Update from saveptfarmers.org: 9.27

Several days after the demonstration, villagers defied the Korean Ministry of Defense by beginning this season's rice harvest. Villagers haven't been able to reach most of their fields since the police fenced them off with razor wire during the May 4^th attack, beginning the police occupation of the fields that continues today. But in some close-in fields, where activists cut through the fencing on May 5th, villagers have been able to irrigate their crops and prepare for the harvest. On September 27th, villagers began to harvest one of the fields that the government claims as property of the Ministry of Defense. At one point during the day, a government helicopter buzzed down near the field to take pictures of those working in the fields. Villagers will keep harvesting the fields that they can still reach during the coming days. The continued rice harvest, in preparation for the winter, shows that villagers aren't planning on going anywhere before the government's October 31 expulsion deadline.

This week the nightly candlelight vigil is being held in nearby Pyeongtaek City, in front of the jail where Daechuri leader Kim Ji-tae has been held since May. Villagers and supporters continue to demand that Kim Ji-tae be set free immediately.

Photos from the NYC Candlelight Vigil 9.23.06

Banner Drop in Seoul 9.24.06

Banner drop off the Kwanghwamoon gate in Seoul. The signs read: Roh Moo-hyun Administration back off and Stop the US Military in Pyeongtaek and the Korea US FTA!

20,000 Gather in Seoul for the 4th Peace March for Pyeongtaek

LA: September 21, 2006

LA had a rally in support of the villagers of Pyeongtaek and did sam-bo-il-bae (three steps and one bow) down the streets of LA as defenders of peace for the villagers.

Saturday, September 23rd : candlelight vigils in LA, Washington DC and NYC in solidarity with the 4th Peace March in Seoul.

LA's KEEP 2006 Report-back

LA KEEPers had their report-back last Sunday the 17th. Sounds like it went really well. The timeline was a great idea.

Poster for the 4th Peace March in Seoul for Pyeongtaek

September 24th, 2006. Seoul, South Korea.

Simultaneously there will be candlelight vigils on Saturday, September 23rd in the US.

NYC: Koreatown (32nd Street and Broadway) 7 p.m.

More photos from Daechuri: September 13th

Protest at the office of Ministry of National Defense in sKorea

Protesters staged a sit-in at the offices of the Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday, Sept. 13th to protest the destruction of houses in Daechuri and Doduri. The held signs that read: "People Live Here" and "Roh Moo-hyun (sKorea's President) is killing the people of Pyeongtaek." They also delivered a written protest to the staff of the MND.

Police invade Daechuri and Doduri, demolish over 60 houses

22,000 riot police and 450 contracted construction workers and thugs invaded and occupied the villages of Daechuri and Doduri today at dawn. Police demolition equipment managed to wipe out 68 of the 90 houses that the Korean Ministry of Defense had threatened to destroy, but villagers successfully defended some houses.

The Ministry of Defense had promised to only destroy empty houses. But several squatted and renovated houses, as well as one long-term resident's house, were knocked down. A backhoe also destroyed a farming warehouse with expensive farming equipment inside, including a 100,000 USD tractor.

Children from Daechuri were unable to go to school today, because of the police lockdown of the the roads leading to town. In the village, police controls kept elderly residents from entering their homes and fields, and 10 residents received minor injuries at the hands of the police and their contractors. Some of the contractors also insulted (“bitch”, etc) elderly residents who were fighting to stop the demolitions or to reach their homes.

Many outside supporters were kept from entering the village by tight police checkpoints over the past several days, and 21 were arrested this morning trying to enter to defend the village. But despite their overwhelming numerical disadvantage and several arrests in Daechuri, villagers and supporters struggled all day to defend the village. The police's first target in Daechuri was the Human Rights house. Several human rights activists had tied themselves to the lookout tower on the roof of the building and threw out the ladder, and residents barricaded the building to keep the cops from coming up. But the police eventually managed to enter, and dragged out and arrested the activists before smashing up the house and all of the beautiful murals that it contained.

But around 40 other people who climbed onto the roofs of other buildings kept the police from destroying 13 houses in Daechuri. At one house right at the entrance to town, police stood off for hours with two people sitting on the pointed top of the house's sloping roof. The house was surrounded by villagers. After several failed attempts to force the two activists down, police promised to let them go free (and then destroy the house) if they came down on their own. But villagers already learned during previous attacks what a cop's promise is worth, so they stood their ground and insisted that the police leave. Eventually the police were forced to give up and leave the house standing and activists free.

Residents will probably now try to regroup after today's demolitions, and continue preparing their harvests and getting ready for any future attacks. Residents and supporters across Korea will also continue organizing for the national march in Seoul on September 24 (and supporters in other countries will continue preparing solidarity actions for the same day).. Hopefully there will be plenty of solidarity actions on September 24 in other countries too....

The Evictions Have Begun in Daechuri and Doduri

Above, peace defenders use their bodies to defend the village against the police. Wednesday, September 13th. Below, peace defenders hold a candlelight vigil on the evening of September 12th.

A villager goes up against the police.

People live here. Stop the forced Evictions!

Our hearts ache as we look at the photos and see the destruction of the houses in Daechuri and Doduri. PEACE AND STRENGTH to the beautiful people of Pyeongtaek!

More signs that new police attack is imminent: national protest tour kicks off

From saveptfarmers.org/blog

An unmarked Ministry of Defense car cruised around Daechuri Friday afternoon. Shorty after, helicopters did several low fly-overs above the town. In the past, surveilance visits by the Ministry of Defence have been followed two or three days later by a police attack on the town. This time, the helicopters and the oficials in the car were probably gathing information to decide which houses to destroy next week.
The "empty houses" targetted for destruction have been cleaned, renovated, and reclaimed by residents and supporters. They've been converted into housing, a broadcast center, a community restaurant (where I've been helping out), the Tea House (a symbolically very important gathering spot in the center of town), an art museum, and offices for the residents committees to work in. The Defense Ministry could be planning to destroy any or all of these in the upcoming attack on the villages.
Also on Friday the 8th, a series of protests around Korea kicked off in Seoul and at nearby US military bases. Some residents will continue on until the national march in Seoul on September 24. Others joined the protests for the first few days and will now return to the village before the police arrive this week. Some supporters have also begun to arrive, to help defend the villages against the demolition.

While a delegation goes to Seattle to protest the third round of Korea-US FTA negotiations Women Against US Imperialism hold a rally against the FTA.

Prevent the Destruction of Houses in Daechuri!

This past week a company went into the village of Daechuri to scope out the destruction of houses in the village.

Photo from a Vigil Inside Daechuri

Alert!! The Demolition of Houses in Pyeongtaek

[Alert!!!] The countdown has begun for the demolition of the houses

The government is schedule to destroy the vacant houses in Daechuri and Doduri in next week. By interviewing several police officers, they expected that the D-day will be Wednesday(13th). However, a staff of the Ministry of National Defense said, "we cannot confirm what day it will be" though They didn't deny the demolition plan of next week. Another staff said, "As I know, it will start on a day from 11th to 13th". Along the demolition of the vacant houses, the government is going to get down to the removal of the residents soon.

KCPT is planning to held a candlelight vigil in front of the Ministry of National Defense at 5 p.m. every day from September 7th(Thu.). They said, "We gathered as many people as possible to Daechuri and Doduri to stop the demolition. Each solidarity group is going to held a protest to Cheongwadae and the Ministry of National Defense. They will declare themselves against the demolition strongly." They added, "We are scheduled to have simultaneous candlelight vigils in Seoul, Pyeongtaek, and other cities. Cyber vigils will be started too."

from "Voice of People"