Persistent resistance continues on Jeju Island

from Sung-Hee Choi
[March 24] 17th day of people’s war against blast/ 13 times of blast-the 2nd biggest after March 21

Only a day after March 23 when the Prime Minister Office and Jeju Island government made an agreement to go through layout verification process on the docking capacity of 150,000 ton cruise ships in the so called civilian-military dual use port, though based only on the simulation result analysis by the Ministry of National Defense, the navy enforced blast on the exposed rock parts of the Gureombi-13 times, starting at 3:50pm, March 24.

(For more on March 23 agreement, see Korea Times (informed by Regina Pyon)
http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/I51g/271)

The amount of explosives was 1ton and it was carried in extremely disguised way through land, for people not being able to catch up. It was the 2nd biggest after the 14 times of blast with 1.5 ton explosives on March 21 when the chief of Joint naval operations visited the Jeju Island. The blast on March 24 was being done in the period when the Jeju Island government has been holding a hearing on the matter of halting reclamation construction on the public water and its adjacent coastal area in the village. Please remind that the central government-backed navy is enforcing destruction, totally ignoring both of March 23 agreement and hearing procedure that has started on March 20, resumed on March 22 but postponed again to March 29.

About 100 people, finishing a short rally in front gate of the naval base business committee building, marched toward the Gangjeong port but met police blockade, soon, near the small port shipment site, with police even mobilizing of police car to block the small road. Then fierce confrontation between people and police as the police has no legal basis to block people’s free movement in the public space which is not the naval base project area, at all. Many of them, despite police blocking them in group, eventually made through to the seawall- some of them at the risk of falling through from the narrow sea wall- where they could see the destruction area afar through wire fence, screaming slogans toward contracted-company workers and navy personnel who hurriedly ran into like crows-with many flags in their hands, while the others that couldn’t go through the site held a protest rally in the port.

Around same time, three courageous young male activists swam into the Gureombi Rock, making one’s way through windy cold weather and high sea-wave, though captured by the maritime policemen in 10 minutes after their arrival in the coast. One of them could eventually make through into the blast site, breaking thick police blockade, but captured by company personnel and the blast that postponed for 10 minutes was resumed.

The maritime police, accepting navy’s demand, have made unreasonable public notice on March 22 to prohibit people’s sea-leisure activities including kayaking and rubber-boating, for the purpose of preventing people’s protest in the sea, despite the Gangjeong villagers’ strong opposition against it. According to the notice, the new rule, after 20day’s guiding period that started on March 23, will prohibit people to do any sea-leisure activities from April 13, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2015 (the planned completion year of the naval base project). Fine in violation of the rule will be 1 million won in maximum. The rule has not been consulted with the Seogwipo City and Island government, either. It is also in violation of Constitution: The principal of no excessive prohibition on people’s basis rights. It is also quite contradictory compared to the maritime police measure on the caisson-carrying floating dock of Samsung C & T that is operated without legal inquiry of ship inspection and connived by the maritime policeman.

For photos of people’s protest on March 24, please see headline Jeju:
http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145834

For illegal operation of Samsung C & T floating dock, see
http://www.facebook.com/groups/nonavalbase/10150885185849815/

In the port site while continuous confrontation between people and police occurred, police trampled down a farmer’s garlic field, bringing people’s furious protest against it. The police behavior of rather taking video record of protesting citizens without any apology to a female farmer and even folding one activist’ arm and twisting his finger made people more infuriated. For more on it, please see Dungree’s video in the latter part.

One woman activist almost fainted because of quite exhausting daily struggle for 17th days and was eventually carried to a hospital. Psychological and physical health of many villagers and activists is worried as they are mobilized from dawn to late night without break. Gangjeong is in war. However, many also say it feels more consoling to remain in the village as they will be more anxious on the situation if they leave the village. The Gureombi Rock may be destroyed in many parts but it is people’s love and comradeship one another that holds this struggle, making birth to a new stage of the struggle for the World Peace Island.
…………………………………………………………………..

Image source:

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145834
“쾅, 쾅”…해군기지 구럼비 바위 또다시 발파 강행
13회 연속발파…경찰 화약운송 차량 ‘연막 작전’…주민들 격렬한 항의
강정포구 앞 경찰과 대치…총리실 설계검증 합의불구 발파 강행
2012.03.24 16:56:30

…………………………………………………………………..

Video source(made by Dungree):

http://youtu.be/a8khOmgGzps
( http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/JWOn/234)

…………………………………………………………………..
Reference:

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145834
“쾅, 쾅”…해군기지 구럼비 바위 또다시 발파 강행
13회 연속발파…경찰 화약운송 차량 ‘연막 작전’…주민들 격렬한 항의
강정포구 앞 경찰과 대치…총리실 설계검증 합의불구 발파 강행
2012.03.24 16:56:30

http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=113020
비 그치자 또 쾅쾅! 구럼비 발파 사흘만에 재개
2012.03.24 17:27:30

http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=29786
정부•제주도 시뮬레이션 재검증 합의
새로운 시뮬레이션은 아니…1차 회의 오는 29일 도 검증팀 구성 강정마을회엔 참여의사 묻기로
2012.03.23 11:28:37

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145675
해경, 강정 앞바다 수상레저활동 금지구역 지정
카약-보트 이용 금지…강정주민 반발
2012.03.22 16:46:58

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=145750
“기가 막힐 금지령”…이젠 강정 바다까지 ‘봉쇄’?
[데스크논단] 해경의 해군기지 공사수역 수상레저 금지의 위헌성
국가권력의 명백한 기본권 침해…”오로지 해군기지 위해서?”