。その当日、Seogwipo警察とJeju検察が営業妨害を行ったとして私を現行犯逮捕しましたが、その時の状況は以下のとおりです。：建設作業員と警察は、適切は法的措置が施行されているとの確認をせずに「代執行」」により、建設用地に隣接する施設の破壊を行っていました。その時点で村人と人権活動家7人が既に逮捕されており、それで私は他の女性たちと一緒に無言でこう書いてあるバナーを掲げました―「石ひとつ、花一本、触れるな」
私は警察がそのとき私にミランダ権利を読みあげたかどうか覚えていません。私が覚えているすべては、彼らが「サンヒー・チョイさん、我々はこれによりあなたを犯人として逮捕する」と言ったことだけです。このあと、５，６人の私服警官が、私をパトカーに押し込み、そして警察とJeju検察が営業妨害の嫌疑で私の身柄を拘束しました。彼らは私が5月19日に営業を妨害したと言います、しかし無言でバナーを持ち抗議を表明することがどのように、建設会社の財産に被害を与えるに等しいような不法行為となるのでしょう？ さらに、彼らは5月19日の私への「逮捕」と5月21日の私への「拘束」を正当化するため、私が建設作業トラックの車体の下に潜り込んだことを示す一文を起訴状に入れ込みましたが、これはその後私が抗議したため、罪状認否時に派当局が「現行犯」という言葉とともにその一文を起訴状から取り去る結果となっただけでした。 このように彼らは私の身柄を「拘束」するために「ニセの起訴事実」でまず私を「逮捕」したのです。私は、この面倒な手続き全体が私の「拘束」を意図したものであったと考えずにはいられません。私が会員であるGangjeong村連名と平和運動グループは、これに応じて5月23日に公式に声明を発表し警察と検察を批判して、「検察は、サンヒーチョイに対する逮捕令状の正当性を決定する際に、起訴を行う目的から追加情報を改ざんした」こと、さらに「検察は営業妨害を行ったとの偽りの容疑でサンヒーチョイを起訴した」ことを示しました。
私は我々の税金によりその職員の給料がまかなわれているSeogwipo警察署とJeju検察局が行う権力の乱用を絶えず暴露し、そのような乱用を規制する必要を強調することが重要だと感じます。私は権力の乱用に対して抗議します、なぜならもし私が沈黙していれば、私のような犠牲者がもっと増えると恐れるからです。最近、それら警察と検察はGangjeong住民に対する召喚状を多発し、また住民が発生させたとされる損害への280,000ドルにものぼる多額の賠償を請求して住民に嫌がらせをしています。これは住民がそれにより、平和運動家たちが当局職員を挑発させ乱暴に振る舞うようにしたと彼らを非難するようになる緊張状態を住民の間に生み出し、そうすることで活動家と住民の間にくさびを打ち込むことを狙った、当局の抑圧的な戦術に他なりません。
私は役人にみる抑圧的態度の中に、あの恐るべき4.3虐殺に責任があるのと同じ種類の態度をかぎわけています。Jeju島の歴史は外部勢力に対する終わりなき闘いのそれでしたが、今度は中央政府と韓国海軍の力に対峙しています。Jeju検察とSeogwipo警察は島民の代表として働くかわりに、中央政府と結託して住民への裏切りをおこなっています。ある調査が示すところではGangjeong村住民の44％がひどい憂鬱に苦しみ、そのうち34.7%が自殺を試みたことがあります。6月17日、ひとりの村人が除草剤を飲んで自殺を図ったことが伝えられました。6月20日には、平和的なデモを行っているグループを解散させるため海軍兵が暴力的手段に訴えました。元議員のHyun Ae-jaさんは「軍隊が暴力で市民に対処するのは、たとえ戦時中であっても犯罪である」との声明を出しました。しかし中央政府は村人の願いに反して、自然の宝と指定されていた貴重な珊瑚礁の海岸線を海軍が破壊するのを沈黙して見守っています。
韓国の憲法は韓国市民の人間としての尊厳、および幸福を追求する権利を保障しています。悲しいことにこれは今のGangjeongにはあてはまらないのです。裁判長、あなたは憲法に基づく良心の声が聞こえると私は信じます。この海軍基地が米国のミサイル防衛システムに連結しているため、多くの人々がJeju島とその将来の世代が攻撃にさらされることになるとの懸念の声をあげました。戦争を確実に招くであろう軍事基地に反対する平和で非暴力の意思表示を行うことは私の義務であり権利です。私は約1000人の人々がGangjeongでのこの海軍基地建設に対する自分の反対を表明するため、ワシントンD.C.の韓国大使館に電話をしたと聞きました。Jejuに海軍基地を建設する危険性は、韓国人だけでなく国際社会にとっての懸念となっています。抗議電話に対応したひとりの韓国大使館員が、電話をかけた抗議者に対し、米国政府に連絡すべきだ、なぜなら韓国政府よりはむしろ米国政府がこの海軍基地事業を推進しているからだと語ったことを私は知っています。
裁判長、なぜこの海軍基地問題が第二の4.3事件に発展しつつあるのでしょう？その主な理由の一つは、Jeju4.3大虐殺とJeju海軍基地闘争の両方とも、外部勢力（たとえば米国など）による島民の諸権利への侵害と、島民の平和的生存権に対するそれらの勢力による脅威から生じたからです。それが、国際社会のいくつかの主要勢力がJeju島に対し地勢学的な拠点としての思惑を抱いているという事実をJeju住民（だれよりも外部勢力に抵抗してきた）と朝鮮半島の市民が認識しなければならない理由です。彼らは彼らの故郷がそれら主要勢力の戦場となりうることを理解し、この海軍基地を止めなければなりません。
