PSPD in English

[Column] Restrictions and violence weigh down press freedom in Southeast Asia

2013-05-22T11:57:02+09:00

Restrictions and violence weigh down press freedom in Southeast Asia

Ed Legaspi (Southeast Asia Press Alliance)

Two key themes still resonate in Southeast Asian on World Press Freedom D on 3 May 2013: restrictive laws and impunity for violence against media.

The 2013 Press Freedom Index of the Reporters Without Borders place all member countries of the ASEAN at around the bottom third of the rankings, with Brunei ranked the highest at 122 and Vietnam lowest at 172. The only country to breach the 100 mark is Timor Leste, at rank number 90, but it is not yet an ASEAN member.

These themes represent long term issues of reform towards greater respect for the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including press freedom.

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) observes that much of the restrictive legislation the suppress media are still in firmly place in countries that have them – Brunei, Laos, Vietnam and even Malaysia and Singapore. Repressive laws in these countries are being strictly enforced, sometimes violently by law enforcement authorities.

These countries have continued to prioritize the interests of the state and the establishment over the people’s right to hold and express contrary opinion and contribute to open public debate. The central agenda is still to maintain political control over the media to protect national ideologies, ruling parties or social structures from those who dare raise questions and issues.

Self-censorship at the editorial or even news collection level is a widespread practice. It has been the only way for mainstream media organizations to continue their existence in these countries.In Indonesia and the Philippines, countries with relatively freer media, new regulations have been legislated and threaten to impede the work of journalists under greater threat of criminal defamation or restrictions in covering public interest information. In Timor Leste, a draft media law has exposed the intention of the state to regulate instead of protect media freedom.

Freedom of the Press Worldwide in 2013 by the Reporters without Borders

Impunity

At the local level, violence not only happens as a result of state enforcement of restrictive laws, but also in the context of the attempts of government officials or private enterprises to restrict coverage of misconduct or the negative consequences of enterprises. In many cases, perpetrators are able to escape accountability because of influence over law enforcement or state protection of their activities.

An urgent related issue related to freedom of expression and media freedom this year are natural resource issues in the form of land disputes, illegal logging, mining, or energy projects. Cases in country reports on Burma, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Vietnam tell of community struggles to protect their livelihood by protesting against incursion.

The trend is related to the norm with which economic development and integration are being pursued at the cost of human rights, particularly the right of ordinary citizens to speak out and be heard through the media. Journalists also become victims of violence when they try to cover disputes or uncover issues.

In must be emphasized that these issues are not simply local since they often involve foreign investment. Here ASEAN, and the impact of its drive toward regional economic integration by promoting investments from member countries, has some bearing and deserves a review.

ASEAN's human rights bodies and development processes must begin to take the impact of land issues now, as the region prepares in launching the economic community in 2015. For instance, Thailand and Vietnam are among the top three investors in Laos, and whose ventures or projects are often connected with land disputes.

In some cases, like in those in Indonesia, violence against the journalists relates to ignorance of the media right to relay information to the public or as an assertion of authority of state security personnel to maintain control over the situation.However, the Philippines still has the highest number of journalists killed in 2013 with four cases.

The problem, like in state sponsored violence, arises when cases are not given redress or even investigated at all.

Burma

Perhaps the best story to emerge on the media from 2012 is the dramatic changes in the conduct of politics and media in Burma, officially known as Myanmar.

The regional media community is excitedly monitoring and engaging in the developments affecting their colleagues in the country where the environment has significantly relaxed. Still, changes in the media environment appear to be tentative, and cannot be described as true reform in the absence of legal and structural transformations.

The good news is that, to a certain extent, seeds of change similar to those happening in Burma are also becoming palpable in other countries. Be it in the valiant of grassroots communities in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to defend land rights, or the palpable shift in the political landscape of Malaysia and Vietnam, the right to freedom of opinion and expression has become an important forum for change. Hopefully, these changes will lead to a substantial shift in media freedom in Southeast Asia for the better.

[Column] Where is Sombath Somphone?

2013-05-07T17:33:53+09:00

Where is Sombath Somphone?

Focus on the Global South

Those who assert there is little civil society in the Lao PDR (Laos) have apparently never attended a celebration or festival in the country. Nor have they given due consideration to the staggering diversity of ethnicity and cultures, and the myriad and dynamic ways Lao communities have for centuries dealt with food shortages, natural disasters, and management and sharing of natural resources. Inside Laos, the current elite also seems to have forgotten that it was this same ability to organise and cope in the face of diverse, changing conditions that fed and sheltered the revolutionary struggle.

But if one were to put a face to those aspects of Lao civil society more recognized at the national and international levels, it would be that of Sombath Somphone.

Sombath grew up in rural Laos as the eldest child of a farming family. Passion, determination and a keen intellect led him through education at local, national and international institutions to obtain a BA in Education and an MA in Agriculture. While thousands of others were still fleeing Laos after the country gained independence in 1975, Sombath returned to work with the new government and his compatriots. Over the next three decades Sombath worked with remarkable persistence and humility to promote sustainable agriculture, participatory development and learner-centred education.

In 2005, he received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership for “...his hopeful efforts to promote sustainable development in Laos by training and motivating its young people to become a generation of leaders.” Sombath is one of only two Lao citizens to receive this award, often called Asia's Nobel Prize, in its 55-year history. A practicing Buddhist, Sombath advocates a holistic approach to living, guided by respect for nature, compassion and honesty.

On the evening of December 15, 2012, Sombath Somphone was abducted at a major street in Vientiane after being stopped by the police. Recorded by a CCTV camera, the abduction shocked people inside the country and across the world. The abduction itself as well as the government's responses, continue to raise many troubling questions and paint the Lao government in very poor light.

ⓒfocusweb.org

Slow and shallow investigationl

Although Lao authorities have repeatedly stated that they take Sombath's disappearance seriously and are investigating it thoroughly and intensively, the investigation has been slow, shallow and ridden with contradictions.

Four days after Sombath's disappearance and after CCTV footage of the event was obtained by family members and posted on the internet, a Lao government report released by the KPL News Agency acknowledged that Sombath's Jeep had been stopped by traffic police, during which he got out of his Jeep to present documents to the police officers. This was confirmed by the Lao Permanent Representative to the United Nations on January 4th 2013.

Yet on February 4th2013, another report released in the Vientiane Times contradicted the first one on several points and asserted the authorities could no longer identify whose Jeep it was, or who had driven it. Further, investigators now “...found that the driver walked out of the car and went to the area around the back of the Jeep” rather than to present documents to the police as had been reported earlier. The first report stated that soon after the jeep had been stopped, someone had arrived on a motorbike and rushed toward the police outpost. Yet the second report again omitted mention of the police or their outpost, saying only that the motorcycle driver “.... walked into the direction where the owner of the Jeep walked to.” The first account reported that someone had driven Sombath's car away and several minutes later a “...pickup truck stopped near the police outpost.” But the second report stated that the pickup had stopped in the vicinity where the Jeep had parked. Notable in these contradictions are attempts to erase connections between the abduction and the police.

Authorities claim that the police were conducting routine, random vehicle checks on December 15, but there is no evidence to support this in the more than 10 minutes of CCTV footage available. While police statements claim it is not possible to ascertain whether Sombath entered the pickup truck, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a delegation of visiting Parliamentarians that Sombath voluntarily boarded that vehicle, thus proving it was not forced abduction.

The latestbriefing by the Ministry of Public Security released on March 2, 2013 provides no new information and confirms the tardy pace of the investigation. At the same time, a great deal of misinformation slandering Sombath is being spread within the country through informal channels, as also are hints that it is not good for Lao people to ask or even talk about him. Posters about the disappearance of Sombath placed around Vientiane have been quickly removed.

Why was Sombath taken?

With virtually no meaningful results from the official investigation, speculation about why Sombath was taken has been both widespread and wide-ranging. Lao authorities have suggested it may have been due to a business or personal conflict, but have offered no supporting evidence. Rumours, many of them slanderous and ludicrous, have been rampant and range from his alleged opposition to the Xayabouri Dam to his collaborating with US-based opposition groups.

Many believe that his disappearance resulted from his close involvement in the Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF) held in mid-October, 2012. Sombath served as Co-Chair of the National Organising Committee for the event, was instrumental in organising popular input into the “Lao People's Vision” statement prepared for the conference, and had also helped to follow-up cases of harassment of Lao citizens who had shared their views in some of the sessions.

