PSPD in English Peace/Disarmament 2012-03-29   2829

[Statement] Support by the Right Livelihood Award Laureates for the nonviolent struggle against the construction of the Korean

Statement of Support by the Right Livelihood Award Laureates for the nonviolent struggle against the construction of the Korean/USA Naval Base in Gangjeong, on the Peace Island of Jeju, Republic of Korea.


We, Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award wish to express our deepest concern regarding the rapidly deteriorating situation surrounding the Republic of Korea Government’s forcible construction of a navy base at Gangjeong village on Jeju Island.


In the last few weeks on March 7th 2012, the explosive blasting of the unique Gureombi volcanic-rock formation has started. A very large number of riot police have been deployed from the mainland – something that has not been experienced on the island since the days of the massacre of April 3rd 1948, which was carried out with the help of Government forces including the police.


 


Over the past five year, the Gangjeong villagers and their supporters have nonviolently, consistently and bravely voiced their opposition to the base construction despite being repeatedly subject to arrest, imprisonment and heavy fines. Rather than using a legitimate process of democratic consultation with the affected villagers they have instead been subject to  brute force, corrupt bribery which has divided their community, the contamination of their drinking water source, and illegal measures that have taken away their ancient rights to pray at their sacred rocks.
 
Over 400 people have been arrested since January 2010. The number of arrests is now rising rapidly since the blasting has begun, including that of religious leaders and of minors.


Jeju Island is a Global Biosphere Reserve. Gangjeong village is surrounded by no less than three UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites and nine UNESCO Geo-Parks and was designated one of the “New Seven Wonders of Nature.” The proposed ROK navy base being constructed in this “New Wonder of Nature” will be available for unlimited use by the United States navy and military and would likely be used to host aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and AEGIS warships that are part of the United States anti-ballistic missile defense system. It is also likely that the base will be used in the conflict with China that the USA is planning and openly preparing for.


Jeju Island was formally declared the “World Peace Island” and should indeed be an island for promoting the purposes of world peace with its strategic location at the heart of East Asia (between Japan, China and Korea, with Russia and USA also interested parties) and should only be used for peaceful purposes. Construction of the navy base on Jeju Island at Gangjeong Village only serves to further military tensions and obstacles to world peace in the East Asian region and between the countries involved.


 


Signed by the following Right Livelihood Award Laureates:-


Fernando Funes Aguilar for Grupo de Agricultura Orgánica (GAO), Cuba, RLA1999.


Annelies Allain for IBFAN, Switzerland, RLA1998.


Dr. Martin Almada, Paraguay, RLA 2002.


Maude Barlow, Canada, RLA 2005.


Nnimmo Bassey, Nigeria, RLA 2010.


Rosalie Bertell, Canada, RLA1986.


Andras Biro, Hungary, RLA1995.


Carmel Budiardjo, UK, RLA1995.


Tony Clarke, Canada, RLA2005.


Anwar Fazal,Malaysia, RLA1982.


Wes Jackson, USA, RLA 2000.


Erwin Kräutler, Brazil, RLA 2010.


Katarina Kruhonja, Croatia, RLA1998.


Ida Kuklina, Russia, RLA1996.


Professor Manfred Max-Neef, Chile, RLA1983.


Prof. Dr. Raul Montenegro, Argentina, RLA 2004.


Suciwati Munir, for Munir, Indonesia, RLA 2000.


Juan Pablo Orrego, Chile, RLA1998.


P.K.Ravindran, for Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, India, RLA1996.


Fernando Rendon, for Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín, Colombia, RLA 2006.


Susil Sirivardana for PIDA, Sri Lanka, RLA1982.


Michael Succow, Germany, RLA1997.


Dr.H.Sudarshan, India, RLA1994.


Chico Whitaker, Brazil, RLA 2006.


Alla Yaroshinskaya, Russia, RLA1992.


Angie Zelter, for Trident Ploughshares, UK, RLA, 2001.

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