Dear President Park:
We have learned that your government, the South Korean Navy and Samsung Construction division are currently demanding damages from local groups and residents on Jeju Island for the alleged costs incurred due to the residents’ opposition to the Navy base construction: US $2.9 million. Your government has listed the Gangjeong village association, five groups and 116 residents and activists as the defendants.
The insistence that the construction delay was caused by residents is groundless. There are multiple complex reasons for the delay in the construction schedule. The principal reasons include disputes and controversy over the legality of the work, suspension orders issued over illegal construction work, losses and damage to structures caused by the natural environment, the strong wind and waves of Gangjeong’s coastline, Typhoon Bolaven, Typhoon Neoguri, etc. It is sophistry and exaggeration to claim that the residents blocking construction vehicles from entering and leaving the base for only a few minutes at a time caused the delay.
The responsibility lies solely with the state for threatening citizens’ right to a peaceful existence and causing their pain by enforcing this wrongful government policy. There is no one else as responsible for this as the government. The state rather than the residents bears the responsibility. Without mentioning a word about their own responsibility, it is the height of irresponsibility for the state to shift the blame for the delays in the construction onto individual citizens. The state that should be protecting the basic rights of its citizens is instead declaring war against them.
The biggest crime of all is that the ROK government and the Navy rejected the will of the Gangjeong villagers and have destroyed a 500-year old community. In addition the environmental ‘special preservation area’ is being destroyed as well – violating your own government’s environmental protection designation.
Our international membership stands with Gangjeong villagers and we demand that these outrageous and illegal charges be immediately dropped.
We eagerly await your positive response.
In peace,
Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
http://space4peace.blogspot.com (blog)
Your Excellency,
Peace.
I hope this letter finds you well.
I am writing in support of the people of Gangjeong in Jeju Island, South Korea who for many years have been defending their community from destruction brought about by the building of a naval base which will be part of the US military network in the Asia-Pacific region.
The peaceful protest of the villagers is a legitimate form of democratic action. It is an expression of the will of the people. It is therefore wrong of the government of South Korea, the South Korean Navy and the Samsung Construction Division to demand damages from local groups including the Gangjeong village association to the tune of US 2.9 billion dollars for allegedly causing delays in the construction of the base. Democratic protest anywhere in the world should not be subjected to such pressure and punishment.
The lawsuit is a travesty of justice. It is a blatant misuse of the legal process. The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) of which I am President demands that the lawsuit be dropped.
JUST also condemns various unjust measures adopted in the construction of the naval base.
I am attaching a letter sent to Her Excellency the President of South Korea by Bruce K. Gagnon, the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space.
It is my hope that your Excellency will transmit this letter from JUST and the attachment to the President of the Republic of Korea and the Korean government.
Thank you very much for reading this letter.
Warm regards,
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar,
President,
International Movement for a Just World (JUST).