Sombath has always advocated sustainable development—much like senior Lao policy makers and the country’s “development partners.” And his relationship with the international world has been largely in the realm of teaching, and as speaker at conferences and lectures—again like other Lao scholars, government officials and NGO staff. The AEPF was organised in close collaboration with the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs and heralded as a crucial step forward for the country’s growing engagement in international processes.

Even if the authorities were to conduct a serious investigation, the full details of the “who?” and “why?” behind Sombath’s abduction will likely not come to light. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has identified it as an enforced disappearance that could be related to his human rights work.

What is increasingly evident though are the devastating effects of Sombath’s abduction on the evolution of Lao civil society, and on those Lao citizens who would advocate a more equitable and sustainable development path for their country. Sombath’s greatest influence has been with young people, who he inspires to learn, question, engage and act for collective good rather than individual gain. His abduction has spread extreme fear and insecurity among Lao people who aspire to exercise their citizenship and contribute constructively towards their country’s development. And this may well have been the intent behind the act.

Losing credibility

Sombath’s abduction has prompted a barrage of letters and statements of concern from parliamentarians, civil society organisations, scholars, Magsaysay award recipients and the human rights community, all calling for his release and safe return. The regional and international press have followed and reported the case with admirable regularity and responsibility.

In Southeast Asia, Sombath’s abduction has been declared a slap in the face of ASEAN human rights initiatives and described as a deliberate actintended to suppress and threaten the emergence of independent and free thinking civil society actors in Laos.

The lack of progress in the investigation has drawn comments from senior officials among Laos’ top donors including Switzerland, the European Union, Australia and the United States of America.Daniel Baer, deputy assistant secretary for the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor said on February 19, "For as long as the case remains unresolved and Sombath doesn't come home to his wife, the international community as well as many people here who know and love him will continue to ask questions."

From January 13-15, prominent parliamentarians from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia met with their Lao counterparts and senior Lao government officials to exhort them to take urgent, appropriate action to secure Sombath’s release and safe return. One of the parliamentarians noted that, “…our visit raised more questions than answers.” Another said, “Now this raises fundamental questions...this actually shows that the police and civilian administration have absolutely no interest, no political will to get to the root of this problem...” The parliamentarians were told that Laos lacked the capability for sophisticated video analysis of the CCTV footage; but while the country relies on foreign assistance for many other things, from writing laws to maintaining public parks, assistance in this case has not been sought.

On February 6, the European Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on Sombath and expressed concern about “the tardiness and lack of transparency of the investigation into the disappearance of Sombath Somphone” and called on the Lao authorities “to undertake prompt, transparent and thorough investigations, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, and to ensure the immediate and safe return of Sombath Somphone to his family. ” The resolution acknowledged the intimidation provoked by Sombath’s disappearance and asked the Lao government to put an end to arbitrary arrests and secret detentions, make enforced disappearance a criminal offense and respect the rights of expression, association, of minorities and freedom of religion.

On March 8, following meetings with Lao parliamentarians and senior government officials, Senator Tuur Elzinga from the Netherlands stated, “If Lao officials think the issue of Sombath’s disappearance will go away, they are wrong. It will be the first item on any agenda in bi-lateral, multi-lateral and international discussions with and about Laos, until Sombath is safely returned to his family.”

Although space for political participation is extremely restricted in the country, Laos has somehow escaped the pariah label that dogged Myanmar until recently. But with Myanmar moving towards political pluralism, the world’s eyes will be on Laos, especially in light of Sombath’s abduction and continuing suppression of civil society voices. Laos seeks greater international recognition through its recently acquired membership in the World Trade Organization and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). It seeks to exit its status as a Least Developed Country but needs significant foreign assistance and investment to build the required infrastructure to do this.

As Laos negotiates its way in these international spheres, a question that will haunt Lao officials in every space is, where is Sombath Somphone?

For more information about Sombath, news and media reports and letters-statements, please see www.sombath.org.

Statement on the biased public opinion survey commissioned by MOSF on ODA policies

2013-05-03T01:18:54+09:00

Statement on the biased public opinion survey

commissioned by MOSF on ODA policies

31 March 2013

● The survey which induces a negative perception on ODA lacks objectivity and fairness

● The MOSF should openly explain the current situation where public opinion was distorted wasting tax payer’s money

● Any polls on the ODA should be conducted in a independent and objective manner with substantial participation of CSOs and non-governmental experts.

MOSF has conducted a Gallup-commissioned public opinion research survey on the ODA(Official Development Assistance)and KSP(Knowledge Sharing Program) in cooperation with KDI and issued a press release of the results on the 18th of March. This press release was reported by various major papers presenting a negative public perception on the necessity of ODA.

Upon thorough examination by KoFID(Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation) of the questionnaire it was found that the statements of the questionnaire have been written in a manipulating way. For example, answer items included statements such as ‘Simple financial aid through grants does not contribute to development of developing countries’ and ‘more governmental budget should be placed into the ODA sector regardless of the government’s financial difficulties or existence of domestic poverty’ implying that providing grants causes a waste of tax money while offering loans is a more reasonable way of assistance. Considering that now many donor countries are expanding grants and write-offs of loans based on the recognition that loans can bring negative effects on poverty eradication in partner countries by placing excessive burden of debt repayment on them, the answer items were definitely prepared against the international trend and standards. It is also regretful that the questionnaire induces antipathy to government’s spending on ODA by mentioning financial difficulties or the existence of domestic poverty since the Korean government has already made a commitment to the international society to increase the ODA budget up to 0.25% by 2015. The answer items should have informed respondents that the scale of the Korean ODA budget is far below OECD average (0.31%).

In addition, the press release issued by MOSF contains arbitrary interpretation that does not appear in the results of the research. That is, groundless analysis such as “The majority of people preferred loans which place emphasis on ‘ownership’ of the partner country” was added in the summary of the result of the survey. This is worrisome as it can mislead readers to consider that offering loans is the only way to ensure ownership of the partner countries while promoting ownership is a general principle that should be complied with throughout any ODA implementations. In fact, about 70% of loans that the Korean government offers to partner countries are tied aids which compel them to use Korean goods and services damaging the ownership. For this reason, OECD DAC suggested that Korea strike manageable and appropriate balances between grants and loans and translate the commitment to untie 75% of its total bilateral ODA by 2015 into a year-on-year road map.

KoFID cannot help but doubt the purpose and the intention behind the survey conducted by MOSF and KDI and express grave concerns over such lack of objectivity and equity. We are also concerned regarding the survey and the press release of MOSF that is driving public opinion against ODA policies and especially ODA in the form of grants.

Korea has received a great deal of attention internationally. KoFID strongly urges that all governmental bodies put an effort to address the current situation through close cooperation, where MOSF seeks to establish arbitrary loans-oriented ODA policy by manipulating public opinion. Furthermore, more effort should be made to advance ODA activities and form a social consensus on the importance and necessity of ODA in order to meet international standards including the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Busan Global Partnership.

Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation (KoFID)

Child Fund Korea, World Vision Korea, Climate Justice Institute, COPION, Global Civic Sharing, Good Neighbors, Korea Association of International Development Cooperation(KAIDEC), Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy(KOCUN), Korea Food for the Hungry International(KFHI), Korea Green Foundation, Korea Human Rights Foundation, Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation(KCOC), Korean House for International Solidarity(KHIS), Korean Women’s Association United(KWAU), National Council of YMCA Korea, ODA Watch, One body One Spirit(OBOS), People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD), Planned Population Federation of Korea(PPFK), Re-shaping Development Institute(ReDI), Save the Children Korea, Asian Bridge, Transparency International Korea(TI-Korea), World Together

For further information or inquiries, please contact Ms. Doun Moon, Program coordinator, Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation at +82 (0)2 2279-1706, Kofid21@gmail.com. http://www.kofid.org.

PSPD Newsletter: January-April 2013

2013-04-24T18:00:18+09:00

PSPD English Newsletter : January - April 2013

<Greetings from PSPD>

Hello, readers! I am Tae-ho Lee, Secretary-General of PSPD.

Long winter did not seem to end but it’s already April of cherry blossoms after fickle spring cold envying flower-blooming has gone. Alleys near PSPD office has become palaces of colorful flowers. There is no better place than this for a walk holding a cup of coffee.

• Greeting such a beautiful season, spring session of PSPD academy has opened. Good lectures are waiting for people who decided to be a learning citizen last winter. As like a feast of spring flowers, prudent discussions and tables for consensus will roll out. Lectures opening April onward are Talk Talk Peace Study and Let’s Play Ukulele.

