有關 pyeongtaek 的美軍基地擴張一事, 前天(5月4日)南韓政府動員了12000名軍警鎮壓, 200人傷, 400人被捕, 和平村的學校被拆毀. 昨天2000名示威者到場聲援, 今天美軍基地一帶實施戒嚴. 晚上首爾會有聲援, 可以在網上看直播(香港時間7:00pm): http://gomediaction.net/
真的想不到可以怎樣幫, 寫了封網上的 chain letters, 大家可以幫忙(連埋張相)傳給認識美國人的朋友, 讓他們知道自己國家多麼可惡.
U.S.A: stop creating enemies around the world!
Dear friends in U.S,
Please demand your government to stop the military expansion plan in Pyeongtaek, a farming village in the west coast of Seoul, S. Korea.
The military base project is part of Bush’s flexible military policy after 9-11, which allows a rapid deployment of military force to Asia Pacific by consolidating their military facilities in some strategic areas, including Pyeongtaek.
In December 2004, the Korean government agreed to give 809 hectares of land in Pyeongtaek for the U.S expansion of militarily base. This arrangement is part of a package of U.S-Korea Free Trade Agreement. More than a thousand farmers are affected, 200 of them refused to leave their rice field; hundreds of students, peace activists, religious groups joined them to protect their land. A peace village was built next to the original military base to stop the expansion.
In early April, I visited Daechuri (A village in Pyeongtaek) and attended their candle night vigil. The wrinkles of the old men and ladies told us that they had spent their whole life to cultivate the land and made it fertile for growing rice. It is an un-forgivable sin to take their land away for military purpose. By doing this, the U.S. government is definitely creating more and more enemies around the world.
As the deadline for handover of land to U.S military base is approaching, on 4 of May, the Korean Government sent 12,000 soldiers to the peace village and demolished the headquarter (an elementary school). It was a very brutal operation, 200 people were injured and 400 were arrested. On 5 of May, over 2 thousands supporters went to Daechuri to support the villagers and peace activists and confronted with the police / military force. Today (6 of May), the whole area is under Martial law.
There are campaigns in South Korea against the government action. However the origin of the problem comes from the U.S. military policy and plan. We believe that Americans love peace. But your Government is creating conflicts and terrors in other countries, far as South Korea. Please let more people know about this and give pressure to your government to withdraw the plan in pyeongtaek.
For further information, please visit: http://saveptfarmers.org/
Amnesty international report: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA250012006