The Church in Jeju against the new naval base: "Let peace win out in the Korean peninsula"
Cheju (AsiaNews) - One Mass a day until Oct. 10 to block the work of the naval base of Gangjeong, on the Korean island of Jeju, and "to affirm the value of peace over war, against a government that could bring us back decades". This is the purpose of the group "Catholic Solidarity for Peace in Jeju," that on 30 September celebrated its first function in the presence of about 500 faithful. The sisters present at the meeting formed a "human chain" sitting on some plastic chairs to prevent the entry of bulldozers to the construction site: they were taken away forcibly by police (see photo), who loaded them, still seated, onto some trucks and brought them back to the convent.
On this island, which lies in the South of the peninsula, the
South Korean government plans to build a base for national and U.S. marines. As
was recalled by the Bishop of the Diocese of Cheju (which also includes the big
island) Mons. Peter Kang, "this must be a land of peace, especially in
light of the incidents of April 3. Bringing the military back to this place
means the meaning of the death of those who have sacrificed for freedom is
lost".
The prelate's reference is to the massacre that began in Jeju on April 3, 1947:
until 1954, when South Korea was divided between the military dictatorship and
the American presence, thousands of people on the island were killed who were
part of armed civilians groups opposed to Seoul's bloodthirsty government.
Thanks to the leadership of the Church, the dictatorship was defeated and Jeju
became a symbol of resistance.
The island lies to the South of the peninsula, in the Strait of Korea and is governed by an autonomous provincial government. It is famous for its unspoilt nature and beautiful landscapes. Demonstrators are opposed to the construction of the naval base also to safeguard the island's its ecology and tourism. The government says that the new naval base, at the cost of 970 million US dollars, is necessary for national security.
The project, launched in 2008, had received much criticism from civil society and the Church and had been sidelined. Until the arrival of the work teams on March 8, 2011, who even blew up some stretches of coastline to allow a better landing of state warships. Now, the Church and the opposition Democratic Party are accusing the president Park Geun-hye of wanting to resurrect the militarism that characterized the dictatorship of her father, Park Chung-hee.
In recent days the government has forced the resignation of a number of ministers and even the Attorney General: the Church has launched a Manifesto and a prayer campaign against these scandals, which were allegedly supported by Seoul's secret services. And two days ago, for the first time in 12 years, the army and air force paraded through the streets of Seoul showing off, among other things, some missiles capable of destroying the nuclear power plants of North Korea.
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