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Date(s) - Wednesday - Oct 10, 2018
All Day
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The International Fleet Review will be held at Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong Village from 10 October 2018. This is the biggest event by the Korean navy since Jeju naval base was constructed and around 50 vessels and 20 aircraft from 45 countries will gather in Jeju Naval Base. Gangjeong villagers and civil society organizations are now calling for an endorsement for the International Solidarity Statement against the International Fleet Review in Jeju.
The ‘No Jeju Naval Base Campaign’ invites you to stand in solidarity with Jeju people by endorsing the below statement.
To Endorse >> Click and Fill out the form
The endorsement will be collected by October 9th at 6pm (GMT +9, South Korea time) and will be published on the 10th.
You can find more information on ‘No Jeju Naval Base Campaign’ at http://savejejunow.org
[Joint Statement] 2018 International Solidarity Statement against the International Fleet Review in Jeju
No International Fleet Review in Jeju
Let’s make Jeju Island the island of Peace
Let’s make the Pacific the sea of Peace
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, strongly oppose the International Fleet Review which will be held at Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong Village from 10 October. This is the biggest event by the Korean navy since Jeju naval base was constructed and around 50 vessels and 20 aircraft from 45 countries will gather in Jeju Naval Base. A marine inspection, an open house event on vessels and in the base, and a military industry exhibition are scheduled.
The international fleet review, gathering warships from around the world, will heighten the military tension in the region and create dark clouds of conflict in the midst of the growing desire to open a new era of peace and coexistence and end the war on the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.
Jeju Naval Base was constructed on top of state violence against the villagers, lies, and destruction of the natural environment. We all remember the coercive construction process and problems of the Jeju Naval Base. While supporting Jeju islanders’ desire to establish this beautiful island as the Island of World Peace, we strongly oppose the International Fleet Review being held in Jeju Island.
Since the establishment of Jeju Naval Base, the militarisation of Jeju Island has sped up. Warships from different countries including a U.S. nuclear submarine have already been frequently visiting the Jeju Naval Base. In addition to this, a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier will also join the International Fleet Review. We are concerned that this International Fleet Review will widen the gate of the Jeju Naval Base to the Japanese and the U.S. warships. The U.S. Pacific commander already expressed his wish to station a Zumwalt Stealth Destroyer at the Jeju Naval Base. In addition to building the naval base, the Korean Navy reinforced the marine corps in Jeju and also expressed its plan to use the 2nd airport as its air base which the Government is forcibly working to construct in Seongsan, Jeju Island.
The International Fleet Review in Jeju Island will confirm Jeju Island as a military outpost, retrogress peace on the Korean Peninsula, and expedite militarisation in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. The U.S. changed the Pacific Command into Indo-Pacific Command last May. This clearly shows its will to prioritize military hegemony in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, instead of peaceful cooperation. The U.S. has not been hiding its plan to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Indo-Pacific region. Many peace organisations are concerned that Jeju Island will become an outpost against China by the U.S. and its military allies.
The International Fleet Review will internationally establish the existence and military use of the Jeju Naval Base. This seriously jeopardizes the future vision of Jeju Island as ‘The Island of Peace’ declared by the South Korean government in 2005.
The two Koreas declared ‘a new era of peace’ and are walking towards the establishment of a peace system and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. Korean people’s efforts to move on to peace and coexistence from the hostility of the past should be linked to efforts to make the Pacific peaceful. We support Jeju islanders’ desire to make an Island of Peace and oppose the militarization of the Pacific. The International Fleet Review in Jeju Island must be stopped immediately.