• PSPD activists are closely monitoring the process of new government establishment. They examined National tasks of Park Geun-hye government presented by the Transition Committee and selected 66 policies; 19 good, 27 not enough and 20 worry/bad. PSPD will keep watching the progress of these tasks. Meanwhile, marks are made for some relatively good but abandoned or altered already.

http://www.peoplepower21.org/Politics/1002814

• PSPD opposed the appointments of unqualified and inappropriate candidates for Park Geun-hye government. Those who evaded, omitted taxes and speculated including a minister for science, ICT and future planning, a vice minister for justice, a minister for defence and a president for fair trade commission had eventually stepped down. However, a vice minister for economy who was questioned for morality and capability, and a minister for justice who worked as a lawyer receiving the privilege as a former prosecutor were finally appointed despite of strong objections.

• Actions asking misgovernment of the former president Lee Myung-bak administration and who is responsible for personal absurdities and corruptions are going into a full scale. PSPD demanded National Assembly investigation on 21 February concerning eight violations and misgovernment cases, and accused Lee Myung-bak on 5 March for breach of trust and misfeasance in the course of purchasing land for a resident in Naegok-dong. PSPD wanted to make clear that privileges for presidents can not shield him any longer. On 21 March, PSPD indicted Won Se-hoon, the former president of National Intelligence Service who illegally intervene in elections and domestic politics to the prosecutors’ office for violating the National Intelligence Service Act and the Election Law.

• Together with health and medical organizations, PSPD is pressing pressure on Gyeongnam province governor to withdraw the decision to close provincial Jinju hospital on the ground of deficit. When the President Park Geun-hye was a candidate, she promised to build more public hospitals, and vitalize local clinics and main public hospitals in the regions.

• PSPD has reported consultation and excessive profits of three Chaebol communication companies to the Fair Trade Commission and requested an investigation

• Having one year since KORUS FTA became effective, joint press conference and discussions are held and urged the government to renegotiate. In regard to the third year of Cheonan Ship submersion, PSPD urged National Assembly to stop delaying and conduct verification. Even though a tension between South and North has increased, it is still very important to find the truth accordingly to democratic process

• 70 days of verification period for Jeju naval base construction has expired but it is believed that actual verification was not conducted properly in order to justify the construction. Hence, civil societies presented joint statement denouncing verification process.

• On the 10th year of US’s attack to Iraq, PSPD demanded an apology to US government for leading Iraq invasion and Korean government for joining in. Meanwhile, PSPD pointed out that the dispatch date to Iraq is incorrectly inscribed on slabs of Gwanghwamun square from 2003 to 2004. Correction was requested to Seoul city government and it answered to correct it instantly. It is important to remember history correctly.

<Civil and Political rights related activities>

Protest to stop evasive departure of Won Se-hoon, a former president of the National Intelligence Service

(for further information, please visit http://www.peoplepower21.org/Magazine/1010446 - Korean only)

Civil Surveillance Team 2 of PSPD went to the Incheon International Airport on 24 March to stop Won Se-hoon, a former president of National Intelligence Service (NIS) leaving to overseas. Prior to this, Won Se-hoon was accused on 21 March by PSPD, lawyers for democratic society and Democratic Legal Studies Association for violating Article 9 of NIS Act (prohibition of political involvement), Provision 1, Article 11 of NIS Act (prohibition of abusing authority), Article 85 of Public Official Election Act and so on. When he was in position, he ordered NIS employees to establish and drive public opinions favorable to a leading party by denouncing civil organizations which criticized the government.

The office of national assembly member Jin Seon-mi disclosed documents [Instructions and emphasis of the NIS president]. One instruction stated that “There are many left organizations which oppose to national issues for the purpose of opposition and it is necessary to deal with them upfront. NIS should lead to promote and support the president and government policies (22 January 2010).” Another document said “Psychological warfare against North Korea division reported [Reinforcement plan of psychological warfare for making the young to right friendly] and its contents are what NIS has to do (19 July 2010).

Reflecting these instructions, a case of ‘writing comments online of NIS employee’ which is under investigation is unlikely to be an individual activity but NIS’s intervention in election at the organizational level ordered by its president. The intervention is out of its duties and a serious violation. Park Geun-yong, head of cooperation division of PSPD has submitted a bill of indictment and expressed a bitter feeling that concerns were raised on revival of NIS’s intervention in elections when one of the former president Lee Myung-bak’s man Won se-hoon became the NIS president. Unfortunately concerns are confirmed to be the truth.

<Socio-Economic Rights related Activities>

Bitter truth of convenient stores

(for further information, please visit http://www.peoplepower21.org/Magazine/1010443 - Korean only)

On 15 January, Yim Young-min (pseudonym) a 31 year old convenient store owner at Geoje Island took his life. He had been an irregular employee for conglomerates, contracted worker for conglomerates’ partners and lived on part time or casual work. Then he borrowed money on house and opened a convenient store. However, profits did not meet his expectation and unstable living prolonged. In the mobile phone of this dead young self-employee, several dunning messages from private loaner were left.

Most of convenient store owners are suffering from what Yim went through. Convenient store franchisers provide exaggerated daily sales figures when recruit franchisees. In many cases, franchisees go in red because actual sales are far less and 35% of sales have to be paid to franchisers. Especially when opening during the night, the more business hours results in widening deficit due to small sales compared to wages for part-timers and electricity bill. Despite of the circumstance, franchisers force franchisees to open 24 hours 365 days. When disobey, they demand suspension of contract and claim compensation for damages. Besides, there are many other unfair conditions but franchisees can not afford excessive suspension penalty that there is no other choice than keep running the business.

Hence, PSPD and Lawyers for democratic society collected opinions from franchisees and presented reform bill [Provision on fair trade for franchise business] and Min Byung-du, a national assembly member of Democratic United Party proposed the bill on representation on 14 March. Main contents include △ Prohibition of 24 hours forced labor △ Reinforcing fair trade regulations on franchise contract △ Prohibition of excessive penalty △ Securing the right to organize and negotiate for franchisee organizations △ Reinforcing penalty for franchisers on provision of false and/or exaggerated information

<Peace and Disarmament>

2003 Iraq vs. 2013 Korean peninsula

- Are we post-war or pre-war generation?

(for further information, please visit http://www.peoplepower21.org/Magazine/1010436 - Korean only)

It has been sixty years since Korean war came into armistice state. All the presidential candidates have promised the peace and to reinstate the trust in Korean peninsula but it is not going to that direction in reality. When North Korea successfully launched satellite right before the presidential election last year, UN Security Council adopted resolution on 24 January 2013 to impose additional sanctions on North Korea. In response, North Korea denounced the resolution and proceeded 3rd nuclear test on 12 February 2013 as noticed in advance

Consequently, tension on Korean peninsula has increased when a yearly military drill of Korea and US (1 March – 30 April) Key Resolve and Eagle Drill were conducted. North Korea argued that the drill breached armistice agreement because it was practices of nuclear preemptive attack. For that reason, they would also scrap armistice agreement and confront with their way of precision nuclear attack. The threat to set fire not only on Seoul but also Washington followed. US unconventionally protested by flying B-52 stratofortress nuclear bomber (19 March) and B-2 stealth bomber (28 march) in the air of Korean peninsula. Currently, North Korea has strategic missile squadron ready and all armies to posture to fire. Communication between North and South is disconnected.

Changing the subject, recall before and after Iraq attack in 2003. Bush administration of US announced a policy after 911 that US has the right for nuclear preemptive attack against indecent countries like Iraq, North Korea, Iran regardless of their possession of nuclear. After announcement, Bush administration actually attacked Iraq even though UN surveillance reported Iraq as non-nuclear state. 10 years ago, South Korea has dispatched the third largest military forces to Iraq.

Still a little hope is remained believing Obama administration has learned from the past failure. Unfortunately, North Korea also learned something for the past 10 years so that it would be more costly to persuade North Korea. The question is whether South Korea and US are ready to pay for the cost and put efforts.

Peace forum of Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Solidarity where PSPD is a member urge to resolve Korean peninsula crisis in a peaceful manner with dialogues. It is also preparing ‘Korean Peninsula Peace Civil Forum’ in which citizens from all levels of society participate in order to make 60th year of armistice into a ground year of peace settlement.

[Press Conference] People of All Walks for Peace and Cooperation in the Korean Peninsula

2013-04-20T13:54:50+09:00

[Press Conference]

People of All Walks for Peace and Cooperation
in the Korean Peninsula

(11 April 2013, Seoul) Marking the 60th anniversary of armistice agreement, the Korean peninsula in 2013 is facing an unprecedented level of military tension – moving dangerously close to a state of war. Shutting down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was deemed as the last resort for exchanges of dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas as well as the recent North Korean threats of a missile launch are testament of deteriorating relations. On the other hand, the voices for peaceful reconciliation have had very little effect, causing concern amongst the public which has resulted in fluctuations in the state of the economy.