米中間の最近の緊張はJejuの平和への我々の懸念が正しいことを示します。6月21日の米国と日本協議では、中国を孤立させるためいくつかの同盟結成の重要性が強調され、米国、オーストラリア、日本、インド、韓国の参加を提案しました。この会議において、スタンダードミサイル３（米国のレイセオンと日本の三菱重工により開発中）の韓国への（*将来的）売却の強い可能性が表面化しました。7月9日に米国、日本、オーストラリアはインドネシアのブルネイ近辺で共同軍事訓練を行いました。その同日、米国の原子力潜水艦テキサスが韓国水域に入り港に停泊しました。専門家によれば、韓国と米国は中国に対する想定有事行動に備え、６か月おきに空中給油行動の訓練期間を持つことを計画しています。米国の燃料補給機は沖縄の米空軍基地から運行すると言われています。8月4日、韓国空軍の元参謀長が、Jeju海軍基地が完成すれば停泊することになるであろう駆逐艦および戦闘機を製造する米国のロッキード・マーチン社に韓国の軍事機密を暴露したことが報道されました。
Jeju島に海軍基地を建設するという米国の圧力があったのでしょうか？ 私はGangjeong村民の嘆きのうめき声の中にロッキード・マーチン、ボーイング、レイセオンのような兵器製造会社のパーティ会場でシャンペングラスがカチンカチンと鳴る音が聞こえます。イラク・アフガン戦によるその経済停滞のあとで米国が自国の輸出品目No.1である兵器販売を再活性できる地域と国はどこでしょう？ それが大韓民国のJeju島です。
平和の島は危機に直面しています。
裁判長、私がお話ししたい重要な問題がもう一つあります。それは環境保護の問題です。JejuのWoo Geun-min知事は、島の利益を大切にしてもらうため彼を選出したを代表できませんでした。彼はJejuの特異な環境の保護における自分の義務を軽視し、地質学公園の管理の点でUNESCOにより定められた規則と規制を遵守しませんでした。
7月12日のJejuデイリー紙によれば、UNESCO規定第三条では、自然の宝としてのUNESCOの指定をJejuが保有するために知事による継続的努力が求められています。また第4条では自然の宝の保存における島民の協力を求めています。Yoo Won-il議員は、この海軍基地はUNESCOの生物学上の保護区域からわずかに1.5kmしか離れていないことを指摘しています。すなわち、この海軍基地の建設は確かにUNESCOにその指定を取り消させることになるでしょう。
同地域に保護を与えるかわりに、Woo Geun-min知事はそれを破壊すべく海軍と共謀しています。彼はまた、その地域に民間による観光業を導入しようとしています。彼は最近、韓国国防省が彼に観光業の促進を約束したと述べました。海軍基地建設に関わる企業の一つであるサムソンは、すでに観光業のための広告を開始しています。これらの点をすべて吟味すると、我々はたったひとつの結論に至ります。政府、軍、企業が島民の願いに反し、環境を破壊するため共謀しているということです。
裁判長、私はこれ以上の平和活動家とGangjeong村住民が、今の私のように見せしめとなってこの法廷に立つことがないように願います。この法廷には、平和の島を保つため非暴力の訴えを行ったことにより私だけが立つのでしょうか？ あるいは、中央政府、軍隊、そして資本家にJejuを売り渡した知事も、被告人としてこの法廷に立つべきではないのでしょうか？ 人々の意志に反してこの島を外部勢力に譲り渡した、Kim Hwang-sik首相と国防相についてはどうでしょう？ 国民は彼らの給料を支払っているのに、彼らは私のような弱い人々を抑圧しています。
よく知られる平和活動家だった故ハワード・ジンによれば「市民の不服従は我々の問題ではない。我々の問題は市民の服従だ。我々の問題は、自分たちの政府の指導者の命令に従い戦争に行った世界中の人々がどれくらいいるかという、その数だ。数百万の人々がこの服従のために殺された….我々の問題は、世界中で人々が服従していることだ、貧困と飢餓と愚かしさと戦争と残虐を目の辺りにしていても。 我々の問題は、軽犯罪の窃盗犯たちで刑務所が満杯状態であるのに人々が服従しており、その間にもずっと大強盗たちがこの国を牛耳っていることだ。それが我々の問題だ」と言います。
平和の島を建設することが、単なる言葉上のことでなく実際に実現可能であることが私の希望です。多くの人々が、この海軍基地の代わりに平和公園と国連平和大学を建設することについて語っています。我々の若者とその子どもたちが、徴兵制と授業料の圧力から免れて、自分の夢を実現し平和な世界を建設するため共に働く、そのような世界について考えるとき、温かいものを感じませんか？その希望が、正義を求める私の情熱を生き生きとしたものに保ち、私に勇気を与えるのです。
Hong Sung-dam: "Gangjeong by the Sea"
Hong Sung-dam was born on the island of Hauido and raised in Gwangju, where as a youth, he took part in the 1980 uprising against Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship. In July 1989, Hong was arrested for allegedly breaking the National Security Act for sending slides of a mural he had created, along with around 200 other South Korean artists, to North Korea). Amnesty International adopted him as a prisoner of conscience; he was released from prison (where he was kept in solitary confinement for three years after being tortured by the Korean CIA) in the early 1990s.
