Cindy Sheehan came to Korea!!!
- The Summary from the PRESSIAN news
Cindy Sheehan, a prominent figure in the U.S. anti-war movement came to Korea to show her strong solidarity with the anti-US base struggle in Pyeongtaek and anti-FTA movement.
She joined the press conference held in Seoul at the Jeongdong Franciscan Education Center on November 20th. The conference was also joined by activists from Korean Americans against War and Neoliberalism (KAWAN), International Action Center, and Global Exchange. They made a statement against the U.S army base expansion in Pyeongtaek, the Korea-U.S FTA, and the dispatch of the troops to Iraq.
In the statement, they said, "The government which does not care about an individual's life and property is never a true government for the people." They concluded that the peace and reunification of Korea is up to the Korean people. Medea Benjamin from Global Exchange said, "Now, over 80% of Iraqi people are demanding the retreat of foreign troops from their land. Many Americans and Koreans are supporting the idea. We must be in solidarity and fight together."
Cindy made clear the reason of her visit. "I came here to give support to the Pyeongtaek residents who have been struggling against Bush's evil policy on the Korean Peninsula." She has devoted herself to the peace movement since she lost her child in the Iraq war. "For the same reason as my son was killed, people here are struggling and suffering. It is U.S. government that caused these tragedies. They are trying to put the whole world under their control by boosting their militarism and war industry."
Jose Chivino from the CSEA (California School Employees Association) and the AFL-CIO also stated, "The FTAs have made people's living conditions worse than ever before in Mexico and Chile. We must stop the U.S. and Korean congresses from passing the agreement."
In the conference, Cindy met Pil-Soon Hwang, the mother of Ji-Tae Kim. Kim is now in jail after receiving a 2-year prison sentence. Cindy said, "You must be as proud of your son as I am of mine."
Cindy and the activists are scheduled to have an interview in jail with Kim after
visiting Daechuri from November 20th to 21th. The group is also planning to join the anti-FTA rally on November 22th and a public meeting hosted by Korean People's Action against the Dispatch of Troops to Iraq on November 23th. She is going to leave Korea on November 24th.
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