For this reason, Peace Forum under the Civil Society Organizations Network in Korea held a joint meeting of representatives from all spheres to call for peaceful dialogue and cooperation and the withdrawal of all types of military threats. Fifty representatives who gathered today have agreed to organize the “Joint Meeting of People of All Walks for Peace and Cooperation in the Korean Peninsula” and to take actions on the prevention of armed conflicts, achieving peaceful resolutions through negotiations, creating an environment of mutual respect where the viewpoints from the opposing party are respected and seriously considered, people-oriented peace alternatives, and implementation of peace and solidarity. The Joint Meeting is determined to promote peace talks in all social spheres, carry out campaigns and urgent action in all areas to prevent a military conflict in the Korean peninsula, explore peaceful cooperation with the Parliament and the government, suggest peace from the perspective of the citizens, and to perform non-governmental diplomacy.

For this press conference, fifty figures from various fields gathered and issued the statement: ‘People should Act Now to Overcome Crisis of Armed Conflict in the Korean peninsula,’ an open letter to the government of the Republic of Korea and the USA “We Have to Avoid a Military Conflict in the Korean Peninsula through Dialog and Cooperation” and an open letter to the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea “The Recent Temporary Closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex”.

Attachment 1.
[Press Statement] People should Act Now to Overcome Crisis of Armed Conflict in the Korean peninsula

Attachment 2.
[Open Letter to the Government of the Republic of Korea and the USA] We Have to Avoid a Military Conflict in the Korean Peninsula through Dialog and Cooperation

Attachment 3.
[Open Letter to the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] The Recent Temporary Closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex

Open publication - Free publishing - More korea

>>> Click to see the document in Korean

For more information, please contact
Ms. Huisun Kim, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD)
Tel. +82 2 723 4250 Fax: +82 2 6919 2004
Email: peace@pspd.org

[Statement] GPPAC Statement Calling for Immediate Dialogue on the Korean Peninsula Crisis

2013-04-15T14:17:16+09:00

GPPAC Statement Calling for Immediate Dialogue

on the Korean Peninsula Crisis

April 15, 2013

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) is deeply concerned by the heightening tensions on and around the Korean Peninsula, and calls for an immediate return to dialogue and communications as the only way to deescalate the situation and make steps to prevent violence and promote denuclearisation, peace and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula. This should be carried out by convening as soon as possible both direct dialogue between the US-DPRK and the two Koreas, as well as a meeting of representatives of countries of the Six Party Talks, the most appropriate institutional peace and security mechanism in Northeast Asia. All efforts must be made to immediately convene such dialogue, working at the same time for both denuclearization and the conclusion of a peace treaty to replace the 60 year old Korean War armistice.

The currently escalating tensions on and around the Korean Peninsula highlight the urgency of the situation, and the potential of grave miscalculations which could lead to catastrophic results for citizens. The lack of a permanent peace treaty and lingering unresolved problems emanating from the Cold War are fundamentally contributing to these tensions. GPPAC thus calls for countries in the region and the United Nations to make all efforts possible to urgently implement the following:

• To immediately come back to the dialogue table to decrease tensions resolve this crisis, including holding direct dialogue between the US-DPRK and the two Koreas as well as convening a meeting of representatives of the countries involved in the Six Party Talks.

• The United Nations Security Council should give full and urgent support for such a meeting and all other related efforts for diplomacy. As appropriate the UN General Assembly should assist in promoting peace and the de-escalation of tensions.

• Cessation by all parties of nuclear and missile tests, military exercises, missile defense deployment and other related actions which contribute to further tensions and potential armed conflict in the region.

• An immediate end to provocative statements and actions from all sides of the conflict.

• Immediate re-instatement of cut-off communication links, including military hotlines between Seoul and Pyongyang.

• Continuation of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and other similar joint cooperation efforts between the two Koreas, which serve as vital confidence building and civil conflict prevention measures.

• For the media, particularly on the Korean Peninsula and in the United States, to be more sensitive to its impact on the conflict and to make efforts to decrease tensions.

• Full inclusion of civil society, including women, in efforts for dialogue and resolution.

Dialogue and the creation of a regional framework for peace are absolutely imperative to peacefully resolve this crisis situation and prevent further suffering by citizens on the Korean peninsula and in the region. As a global civil society peacebuilding network, GPPAC has been working on implementing a civil society-led dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. Emphasising the need for nonmilitary approaches with civil society involvement, GPPAC confirms its dedication to make every effort within our reach to facilitate dialogue amongst all stakeholders, with the aim to contribute to the deescalation of the crisis, denuclearisation and creation of a peace regime for the Korean Peninsula, as well as the Northeast Asia region.

[GDAMS] Global Day of Action on Military Spending in Korea

2013-04-15T13:39:33+09:00

3rd Global Day of Action on Military Spending

Disarm for PEACE!

How to join the GDAMS Action!

One, add 'peacenowkorea' to your Friends on Facebook!

Be a friend of 'PeacenowKorea' (https://www.facebook.com/peacenowkorea) and share our story and messages of Peace and Disarmament with your friends.

Two, take a picture with your Peace & Disarmament Message and Upload it to 'Tumblr'

Please take a photo with your Peace and Disarmament message, especially appealing for peace in the Korean Peninsular and Upload it to our Tumblr account(http://www.peacenowkorea.tumblr.com/). The pictures that you uploaded can be shared with your own Twitter, Facebook account.

Three, share GDAMS News with your Facebook friends and Twitter follower.

Introduce our websites and GDAMS hompages to your friends and share related materials.

BLOCKBUSTER RELEASED : Pacific Teletubbies by GDAMS Korea

Will the Pacific Teletubbies keep the Pacific pacific?

http://youtu.be/75FAwp8H_a0

Call for Action!

3rd GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION ON MILITARY SPENDING – GDAMS 2013

On 15 April 2013, people all over the world will again come together for the third Global Day of Action on Military Spending. We urge you to join us.

The current economic crisis has put pressure on the world’s governments to reduce spending on essential human needs: confronting climate change, battling deadly diseases, achieving the Millennium Development Goals. But apart from a few courageous exceptions, national governments continue to waste enormous resources on the military. Figures from the 2011 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) annual report show that the world’s governments are spending more than ever on the military: $1,738 billion per year. If spent differently, this money would go a long way to resolving the real and immediate challenges facing our planet.

The Date: MONDAY, 15 APRIL 2013

On 15 April, SIPRI will announce the military spending figures for 2012. It is also Tax Day in the USA. People pay their taxes to the federal government which are channelled to the national budget. So it is a traditional time for awareness-raising actions on how much of the US budget is spent on its defence and supporting war overseas while it is cutting back on taxpayers’ social services. And given the ongoing budget crisis, there could be a lot of potential media coverage.

Organisers may schedule their action on or near the Global Day.

GDAMS 2012 was a big success with nearly 140 actions initiated in 43 countries worldwide. In 2013, activists will organise various actions–from protests at military bases to teach-ins to flash mobs. Each location will devise its own creative approach. Our collective message will highlight the latest figures allocated to global military spending. The GDAMS actions in capital cities and other locations around the world will offer the mass media photo opportunities and our stories about military spending.

Let’s make it bigger!

To succeed in shifting military spending to human needs, we need to get this issue raised in the higher-level political debates of the coming year. We need to find ways to encourage large numbers of people to speak out and take action, in order to persuade governments to reallocate their defence budgets to social programmes. Reaching out to the different sectors: labour, religious, social justice, development, youth… as well as policy-makers, will strengthen and multiply our impact.

Updates before and after the actions are equally important. Tell us about your planned actions and inspire more people to do new and bolder mobilisations. The report-back after GDAMS would be for our documentation. In addition to written accounts of the actions, we encourage you to take photos and videos and send the best ones to us for posting on the GDAMS website.

Together we can do it! Join us for GDAMS 2013!

Main Coordinator

Colin Archer

International Peace Bureau

www.ipb.org

Mylene Soto

Coordinator, IPB-GDAMS 2013

GDAMS Korea Press Release

● National Assembly-Civil Society Joint Statement Marking the 3rd GDAMS

>>> Statement in Korean / English

● Korea-Japan Civil Society Joint Statement for GDAMS 2013

>>> Statement in Korean / English / Japanese

For more information

The GDAMS website http://demilitarize.org/
The GDAMS Preparatory Committee of Korea
(People’s solidarity for Participatory Democracy +82=723-4250, peace@pspd.org, http://www.peoplepower21.org/English)
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peacenowkorea

[Statement] National Assembly-Civil Society Joint Statement marking the 3rd Global Day of Action on Military Spending

2013-04-15T11:42:05+09:00

National Assembly-Civil Society Joint Statement

marking the 3rd Global Day of Action on Military Spending

Please both North and South Korea Put Down the Arms!