A member of Korea's globally renowned Minjung (politically and socially engaged) art movement, the artist was commissioned by the Government of South Korea to create a mural for Chonnam National University. Human Rights Solidarity published this interview with Hong Sung-dam in 2002: "War Serves the Politicians but Not the People."
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Sung-Hee Choi, Goddess of Gureombi, released from Jeju Prison!
(Sung-Hee Choi released from Jeju Prison! Photo: Youngsil Kang, Save Professor Yang & Sung-Hee Choi of Jeju)I really appreciate independent historian and scholar John Cha, UC Berkeley professor Jinsoo An, University of Chicago Graduate Student and Activist Extraordinaire Jun Hyung Kim, and Professor of Asian American and Critical Pacific Rim Studies at UC Berkeley Christine Hong for this amazing translation...
[Translated by John Cha, Jinsoo An, Jun-Hyung Kim]
Final Testimony
Case: 2011 고단/Kodan 318 Obstruction of Business (2011 Kodan 511, Combined)
The Accused: Choi Sung-hee
Your Honor,
I, Choi Sung-hee, am a visual artist. I have been drawn to the beauty of Jeju Island, the pearl of Korea, and to the beautiful ecological preservation of Gangjeong village, which has been called the diamond of Jeju Island. I have also been drawn to the friendly spirit of the Gangjeong villagers who live peacefully with nature. Their will to protect and love the natural environment has moved me deeply, and I have been very inspired by their independent historical consciousness to realize peace for the greater people of Jeju Island through their preservation and protection of their village. I believe that their admirable spirit deserves the support and respect of all the Korean people as well as the people of the world. It is for this reason that I demonstrated my support for their non-violent and peaceful resistance against building the naval base.
Every time I placed myself beneath the wheels of construction trucks in an effort to protest the illegal, cunning, and manipulative measures to carry out the construction of naval base, I reminded myself of two important mottos, which were articulated by the older generation of colleagues. The first is “Unless you come forward, who will speak for that coral, fish, and shells that cannot speak?” The second is “This land we are living on is on lease from the next generation of people.”
