The Nuclear Resister

A weak and thin Yang Yoon-Mo (right) released from jail after 60 day hunger strike

by Bruce Gagnon, Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Professor Yang was released from jail today. He was sentenced to one and one-half years in jail with a suspended sentence but with two years probation. There can be no doubt that the international outcry on his behalf has helped spring him from the jailhouse.

Regina Pyon, staff person at SPARK in South Korea, reports, “Yang didn’t mention yet about his hunger strike. The first word he spoke was ‘Is Gangjeong peaceful?’ and ‘My struggle will be continued to the end. Gangjeong villagers are the teacher who led me to the road of justice.’

Professor Yang Yoon-Mo

On Jeju Island, South Korea, a jailed local opponent of a new U.S. navy base is in his 53rd day of a hunger strike. Korea’s most prominent film critic,  University professor Yang Yoon-Mo, was arrested April 6 as he and other residents of Gangjeong village disrupted construction by locking themselves under the earth moving equipment. Yang, who was released from jail just three months before, following an earlier protest, was jailed again for violating a restraining order. He has refused food since that day, and declared his willingness to fast until death unless plans for the base are abandoned.  On May 19, eight more opponents were arrested and are also in jail. One of them, Sung-Hee Choi, was taken into custody simply for displaying a banner that read “Do not touch any stone or any flower.”  She, and perhaps some of the other prisoners, have joined with Yang in the hunger strike.

May 11, 2011

by John LaForge, Nukewatch

DISARMAMENT ACTIVISTS CONVICTED IN KNOXVILLE FEDERAL COURT KNOXVILLE, TN

Twelve disarmament activists were convicted of federal trespass following a three-day jury trial in U.S. District court here during which the activists — under an order issued earlier by the court which effectively stripped the defendants of any substantive affirmative defenses — were prevented from questioning or even mentioning the outlaw status of nuclear weapons. The twelve were charged after a demonstration July 5, 2010 at the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn. They face up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. No sentencing date was set, but seven defendants were taken into federal custody after they refused to return to TN for sentencing.

Trident Ploughshares and Faslane Peace Camp activists in Scotland jointly blockaded Faslane starting at  7 a.m. on May 10, shutting down the Trident submarine base for two hours. Four members of Trident Ploughshares blocked the North Gate of the base while six Peace Campers blocked the South Gate by locking themselves together. Just four days after the Scottish elections the activists called for the anti-Trident SNP government to fulfill its commitments and demand immediate disarmament of Trident and a global ban on nuclear weapons.

All 10 were arrested for Breach of the Peace. The six from the peace camp were released from jail after 12 hours. The four from Trident Ploughshares were to remain in custody overnight and go to court the following day.