Today, marking the 3rd Global Day of Action on Military Spending, we came here to convey the message of peace at a time when the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula is escalating. To the people of Korea, the year 2013 marks the 60th year of the conclusion of the armistice agreement, a promise of the ceasefire. While the scars of the Korean War of 1950 are still far from being healed, we are once again facing the serious threat of war. Conflict between North and South Korea, and North Korea and the US has become more intense since North Korea launched the satellite last December; military threat and hostile activities from both sides have been escalating. The situation on the Korean Peninsula is like a ticking bomb. Moreover, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the last bastion of reconciliation and cooperation between North and South Korea, practically stopped its operation.

We express grave concerns about the current crisis and recent acceleration of the arms race between North and South Korea. Arms race over the last 60 years has intense and eventually threat of nuclear weapon is being presented. We note that threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula is not due to the lack of military power. We also take note of the fact that the biggest victim of the arms race and escalation of military tension is ourselves, the people of the Korean Peninsula.

In the midst of escalating military tension on the Korean Peninsula, we, the 15 Members of the National Assembly and the members of 24 Civil Society organizations propose the followings:

- We believe that the North and South Korean relation should not be crippled, and that the agreements between North and South Korea, which were established despite of 60 years of conflict should be kept to the end. We urge North and South Korea to refrain from using provocative rhetoric and adhere to the spirit of previous agreements between North and South Korea including July 4 South-North Joint Communique, South-North Basic Agreement, Joint Declaration on Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and October 4 Declaration. Also, both should immediately engage in a dialogue in order to resume the operation of the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Conclusion of a peace agreement is needed as soon as possible in order to substitute current unstable armistice status to the peace system.

- We oppose the nuclear weapon, the inhumane weapon of mass destruction and believe that Korean Peninsula should be completely denuclearized. Nuclear weapon is never a panacea that maintains peace, but the most terrible weapon which will lead to the extinction of entire humankind. Both North and South Korea should start a dialogue on abandoning the nuclear deterrence policy. We urge North Korea to stop any attempt to arm itself with nuclear armaments. We also show concerns that there are voices for nuclear armament in the South Korean society. Nuclear weapons, no matter which they belong, should never be deployed upon our land, sea and the air.

- We believe that our tax money should be spent on the social welfare not on the warfare. Both North and South Korea have been spending considerable amount of money for military expenses while continuing conflict and confrontation. Military spending of South Korea is the 12th highest in the world, and the 4th highest in Asian region; North Korea has been adhering to its "military-first" policy. As we now witness with our eyes, resort to military power only triggers arms race and never resolves the conflict. We admit that there is need for certain level of military spending. However, as the resource is limited, more military spending means less for social welfare and education. We call on both North and South to make a tireless effort to confidence-building in order to cut down military spending and use their resources for what their citizens really need.

- We believe, despite of ongoing conflict and crisis, that there is no place for inhumane weapons such as cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines on the Korean Peninsula. Use and production of cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines, which indiscriminately harm civilian populations and continue to kill the people long after the conflict, are now banned by the international treaty on the grounds of its horrific humanitarian consequences. Despite of this, both North and South Korea are producing and stockpiling considerable amount of cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines. We urge both governments to come to an agreement that both side will not use or stockpile any weapon that can harm undefined civilian populations.

At a year marking 60th anniversary of armistice agreement, the conflict between North and South Korea is more serious than ever before. Now is the time to engage in active dialogue, a time to make endeavor to make peace. We urge both governments to lower their guns pointed to each other and choose peace.

Both North and South Korea should:

- Abide by the spirit and the letter of previous agreements;

- Abandon the policy of resort to nuclear deterrence and realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula;

- Cut down their military budgets and increase welfare budgets;

- Never use inhumane weapons;

- Conclude a peace agreement and lower the arms.

April 15, 2013

Participants of the 3rd Global Day of Action on Military Spending

<Democratic United Party> Kim Ki Sik / No Young Min / Do Jong Hwan / Moon Byung Ho / Baek Jae Hyun / Bu Jwa Hyun / Woo Won Sik / Yun Hu Deok / Lee Mi Kyung / In Jae Geun / Jang Ha Na / Hong Young Pyo / Hong Jong Haak, <Progressive Justice Party> Kim Je Nam, Park Won Suk (Total 15 Parliamentarians)

Imagination for International Solidarity / Korea Reunification Society of Citizen’s Coalition for Economic Justice / The Frontiers / Korean House for International Solidarity / Korea Peace Foundation / Daejeon Women’s Association for Peace / Weapon Zero / Nonviolent Peaceforce Corea / Withoutwar / Civil Peace Forum / Jeju Peace Human Rights Center / People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy / Catholic Human Right Committee / Greeting Reunification / Palestine Peace & Solidarity in S. Korea / Peace Network / Women Making Peace / Peace Ground / Peace Museum / PyeongTaek Peace Center / Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea / Korean Women’s Association United / Korea Peacebuilding Institute / Korean Federation for Environment Movement (Total 24 NGOs)

For more information

The GDAMS website http://demilitarize.org/

The GDAMS Preparatory Committee of Seoul

(People’s solidarity for Participatory Democracy +82=723-4250, peace@pspd.org, http://www.peoplepower21.org/English)

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peacenowkorea

[Message of Solidarity ] Uphold the Peace Constitution!

2013-04-17T18:03:55+09:00

[Message of Solidarity]

Uphold the Peace Constitution!

End the Korean War!

Promote a Peace System in North-East Asia!

Message of Solidarity

from People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD)

PSPD expresses grave apprehension that the Japanese Government has currently been attempting to nullify the Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. We strongly urge the Japanese government to keep the Japan’s pledge that “Japanese people forever renounce war… and the right of belligerency of the state will not recognized” as stated in the Article 9.

The Article 9 is not only symbolic but also functioning mechanism that ensuring the Japanese government not to threat or use of force against other Asian countries. It has been also a fundamental mechanism mitigating military escalation and preserving regional peace in Asia.

We strongly believe that the Article 9 should play a critical role of building a peace community in Asia, promoting democracy and human rights and the Japanese government as well as people in Asia should show its firm resolution to uphold the Peace Constitution.

We show our support and solidarity for the Japanese civil society in urging the Japanese Government to stop any attempts to nullify the Article 9. We stand together in solidarity to keep the Peace Constitution and end the Korean War for promoting a peace system in Northeast Asia.

* The official English translation of the article reads:
ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

* You can read more about recent political developments in Japan and Abe’s at

http://www.article-9.org/en/newsletter/2013/jan-march.html#article1

[GDAMS] Korea-Japan Civil Society Joint Statement for Global Day of Action on Military Spending

2013-04-15T11:18:18+09:00

Korea-Japan Civil Society Joint Statement

for Global Day of Action on Military Spending

(15 April 2013, Seoul, Tokyo) We, civil society organizations in South Korea and Japan, jointly express our concerns on expansion of military spending and military buildup. Currently, world’s military spending for a month exceeds a year expense for a development. Most of all, military spending of East-Asia has strikingly increased and the region is becoming a world major weapons market. This is definitely not a phenomenon that should be accepted naturally. Escalating military tension among East-Asian nations threatens our lives and societies. It also forces states to waste limited resources and drive the world into a vicious circle of arms race.

There are many essential priorities for the people including economy, employment, social security, poverty reduction, environmental protection, disaster prevention and immunity measures. These problems cannot be solved by a single nation because of a globalization.

As the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “the world is over-armed and peace is underfunded”. Cooperation among states can only control military spending and disarmament for the safety of all human beings without borders.

Therefore, we call on all East-Asian state governments including Korea and Japan as followings:

 Nuclear problem in the Korean peninsula must be resolved in a peaceful manner based on a regional cooperation. We urge North Korea to stop provocative speech and behavior. Neighboring nations should not counteract with military action. Immediate dismantle of nuclear armament is demanded to North Korea. At the same time, South Korea and Japan have to improve the policy relying on nuclear deterrence and move together to establish a nuclear-free region.

 We call for suspending Missile Defense development and its deployment. Despite of great amount of budget required, Missile Defense is not only ineffective for national security but also unnecessarily encourages military spending competition. The region needs to unite efforts to make Missile disarmament agreement within the region and astronomic development for the purpose of public welfare.