The construction area that I endeavored to protect is home to endangered species like the red-footed crab and the narrow-mouthed toad, which are recognized by the Ministry of the Environment. On March 15, 2011, the Jeju Provincial Assembly rescinded the motion to nullify the “Absolute Preservation Area” designation, thereby reestablishing the legal grounds for the protection of the Jungdeok coastline. Several legal actions by local residents are also underway, including an appeal to rescind permission to use this area for national defense and as a military facility, an appeal to affirm the “Absolute Preservation Area” designation, and an appeal to ensure the public right to fair surface water use.
In addition, the project for preservation of cultural assets is still in progress yet what has been assessed through this project has not been properly conveyed to the local residents. In light of the ongoing status of these legal actions and the cultural assets assessment, I cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the move to forcefully continue with construction without checking into or conforming to proper procedures is illegal. In the case of the Saemangum area, construction was brought to a standstill because of a legal dispute. Why then is construction at Jeju Island being enforced without accountability or conformity to legal safeguards? Construction companies contend that the suspension of work harms business, but companies, which employ a lot of subcontractors, foster the conditions that themselves generate problems.
Construction companies, the Navy, prosecutors, and the police charged me with twenty counts of obstructing business, but what I did was to obstruct their illegal actions. In fact, what I did was meant to halt the manipulation of the law, which exploits people in order to advance the narrow interests of power. Siding with the haves in society, all branches of authority, i.e., legislative, executive, and judicial, exercise absolute power and wield illegal violence in their attempt to shrink any space for disobedience and dissent. Insofar as my actions were undertaken as a last resort to legally assert self-defense, I am not guilty.
I object to the charges related to the events of May 19. On that day, the Seogwipo Police and the Jeju prosecutor arrested me on the spot as a criminal who had been obstructing business, yet the situation was as follows: construction workers and police were carrying out the demolition of neighboring facilities through “execution by proxy” without ensuring that proper legal steps were taken. At that point, seven villagers and civil rights activists had already been arrested so I, along with other women, raised a banner in silence: “Touch not even one stone, touch not one flower.”
I do not remember if the police read me my Miranda rights; all that I remember is that they said, “Ms. Choi Sung-hee, we hereby arrest you as a criminal.” After this, five or six policewomen, dressed in civilian clothes, forced me into a police car, and, the police and Jeju prosecutor rendered me into custody on the charge of obstructing business. They say I obstructed business on May 19, but how does expressing protest by silently holding a banner constitute an illegal act tantamount to damaging the property of construction companies? Moreover, they inserted a clause indicating that I placed myself under the wheel of construction truck in order to justify their “arrest” of May 19 and “detention” of May 21, only to remove this clause along with the word “criminal-in-the-act” from arraignment after I protested. They “arrested” me first with a “false indictment” in order to “detain” me in custody. I cannot help but suspect that the whole rigmarole was designed for my “detention.” The Gangjeong village association and peace advocacy group that I am affiliated with accordingly released a public statement on May 23 to criticize the police and the prosecutor, which indicated that “the prosecutor, in conducting an investigation to determine the validity of the arrest warrant for Choi Sung-hee falsified additional information for the purpose of indictment” and that “the prosecutor indicted Choi Sung-hee on false charges that she obstructed business.”
I feel it is important to ceaselessly expose abuses of power and to highlight the need to curb such abuses on the part of the Seogwipo police department and the Jeju prosecutor’s office whose officials are paid by the islanders’ tax money. I speak out against the abuse of power because I fear that there will be more victims like myself if I remain quiet. Recently, the police and the prosecutor’s office have been badgering the residents of Gangjeong with a barrage of citations and demands for compensation for the damages the residents supposedly caused to the tune of about $280,000. This is nothing more than an oppressive tactic aimed at creating tension among the residents who in turn will blame peace activists for provoking the officials to behave badly, thereby driving a wedge between the activists and the residents.
I detect in the oppressive attitude in the officials the same sort of attitude responsible for the horrific 4.3 massacre. The history of Jeju Island is one of endless struggle against outside forces and this time, it faces the might of the central government and the Korean Navy. The Jeju prosecutors and Seogwipo police, instead of acting on behalf of the islanders, are committing treachery in collusion with the central government. A survey indicates that 44% of the residents of Gangjeong Village suffer from severe depression, and 34.7% of them have attempted suicide. On June 17, a villager was reported to have attempted suicide by consuming herbicide. On June 20, Navy personnel resorted to violent means to disband a group of peaceful demonstrators. Former Assemblywoman Hyun Ae-ja made a statement, “It’s a crime for the military to treat civilians with violence, even in wartime.” However, the central government, against the wishes of the villagers, quietly watched the Navy ruin the shoreline of the rare coral reef, which had been designated as a natural treasure.
