Vanguard August 2011 p. 11Nick G.
Jeju Island lies just off the southern-most tip of the Korean peninsula. It lies in pristine waters containing beautiful coral reefs and is an iconic and beautiful setting for peaceful traditional industries and tourism.
For several years, its people have been waging a mass struggle against the building of a naval base, to be used by both the South Korean and US navies.
The interests of the US imperialists lie in the strategic positioning of the island which oversees the shipping lane used by China for 80% of the oil it imports by ocean tankers.
Heroic struggles repressed by South Korean regime
More than 95% of the residents of Jeju Island oppose the construction of the naval base.
They have a long history of resistance to occupation by, amongst others, China’s Yuan Dynasty, the Japanese militarists and US imperialism. In 1948 more than 80,000 islanders were massacred by the Syngman Rhee fascist clique following their usurpation of power and decision to divide Korea.
In deciding to oppose the naval base, the Jeju island residents point to the apology they were given five years ago by South Korea for the 1948 massacre. At the time, the government declared Jeju an “Island of Peace”, hardly compatible with the forced imposition of a naval base to serve the interests of US imperialism.
For the past four years, the Jeju people have maintained a protest site at Jangjeong Village adjacent to the proposed naval base.
On May 19 the police and the military attacked the protest site and arrested eight of its leaders. However, the residents protected their site and its banners.
Then, at the crack of dawn on Friday 15 July undercover police arrested three more leaders of the resistance and declared that 76 others were banned from public waters or land near the Joongduk coastline where the base will be constructed.
Gangjeong Village Chief Kang Dong-Kyun, one of those arrested in the dawn raid, will be fined $5,000 for each violation of an order requiring the removal of all facilities from the protest site.
Support Jeju Island residents against US imperialism
The South Korean puppet military is trying to quash the just resistance of Jeju Island residents by arresting their leaders and inciting fear among villagers fighting for their land, community and livelihoods.
The residents can be supported by signing the following petition: http://signon/save-jeju-island-no-naval?source=s.emcr&r_by=391161 .
Messages of support for the Jeju Island people should also be sent to the South Korean Embassy, Canberra at info@korea.org.au .
The Embassy should be told that the repression of the Jeju Island people conveys to the world that South Korea has returned to the dark era of authoritarian rule.
Finally, events on Jeju Island should be monitored at sites like http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com and appropriate support activities taken as events unfold.
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