 Naval base construction plan at Jeju Island, South Korea should withdraw. Such Naval base implies danger for militarizing the entire East-Asia region.

 We demand phase out of US bases in Okinawa, Japan. New military base in Okinawa-hyun must not be allowed.

 Peace talk between and/or among states on territorial disputes should be promoted. Each concerned state has to restrain from provocative action.

On 27 July 2013, it marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. We reiterate to convert armistice to peace treaty and build a peace system in the Korean peninsula and furthermore in East-Asia region. Underlying notion of the Article 9 of the Peace Constitution of Japan provides the ground for such regional peace mechanism. We express our deep concerns on recent movement to reform Peace Constitution of Japan.

We people urge to reserve and reinforce various peaceful measures including legislations. It is urged to prevent expansion of defense industry and to cooperate for development and safety of the people from the bottom of hearts.

15 April 2013

Korea-Japan Civil Society

This statement is endorsed by:

<Korea Civil Society>

Imagination for International Solidarity

Korea Reunification Society of Citizen’s Coalition for Economic Justice

The Frontiers

Korean House for International Solidarity

Korea Peace Foundation

Daejeon Women’s Association for Peace

Weapon zero

Nonviolent Peaceforce Corea

Withoutwar

Civil Peace Forum

Jeju Peace Human Rights Center

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

Catholic Human Right Committee

Greeting Reunification

Palestine Peace & Solidarity in S. Korea

Peace Network

Women Making Peace

Peace Ground

Peace Museum

PyeongTaek Peace Center

Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea

Korean Women’s Association United

Korea Peacebuilding Institute

Korean Federation for Environment Movement

- Total 24 NGOs

<Japan Civil Society>

Lantern Demonstration Group to Oppose Military Alliance

No! to Nukes and Missile Defense Campaign

Asia-Africa-Latin America Solidarity Committee of Kyoto

Christian Political League of Japan

Society to Give Life to Constitution

Korea NGO Center

Violence Against Women in War Research Action Center

The Article 9 Society Hiroshima

North-east Asia Information Center Hiroshima

Peace Depot

Peace Boat

Peace Link Hiroshima Kure Iwakuni

Friends for Peace

Greens Japan

No to Constitutional Revision Citizens' Network

- Total 15 NGOs

[GDAMS] 軍事費に対する世界行動デー (Global Day of Action on Military Spending)

2013-04-15T11:13:50+09:00

軍事費に対する世界行動デー

(Global Day of Action on Military Spending)

日韓市民社会共同声明

私たちは、日本と韓国の市民社会の共通の声として、日韓を含む東アジアにおける軍事費の拡大と軍備の増強に対する憂慮を表明します。

今日、世界の一カ月の軍事費は開発のための一年間の費用を上回っています。とりわけ、東アジアでは軍事費の伸びが顕著であり、この地域は世界でも有数の武器市場となっています。このことは私たちにとって、当たり前のことのように受け入れられる現実ではありません。東アジアにおける国家間の軍事緊張が高まることは、私たちの命や社会を危険に陥れ、限りある資源を浪費させ、さらに世界を軍備競争の悪循環に追い込むものだからです。

私たち市民には、経済、雇用、教育、社会保障、貧困対策、環境保全、災害予防や疫病対策など、優先すべき重要な課題が数多くあります。これらの多くは、グローバル化が進む中、もはや一国の努力だけでは解決できない問題となっています。潘基文国連事務総長が述べたように「世界には武器が過剰に溢れ、平和にはお金が回されていない」のです。各国は協力し、軍備の規制と縮小をすすめ、人間の安全のために国境をこえて協力し合わなければなりません。

以上を踏まえ、私たちは、日本と韓国をはじめとする東アジア諸国の政府に、次のことを訴えます。

 地域的な基盤に基づいて、平和的な方法で朝鮮半島の核問題を解決しなければなりません。北朝鮮は挑発的な言動を止めなければなりません。周辺諸国は軍事的な対応をすべきではありません。北朝鮮は直ちに核武装計画を中断すると同時に、日本や韓国は自らが核抑止力に依存する政策を改め、東北アジア非核地帯の設立に向けて共に動くべきです。

 ミサイル防衛（ＭＤ）の開発と配備を中断しなければなりません。ＭＤは巨額の拠出を必要とするものですが「防衛」としての実効性は無い反面、いたずらに地域の軍拡競争を煽ります。

 韓国・済州島に海軍基地を建設する計画を撤回しなければなりません。そのような海軍基地は、東アジア地域全体の軍事化につながる危険をはらみます。

 日本・沖縄の米軍基地の段階的な撤退をすすめなければなりません。既存の軍事基地は大幅に減らすべきであり、沖縄県内に新たな沖縄県内に新たな軍事施設がつくられることは許されません。

 領土問題をめぐる諸国間の平和的対話を促進しなければなりません。各国は挑発的行動を厳に慎まなければなりません。東アジアの海を平和の海、共同と協力の海にするシステムを創るべきです。

今年２０１３年７月２７日で、朝鮮戦争の休戦協定が結ばれてから６０周年を迎えます。私たちは改めて、休戦協定を平和協定に置き換え、朝鮮半島、そしてひいては東アジアに平和のメカニズムを築くことの必要性を訴えます。日本の平和憲法９条の理念は、そのような地域的平和メカニズムの土台になります。私たちは、日本の平和憲法を改定しようという最近の動きを深く憂慮しています。

私たち市民は、各国における法規を含むさまざまな平和的解決方法を維持、強化して、な法規を遵守、強化し、軍事産業の拡大を拒み、真に人々の発展と安全のために協力しあうことを呼びかけます。

２０１３年４月１５日

日本

アンポをつぶせ！ちょうちんデモの会

核とミサイル防衛にＮＯ！キャンペーン

京都府アジア・アフリカ・ラテンアメリカ連帯委員会

キリスト者政治連盟

憲法を生かす会

コリアＮＧＯセンター

「戦争と女性への暴力」リサーチ・アクションセンター

第九条の会ヒロシマ

東北アジア情報センター（広島）

ピースデポ

ピースボート

ピースリンク広島・呉・岩国

平和友の会

緑の党 Green Japan

許すな！憲法改悪・市民連絡会

韓国

境界を越えて

経済正義実践市民連合統一協会

開拓者たち

国際民主連帯

南北平和財団

大田平和女性会

武器ゼロ

非暴力平和ムルギョル(波浪)

市民平和フォーラム

戦争ない世界

済州平和人権センター

参与連帯

天主教人権委員會

統一迎え

パレスチナ平和連帯

平沢平和センター

平和ネットワーク

平和を作る女性会

平和バダック(底)

平和博物館

平和と統一を開ける人々

韓国女性団体連合

韓国平和教育訓練院

環境運動連合

[Peace Column] Imperial Overreach and the Forces Driving Pentagon Spending

2013-04-13T16:48:25+09:00

Imperial Overreach and the Forces Driving Pentagon Spending

Joseph Gerson Peace Activist

>>> Click this to read this column in Korean

At the height of the Cold War, Rev. Ulises Torres, a political exile from the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, was asked when you know if you have a military government. He answered: “Look at your national budget.”

The U.S. is not a military dictatorship in the tradition of Pinochet or South Korean following the end of Japanese colonialism. But the military’s dominant role in determining much of U.S. foreign policy – especially in Asia and the Pacific - helps to explain why President Obama didn’t push President Lee Myung Bak to pursue negotiations with North Korea. It also helps to explain why Washington has persisted in its failed policy of “strategic patience” – i.e. not talking - with North Korea until Pyongyang kowtows to U.S. demands. It also helps to explain the United States’ shocking and dangerous response to Kim Jung Un’s provocative third nuclear test, the repeated simulated nuclear attacks against North Korea by B-52 and B-2 bombers.

In the 1980s, when Rev. Torres was shedding light on the nature of the U.S. government, the U.S. military budget, not counting secret intelligence spending, was $221.1 billion (just over $500 billion in today’s dollars.) Today, excluding veterans’ benefits and interest for past wars, U.S. military spending is $711 billion. It consumes 60% of U.S. discretionary spending, compared to 6% for education and 1% for transportation. The Pentagon budget equals the combined total of the world’s next 14 greatest military spenders and is four times greater than the combined spending of its most likely adversaries, including China and Russia. Projected U.S. military spending over the next decade is $5.77 trillion in 2013 dollars, a number that is almost beyond comprehension.