Korea’s Constitution guarantees all of its citizens’ human respect and the right to pursue happiness. Sadly, this is the not the case in Gangjeong today. Your Honor, I believe that you can hear the voice of conscience founded in the Constitution.
Many people voiced their concern that Jeju Island and its future generations will become vulnerable to attack because its naval base is associated with the missile defense system of the United States. It is my duty and right to enact a peaceful non-violent demonstration against a base which is certain to invite war. I am told that about one thousand people have telephoned the Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. to voice their opposition to the naval base construction in Gangjeong. The danger of building a naval base in JeJu has become a concern for not only Koreans but also the international community. I understand that a Korean Embassy worker told callers that they should contact the U.S. government because it is pushing the naval base project rather than the Korean government.
Your Honor, why is the naval base problem developing into the second 4.3? One of the main reasons is because both the 4.3 massacre and the naval base conflict stemmed from the contravention of rights by outside forces (such as the U.S.) and their threat to the islanders’ right to peaceful existence. That is the reason why Jeju residents (who more than anyone had resisted outside powers) and the citizens of the Korean peninsula must recognize the fact that the major international powers have designs on the Jeju Island as a geostrategic location. They must realize that their home could become a battleground for the major powers and put a stop to the naval base.
Recent tensions between the U.S. and China justify our concern for the peace of Jeju. At a U.S.-Japan conference on June 21, the importance of forming alliances to isolate China was emphasized, suggesting the participation of the U.S., Australia, Japan, India and Korea. In this conference, the sale of Standard Missile 3 (developed by Raytheon of the U.S. and Mitsubishi of Japan) to Korea surfaced as a strong possibility. On July 9, the U.S., Japan, and Australia held a joint military exercise near Brunei in Indonesia. On that same day, the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Texas entered Korea’s waters and docked. Korea and the U.S. plan to hold training sessions for airborne fueling procedures every six months in preparation for possible actions against China, according to the experts. U.S. fuel-supply airplanes are said to operate out of its airbase in Okinawa. On August 4, the former chief of staff for the Korean Air Force was reported to have revealed military secrets to Lockheed Martin, the U.S. maker of fighter airplanes as well as destroyers that might dock in the Jeju naval base.
Was there American pressure to build the naval base on Jeju Island? I hear the clicking of the champagne glasses in the halls of weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon amidst the moaning sounds by the Gangjeong villagers. What region and country can revitalize the trade in U.S. weapons, their number-one export following their economic difficulties due to their wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? It is Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea.
The island of peace is facing a crisis.
Your Honor, there is another important item I would like to bring up. It is the matter of environmental protection. Jeju Governor Woo Geun-min has failed to represent the people who elected him to look after their interests. He has neglected his duties in protecting Jeju’s unique environment and failed to abide by the rules and regulations set forth by UNESCO with respect to the management of the geological park.
According to the Jeju Daily on July 12, the third clause of UNESCO rules calls for continuous efforts by the governor in order for Jeju to retain its UNESCO designation as a natural treasure; the fourth clause calls for the islanders’ cooperation in the upkeep of the natural treasure. Assemblyman Yoo Won-il points out that the naval base site is only 1.5 km. from the UNESCO biological protection area; construction of the naval base will certainly cause UNESCO to retract its designation.
Instead of providing protection for the area, Governor Woo Geun-min is colluding with the Navy to ruin it. He is also trying to bring commercial tourism into the area. He recently stated that the Department of Defense promised him help promote tourism. Samsung, one of the firms involved in the naval base construction, has already begun advertising for tourism. When we examine all of these factors, we can conclude only one thing: the government, the military, and the corporations are colluding to destroy the environment, against the wishes of the islanders.
Your Honor, I ask that no more peace activists and Gangjeong residents stand here victimized as I am. I have faith in your conscience. Is it just for me to stand here because of my non-violent demonstration to preserve the island of peace? Or, shouldn’t the governor who sold Jeju out to the central government, military, and capital stand here? How about Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Minister of Defense who turned over the island to the outside powers against the will of the people? People pay for their salary and yet they are oppressing weak people like me.
According to Howard Zinn, a well-known American peace activist, “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is the number of people all over the world who have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience.... Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world, in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem.”