Why such a commitment to military might and to nationally self-destructive military spending? The widespread acceptance of U.S. “manifest destiny,” the belief again conveyed in the title of Joseph Nye’s book that the U.S. is Bound to Lead, provides the ideological underpinnings. But the structural answer lies in President Eisenhower’s last public speech as president, when the former general and World War II hero warned that,

“… we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

The original draft of Eisenhower’s speech decried the “military-industrial-Congressional complex,” but Eisenhower removed the reference to Congress, thinking it unseemly for an outgoing president to criticize an incoming Congress.

Unfortunately, U.S. citizens have not been sufficiently alert, knowledgeable or powerful to contain the influence of the military-industrial-Congressional complex. Instead, adjusted for inflation, Pentagon spending has grown from just over $300 billion in 1960 to today’s post-Cold War $711 billion.

What does the Pentagon’s base budget, excluding funding for actual wars, purchase? On an annual basis it pays for an estimated 1,000 foreign military bases costing at least $170 billion, depending on how you count; preparing for nuclear war at $60 billion; 1,419,000 warriors at $136 billion; new weapons and weapons systems for $114 billion; research and development at $61 billion; and new construction, military family housing and much more.

In fact, we don’t really know how much the Pentagon really spends. Estimates, including “black box” secret budgets, run as high as a trillion dollars. The Pentagon concedes that it cannot account for hundreds of billions of dollars, and in desperation one member of Congress has introduced legislation (doomed to fail) requiring an audit of Pentagon spending.

In addition to the imperial imperative of ensuring that the United States has the weapons needed to enforce “full spectrum dominance” - from modernized nuclear warheads and drones to cyber warfare and Prompt Global Strike - two other dynamics have been at play: military Keynesianism and the armament industry’s cunning strategy of subcontracting new weapons systems’ production to a majority of Congressional districts.

Military Keynesianism? Unlike today’s E.U. and IMF, during the Great Depression the British economist John Maynard Keynes argued that increased government spending could provide the needed stimuli to restore economic growth. Thus President Roosevelt’s New Deal spending put a floor under the U.S. economy, but it was massive World War II military spending that actually ended the depression (and which laid the foundations for the military-industrial-Congressional complex). While only roughly 4% of U.S. GDP, it remains a driving force for the U.S. economy.

More subversive are the ways that the mega-armaments corporations - Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Raytheon and others – have corrupted our political system to the point that Congress insists on maintaining redundant military bases and funding production of weapons systems that the Pentagon doesn’t want. Many in Congress fear that they will be charged with being “soft on security” if they don’t vote for every war and weapons systems that comes their way. Equally important, members of Congress are expected to bring investment and jobs into their districts. Failure to get Pentagon contracts can create Election Day vulnerabilities. With the Pentagon’s annual budget the largest share (60%) of government discretionary spending, it is the most easily accessed feeding trough for those anxious to “bring home the bacon”.

A case in point is the F-35, the most expensive weapons system in U.S. history. Each of the 2,443 advanced fighter-bombers – plagued with technological difficulties - the Pentagon is to buy costs $90 billion, including the pilots’ helmets at $2 million each. Even if the so-called “sequesters’” 8% budget cuts are implemented, the Pentagon plans to spend $835 billion for its F-35s and another $635 billion to operate and maintain them.
Why? Because F-35 parts are being produced in 45 of the 50 U.S. states and in nearly all congressional districts.” The F-35 equals jobs. Providing jobs helps win elections. So, in a world in which money equals or at least contributes to, influence and power, the Pentagon has the resources to function as a government within the government. It is no accident that the Pentagon twice vetoed President Obama’s efforts to rescind the country’s first-strike nuclear war fighting doctrine or that during Obama’s first year in office the generals “rolled” him, leaving him no political alternative to more than doubling the number of troops sent to Afghanistan.

There are, of course, also unalloyed militarists among Senate Republicans including those who extorted $185 billion to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal and its delivery systems as a condition for ratifying the New START limited arms reduction treaty with Russia or who are now pressing for U.S. military intervention into Syria’s catastrophic civil war.

Questions abound about whether the U.S. can sustain such levels of military spending and if the U.S. really has the resources to implement its “pivot” to Asia and the Pacific. Twenty-five years ago, economic globalization and the resulting hollowing out of U.S. industrial strength began to take hold. Now combined with the massive Bush-Cheney national budget deficits caused by the multi-trillion dollar wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and by massive tax reductions for the richest among us, the existential question of spending guns or butter has become unavoidable.

It is said that the United States is one grand budget agreement away from reinforcing its position as the world’s dominant power for decades to come. That grand bargain has eluded Congress for the past year, resulting in the so-called “sequester” coming into force, with an 8% across the board reduction in Pentagon spending and 9% for human needs and other non-military spending. Despite President Obama’s election victory, based in large measure on reducing the national deficit by tax increases for the wealthiest 2% and preserving social services, a deal will likely be cut to restore most Pentagon funding, while reducing Social Security and cutting many essential services for the poor and middle class.

In 1987 the historian Paul Kennedy wrote The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, which described how, like a balloon expanding until it pops, earlier empires over extended their ambitions and resources to the point that they lost their vitality and passed into history. Kennedy’s study was written as a warning for the U.S. elite. While the U.S. will likely long remain a major power, its imperial reach appears to have passed its apex. Military strength ultimately depends on economic strength, educational achievement and social cohesion, but with the rise of China other BRIC nations, the U.S. share of global GDP and educated workers have been in steady decline.

And, on election day this past November Massachusetts voters sent a significant signal that it’s time to invest in people and to reverse our domestic decline rather than for the wars, profiteering and waste of the military-industrial-Congressional complex. By a 3:1 margin we voted in favor of Budget for All referendum - calling for preserving social services, investing in job creation, cutting military spending, and taxing the rich. Massachusetts is known to be a liberal state, but popular tolerance for the military-industrial-Congressional complex has reached its limits.

*Dr. Joseph Gerson is the Director of Programs for the Northeast Region the American Friends Service Committee. His most recent book is Empire and the Bomb: How the US Uses Nuclear Weapons to Dominate the World. He is the convener of the Working Group for Peace and Demilitarization in Asia and the Pacific and initiated the Budget for All Referendum campaign in Massachusetts.

[Report] SDMA Issue BriefⅤ - April 2013

2013-04-09T20:01:22+09:00

SDMA Issue Brief on Human Rights and Democracy (SDMA Issue Brief) is an E-quarterly published by SDMA. It contains the special reivews on Asian human rights and democracy as well as news of a variety of activity of member organisations of SDMA.

Please see below table of contents of this 5th SDMA Issue Brief.

News from the SDMA member organisations

- Synthesis of South Asian Network against Torture and Impunity(SANTI): Discussing Torture in South Asia - Odhikar

- Call for Peace in the Korea Peninsula

-Three legal proceedings of the Public Interest Law Center of PSPD were selected for thr Hankyoreh 21's the best verdict of the year and verdicts of the year 2012 - PSPD

- New interns of the May 18 Memorial Foudation

- Publication of "The May 18 Investigation Record Collection"and May 18 children's book, "Bicycle" - The May 18 Memorial Foudation

* Solidarity for Democratisation Movement in Asia (SDMA) was launched at the 2012 Gwangju Asia Forum with the aim of working for the improvement of Asian human rights and democracy through regional cooperation and working in solidarity. At present, FORUM-ASIA (regional), IDSPS, Imparsial (Indonesia), IID (Philippines), Odhikar (Bangladesh), PSPD, The May 18 Memorial Foundation (South Korea) are joined as a member organisations.

Open publication - Free publishing - More asia

[Column] POSCO! Respect Human Rights in Odisha

2013-04-04T14:08:08+09:00

POSCO! Respect Human Rights in Odisha

- Tragic Stories of Odisha Villagers against POSCO Project

Dhirendra Panda (Indian Human Rights Defender)

I am a human rights defender based in Odisha. Generally, I have a little to say on political and economic decisions of the government or people or POSCO, but we are extremely disturbed when the human rights violations take place as the result of such decisions and related actions. Generally, there is a belief among many friends in Korea and India as well - ‘the land-acquisition is voluntary’ and ‘POSCO has no role in human rights violations that take place in proposed project site due to the actions of the Odisha government’. We could gather sufficiently huge evidences through rounds of fact-finding, documentation, reviewing of official records, research reports that clearly shows that the more than 80% villagers (within proposed project plant site) oppose the land-acquisition and ‘force’ is being used by the government and POSCO followers that leads serious human rights violations. We visited Seoul during 20th to 24th March, 2013 and informed the people, South Korea government, POSCO authorities, civil society and human rights defenders, about the situation of human rights as resulted out of POSCO operations and also appealed them all to create pressure on POSCO India to ‘respect human rights’. I am highly thankful for the solidarity expressed by various civil society organizations, human rights defenders, attorneys, teachers, students, trade unions, media and others in South Korea to the struggles of Odisha people for their rights. I’ll inform back to the people in Odisha that the demeaning image of POSCO in Odisha should not be identified with the image of Korean people.

On 4th February, 2013 an IDCO (Odisha Industrial Development Corporation) official with Odisha police was found beating the peaceful women and children demonstrating their resistance to POSCO project in their village with stick (which is completely illegal) in the presence of police Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police and District Magistrate while the police were forcibly occupying betel vines. On 8th February POSCO-India Chairman and Managing Director Mr.Yong Won Yoon said, "We are happy that the land clearance process has resumed again and hope it will be over smoothly with ‘the support of villagers’, without any further halt or obstruction. We hope to start land preparation work soon."

The Administration started gathering more Police forces in the area since the evening of 1st March and began constructing a road between Patana and Gobindpur. On 2nd March, seven more platoons of police were there near POSCO transit colony, which is two kilometres away from Gobindpur village. In the evening at 6.30 PM two bombs were hurled on a group of villagers killing 3 villagers on the spot and injuring many while standing near a pond at the backside of one village leader’s house at Patana village, where usually the President, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti stays. Neither the police nor the Medical team came to the spot for the next 15 hours. Even they were not given an ambulance to take the injured ones to hospital. Hardly the shocked villagers were trying to cope up with the situation, towards end of the night at 4 AM twelve platoons of Police forces pounced upon them to resume the acquisition of betel vine lands after a month. On 7th March, emotionally broken women staged a nude protest at the site and were severely beaten by the police force.

The Odisha people expected the visiting South Korean Ambassador, Joon-Gyu Lee would convey his sympathy at least, although he would not condemn the Odisha Government actions – instead he expressed his ‘pleasure’ to media, "I also requested him (Odisha Chief Minister) to further expedite it.” "If possible, I will like to see our President and your Chief Minister launch this mega project.(at any suitable time this year)"

This is only a brief account of last two months incidents out of hundreds of incidents during last eight years intimidations and harassments by the Odisha government and POSCO followers against the villagers peacefully resisting POSCO. The Gram Sabhas (a constitutionally recognized body of all citizens relating to the villages belonging to a Panchayat - Local Self-Governing Unit) have rejected the moves for land acquisition for the project three times (March, 2008; February, 2010 & October, 2012) in their villages. Without any respect to the ‘free and prior informed consent’, the government is accelerating their oppressions to force its decision to acquire their lands and the POSCO company has shown only its ‘determination’ to go ahead with the project at a huge cost to the rights of Indian citizens and by causing untold miseries for the democratic protesters Till now, ‘POSCO operations’ has claimed five lives, caused injuries to many, chronic ailments, physical and psychological sufferings to hundreds of children, women and others throughout the years.

Villagers have been violently targeted because they are resisting the progress of the POSCO-India project in defense of their livelihoods, and access to land and natural resources. The regular and massive presence of police force around the villages is only encouraging the criminal elements to unleash a reign of terror in the proposed POSCO area. The villagers are in constant fear that at any point of time the armed police forces may resume the operation and take away their land. Threats, arrests, tortures, harassment by police and POSCO followers, deployment of huge security forces, open challenges by mercenaries have forced 20,000 villagers not to cross their village boundary and kept aloof from the rest of the world as if in an open house prison. People trying to come outside their village boundary for medical treatment, marketing or for any other urgent purposes are being abused or arrested on their way. Any complaint of victims of abuse or arbitrary arrest is not entertained in local police station. Sick women, children and others are not able to access medical treatment since years together. Children are not able to attend educational institutions outside their villages. At least 14 women are suffering for years with severe gynecological disorders that need surgery. No doctor dares to visit the area to assess the suffering of people, officially or unofficially, for the fear of being targeted by the Police. Time and again, the authorities tried to force themselves into the village and destroyed the local people’s primary means of livelihood, their betel vines that they rely on for the bulk of their income.

Furthermore, the intimidation methods extend also to legal persecution. As of today the Odisha Government has registered more than 240 criminal cases against the villagers and issued about 1,500 warrants, 340 of which are women. Mostly the complainants are government officials, POSCO staffs and followers. The village leaders have been repeatedly jailed as a result of defending their human rights. Two villagers are still in prison.

POSCO Management cannot deny its responsibility ‘to respect human rights’ of the people affected by their project in Odisha. UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights requires that all business enterprises respect human rights, ‘avoid infringing on the human rights of others and should address (actual or potential) adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved’. All companies based in states that are members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are obliged to uphold the ‘Guidelines for Multi-National Enterprises’ (the ‘OECD Guidelines’). Chapter IV of the OECD Guidelines requires companies to “respect human rights, which means they should avoid infringing on the human rights of others and should address adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved”. The United Nations Global Compact also calls on companies to respect international human rights standards and avoid complicity in human rights abuses.

In May 2012, POSCO CEO, Mr. Joon-Yang Chung, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. He stated that ‘POSCO supports the ten principles of the Global Compact with respect to human rights’ and ‘with this communication, we express our intent to advance those principles within our sphere of influence’. Evidence from the area impacted by POSCO’s project in Odisha makes a mockery of this promise.

To conclude, the villagers are in a state of constant fear that at any point of time the armed police forces resume the operation and take away their land causing further bloodsheds and severe human rights violation. No project should be imposed on an unwilling population by conniving with coercive state machinery.

I would request to the governments of South Korea as well as India to ensure that POSCO would respect human rights in Odisha.

[Workshop] The Future of the Peace Process and Prospects for a NWFZ in Northeast Asia

2013-04-25T18:51:24+09:00

2013 NPT Preparatory Committee NGO Workshop

The Future of the Peace Process and Prospects for

a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Northeast Asia

- 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice -

UNOG NGO Room

Thursday 25 April 2013, 10am – 1pm

Co-sponsorship

Peace Depot(JP), Peace Network(ROK), Peace Boat(JP), People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(ROK)

Cooperation

International Peace Bureau, Nautilus Institute, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, World Council of Churches

2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. Also, it has been 20 years since DPRK declared to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as a result of which the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula emerged as a serious problem. In addition, every country of the Six-Party Talks launches a new government during this year.

Given the significance of 2013, we hope this workshop will help build momentum for turning the armistice system into a permanent peace regime in Korea and give a boost to the discussion on a Northeast Asia NWFZ which would necessarily include the solution to the nuclear problem of North Korea. Also, this workshop, held in the heart of Europe, offers an especially valuable opportunity to learn from the precedent of peace-building in Europe, notably the strategies that were helpful in overcoming the Cold War. We believe that now is the time to make this discussion one of the key subjects of disarmament and non-proliferation negotiations including the NPT review process.

Programme

Chair: Ms. Maria Kim, Peace Depot

Opening 10:00-10:20

Welcoming address by National Council of Japan Nuclear Free Local Authorities / Mayor of Nagasaki

Welcoming address by Mayors for Peace / Mayor of Hiroshima

Keynote Speech 10:20-11:30

New Approaches to Denuclearization and Peace Regime on the Korean Peninsula

Speaker: Wooksik Cheong, Peace Network

The Significance of Achieving a NEA-NWFZ

Speaker: Ichiro Yuasa, Peace Depot

End of the Cold War in Europe and Its Implications in Northeast Asia

Speaker: Colin Archer, IPB

Implementation of a NEA-NWFZ in China and North Korea

Speaker: Peter Hayes, Nautilus Institute *via Skype

Q&A

Special Remarks 11:30-11:50

By Diplomats and PNND Northeast Asia

Break 11:50- 12:00

Panel Discussion 12:00-12:50

Moderator: Akira Kawasaki, Peace Boat

Panel: Mr. Jonathan Frerichs, WCC

Mr. Takao Takahara, Peace Depot

Mr. Wooksik Cheong, Peace Network

We encourage the participants to raise questions and share their views.

Close 12:50-13:00

Publication of a Joint Appeal on Northeast Asia NWFZ

Closing Remarks

*The program is subject to change without prior notice.

If you have further questions, please contact to either organization below.

PSPD E-mail: Huisun Kim peace@pspd.org

Peace Depot E-mail: Maria Kim maria@peacedepot.org

International Peace Bureau E-mail: Colin Archer mailbox@ipb.org

[Sourcebook]

Open publication - Free publishing - More nuclear weapon

[Photoes]