It is my hope that building the island of peace is actually realizable, not merely in language. Many people speak of building a peace park and a UN peace school instead of the naval base. Don’t you feel warm thinking about a world in which our young people and their children—free of pressure from draft and school tuitions—realize their dreams and work together to build a peaceful world? That hope keeps alive my passion for justice and gives me courage.
Thank you.
Choi Sung-hee
August 5, 2011
Jeju Courthouse
Women's Int. League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) Message of Solidarity to Villagers of Jeju Island
For more information about the proposed naval base and Jeju Island, please see www.savejejuisland.org.WILPF message of solidarity to the villagers of Jeju Island | August 17, 2011
From its International Congress in San José, Costa Rica, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) expresses solidarity with the people of Ganjeong on Jeju Island, South Korea in their struggle to stop the construction of the naval base.
Military bases are a visible structure of militarism and imperialism; they waste economic resources of the “home” country and destroy environmental, social, political, and financial resources of the “host” country; and they undermine the lives and livelihoods of local people. Violence against women and girls around military bases is a particularly aggravated problem that results from the interconnections of militarism, imperialism, racism, and sexism. Overseas bases also undermine more constructive forms international cooperation and engagement and perpetuate militarism and military spending.
On 6 August 2011, WILPF lends its voice to the local villagers and their international supporters standing up to the power of the military to protect their homes, livelihoods, the environment, and peace. On a day that we have marked every year since 1945, deploring that the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, we take strength in knowing that the struggle for peace and against militarism continues all over the world.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Support Sung-Hee Choi Aug. 17 trial (on Facebook)
(Sung-Hee Choi, imprisoned without bail in Jeju Island for holding a banner, "Do not touch one stone. Do not touch one flower.")Support Choi Sung-Hee Aug 17 trial on Facebook:
Sung-Hee's final trial will be on August 17, 2011, 2 pm, Jeju Island time.
She has been in prison since May 17 awaiting trial for holding a banner that said, "Touch no one stone, not one flower. "
All other protesters against the naval base construction have been released on bail or probation.
Please check www.savejejuisland.org for background, and let people know about this important trial. write or call Korean embassy.
Hiroshima Ground Zero 1945 @ Int. Center of Photography, NYC, May 20-Aug. 28, 2011
(Photograph: Hiroshima Ground Zero 1945 I International Center of Photography, May 20-Aug. 28, 2011) Hiroshima: Ground Zero 1945 Public Panel Discussion
ICP, 1133 Avenue of the Americas
Wednesday, August 17, 7:00pm
General Admission: $5. Free for ICP Members and Students
RSVP online.
Panelists: Erin Barnett, Adam Harrison Levy, Greg Mitchell
What can a suitcase, found in a pile of trash, tell us about Hiroshima and its legacy?
The suitcase was found eleven years ago by a man out walking his dog in Watertown, Massachusetts. Inside were 700 photographs of post-bomb Hiroshima. The images depict an annihilated city: twisted girders, imploded buildings, miles of rubble. This was the original Ground Zero, a term first used in 1946 to describe the epicenter of the blast.
Since then, accounts by survivors of the bombing have been published, documentaries have been produced, and historians have fiercely debated the decision to drop the bomb.
And yet, the photographic record of what took place in Hiroshima has long been absent. A U.S. military film crew, which shot the only color footage in the city (and focused on the human effects of the bomb), found that their images would be suppressed for decades. Our lack of visual evidence of the atom bomb's effect has helped us to deny its devastating impact. Think of photographs of Auschwitz after it was liberated and a series of powerful images come to mind: haunting pictures of war's destructive impact. But think of Hiroshima and what comes to mind is the mushroom cloud. Terrifying in its way, with its bulbous head and towering stem, it is nonetheless an abstract image freed of human agency and human consequence.
Join us for a discussion on how the ground-breaking images that make up the Hiroshima: Ground Zero 1945 exhibition at ICP were discovered and how the moving footage shot in post-bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki was censored by the U.S. government. Panelists include Greg Mitchell, the author of Atomic Cover-Up: Two U.S. Soldiers, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and The Greatest Movie Never Made (2011) and co-author (with Robert Jay Lifton) of Hiroshima in America: Fifty Years of Denial (1995), Assistant Curator of Collections Erin Barrett, and writer and freelance documentary film producer and director Adam Harrison Levy.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Aug. 14, 2011 Update by Gwisook Gwon: "National & Int. Protests Challenge Naval Base Construction on Jeju Island"
National and International Protests Challenge Naval Base Construction on Jeju Island, South KoreaRead the full analysis and prior updates here. More updates and info on how to help save Jeju Island at the website of the Global Campaign to Save Jeju Island.
Gwisook Gwon
The Asia-Pacific Journal
Update, August 14, 2011
Tension heightened in Gangjeong village on August 14 when the protestors learned that 500-600 policemen, 16 police buses, 10 vehicles with suppression gear including 3 water cannons were dispatched from the mainland. The protesters responded by confirming their determination to protect their village (Headline Jeju, August 14, 2011)
Meanwhile, the navy announced that it was proceeding with construction in a land area of 489,000 square meters with an investment of 9.8 trillion won. It stated that 14% of the work has already been completed at a cost of 1.4 trillion won (Kyunghyang.com, July 25, 2011). At this writing, peace activist, Choi Sung-hee remains in prison,1 and some 40 protestors have been charged with obstruction and fined 50 million won (The Hankyoreh, July 26, 2011). In addition to applying for an injunction against 77 protestors, the navy and Samsung C & T claimed 290 million won in compensation for damages by 14 protestors.
The Navy, Samsung, and the Police Crack Down
Following an arrest on July 16 and a visit by the national police chief on July 21, about 300 policemen have been stationed at the entrance to Jungdeok (Jeju sori, July 25, 2011). The chief called for rigorous enforcement in the event that construction is obstructed (Jeju Sori, July 21, 2011). Within a week, the national maritime police chief echoed the same order during his visit to Segwipo, in Jeju (Headline Jeju, July 27, 2011).
The villagers and support organizations criticized government abuse and announced an all-out fight to protect the village and the peace (Jeju sori, July 25, 2011). Since then, chained protestors have guarded the entrance to Jungdeok, and other protestors have stayed in the protestors’ tent through the night.
On August 8, some 200 policemen blocked residents who tried to repair equipment in Jungdeok such as tents destroyed by typhoon Muifa. After a one-hour verbal confrontation with residents, the police moved back to the street (Headline Jeju, August 8, 2011). However, the next day they returned with the navy to prevent residents from bringing vinyl and other materials to the site. They arrested one activist for obstructing a police officer and assault (Headline Jeju, August 9, 2011).2 The village chief criticized the navy for isolating activists in Jungdeok from villagers, and called for continued resistance against the crackdown.(Christine Ahn: "These are kids. They are conscripted and have to do it as mandatory service.")
While the navy and the police used force to stop the protests, the navy and/or Samsung C & T enforced another law over the last three months, accusing the protestors of impeding performance of duty. This provision was even more stressful for villagers precisely because it was so vague. One resident noted that a photographer taking pictures of the scene and a car owner who parked near the construction site were accused of obstruction of business. Another resident added that the law always sided with the navy and/or Samsung. They described this situation as re-enactment of the 4.3 massacre of 1948: “all kinds of complaints and accusations and fines are killing us this time instead of guns at that time.”
Conservative vs Liberal Media: ‘Pro-North Korea Forces’ vs Peace Forces
While physical clashes occurred around Gangjeong, ideological clashes erupted in the national media. Conservative media re-emphasized the necessity to build the naval base and attacked activists as ‘pro-North Korea leftists’ (Chosun.com, July 20, 2011).3 A leader of the Grand National Party, the ruling party, used the same words in the national assembly, demanding strict enforcement by the authorities (Sisa Jeju, July 27, 2011). Pro-construction organizations in an August 5 rally likewise attacked the pro-North Korea force. The label ‘leftist’ or ‘communist’ had often been used to suppress opposition views during earlier authoritarian regimes.
By contrast, liberal media criticized the integration of US and ROK defense systems while giving voice to the protestors (Pressian, July 29, 2011; Hankyoreh 21, August 5, 2011). Moreover, these media interviewed outside supporters (The Hankyoreh, July 29). They found that these supporters were ordinary citizens, artists, researchers or members of civil organizations who were concerned with peace. Three recent articles in The New York Times conveyed the views of anti-base forces, disseminating the issue worldwide. Even CNN introduced the “Save Jeju Island” petition when it interviewed Gloria Steinem on August 12.
Opposition Parties vs the Government; Reconsidering Construction vs. Keeping Construction
On July 29, the mayor of Segwipo city accepted a government order to block the only path to enter Jungdeok. Seoul pressured the Jeju government with warnings of administrative and financial penalties for almost a year (The Hankyoreh, July 29, 2011). The Jeju governor, however, has remained quiet about the base project.
With a general election and a presidential election coming in April and December next year respectively, the political parties have begun to raise the issue of the base. On August 4, the five opposition political parties called for a temporary halt in construction pending a full review by the national assembly. Immediately after their call, however, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it would push ahead with construction for national security and budget reasons. The Ministry denied again that the base was an outpost of the US military defense system (Jeju Sori, August 4, 2011).
The Democratic Party, the main opposition party, reached an agreement with the Grand National Party to convene a subcommittee to examine the construction budget, but it failed to obtain a temporary halt in construction. Finally, on August 11, a few members of the ruling Grand National Party visited to assess the situation in Gangjeong. The base will be an issue in the coming elections.(This sign reads "Against Naval Base, it will be regret to our descendants." All of these anti-base demonstrators are retired soldiers. Photo: Emily Wang)
The Pro-construction Organizations vs the Protestors: Pushing ahead with Construction vs Terminating Construction project
Pro-construction villagers and their support organizations have issued public statements or held demonstrations in the course of the conflict. However, for the first time, on August 5, they held a large demonstration near the construction site. Some 400 supporters of construction demanded moving ahead with construction in the interest of national security and safeguarding peace. Supporters were from the Korea Veteran Association, the Navy Veteran Association and other conservative associations (Sisa Jeju, August 5, 2011). Their banners criticized the outside supporters as “pro-North Korea garbage”. After the rally, they tried to march to Jungdeok, but 500 police blocked them to prevent clashes.
While pro-construction villagers gained outside support, 6 anti-construction villagers also won additional support. Father Moon Jeong-hyun, a leading exponent of the anti-base movement in Pyeongtaek [where the state also forcibly seized private farmland to make way for the expansion of a U.S. military base], moved to Gangjeong in July.(The always brave and smiling Father Moon - sits in front of the naval base construction headquarters, unfazed although surrounded by Korean youth conscripted as riot police. Photo: Matt Hoey, Save Jeju Island)
Catholic priests in Jeju parish have stayed in the tents of Jungdeok to block a sudden police action since July 25. Jeju parish also held mass in Jungdeok with about 1,000 believers on August 11 (Jeju Sori, August 11, 2011). Moreover, Gwangju parish, Korean YMCA, the Korean Teachers & Education Workers’ Union, WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom), Christian Conference of Asia, and others expressed solidarity with the villagers. The Global Campaign to Save Jeju Island was formed with a website.(Mass at Jungdeok on August 11, 2011. Photo: Jeju Sori)
On August 6, anti-construction villagers and supporters held a 2nd rally calling for an end to the plan to construct the base. About 800 participants came from throughout the nation. Most were ordinary citizens including a circle of culture and arts, members of civil organizations, and villagers. This time, leaders of opposition parties played a prominent role during the two-hour rally. In positioning for the elections, each side emphasizes the search for peace, but the logic of the two is diametrically opposite.
With the development of the movement, a change has occurred in the collective identity and rituals of the protestors. A young villager told me that he had gained understanding of the older generation since struggling together. After learning about the history of the community, he came to identify strongly as a member of it. He and other villagers express strong determination to preserve their community for future generations.
Meanwhile, outside supporters have come from all over the mainland and even outside the country. Some came to Jungdeok to support Gangjeong villagers from the start, but others reported that they became engaged after discovering the beauty of the seaside, the suffering of villagers, or the possibility of communal living. The result is that the collective identity of the protestors is changing from the solidarity of rage in 2007 to communal solidarity.
Along with new types of support, the rituals of the anti-construction groups become more diversified. As seen in the 2nd rally on August 6, songs, dances and plays constituted a large part of the demonstration.(Christine Ahn: "It's clear which side is for peace, joy and life!" Photo: Yune Pak)
Celebrating Peace, Joy and Life
The candlelight vigils every evening in front of the construction site show a similar pattern. The Gangjeong café, the center for communication, posted comic films and an ad for inviting mainlanders to spend their summer holiday camping in Jungdeok. Visitors and supporters spent their time walking, talking, or erecting towers with small stones. While some are still chained and Choi Sung-hee is again on a hunger strike in prison, demonstrators are creating softer, life-affirming means to vitalize the movement.
In this update, I have attempted to suggest a change of discourses, actors, collective identity, and rituals over the last month. After the entrance to Jungdeok was closed, the sense of urgency has grown. At this writing, tension has mounted around the village while participation and support have increased for both sides, leading to a slight change of collective identity and rituals among the protestors.
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