Pan-S. Korea Solution Committee against US Base Extension in Pyongtaek (KCPT)
Statement Protesting the Prison Sentence of Residents’ Representative Ji-Tae Kim
We strongly condemn the politically motivated trial and the Judiciary’s outrageous actions!
Stop the oppression of Pyongtaek residents and release Director Ji-Tae Kim immediately!
On November 3, 2006, Ji-Tae Kim, Dachuri Village Leader and Director of the Paengsung Residents Committee against US Base Expansion, was sentenced to two years imprisonment on charges of “special obstruction of government affairs involving bodily harm” by the Suwon Region Pyongtaek District First Criminal Court (verdict delivered by Justice Ji-Yong Sung). We hereby state that the prison sentence handed out today is an egregious act of oppression against the struggle to protect peace in Pyongtaek and the result of a wicked and politically motivated trial, which has completely shattered faith in this country’s Judiciary. We strongly protest the verdict and denounce this outrage against peace.
The presiding panel of judges claimed that Director Kim’s crime was severe enough to warrant a sentence of three years to indefinite imprisonment. However, presenting themselves as merciful, they said they had reduced the sentence to only two years in consideration of the fact that Director Kim had been acting in his capacity as the residents’ representative and thus was required to express their will. Just this year 819 people have been arrested in the process of protect peace in Pyongtaek, over 70 of whom went to trial. However, among them Director Kim is the only one who received a sentence of prison time for “special obstruction of government affairs involving bodily harm” or similar such charges.
We have some serious questions for the judges.
On June 5 2006, Director Kim, acting as the residents’ representative, willingly came forward to answer a proposal for dialogue made by the Korean Ministry of Justice. On that day, despite the fact that he had no reason to try to escape or destroy evidence he was forcibly detained by the Public Prosecutor and consequently held for several months. While this first imprisonment was already groundless, what possible justification can there be for sentencing him to further jail time?
Director Kim has never acted for his own benefit. His only crime is to have served as the residents’ representative, giving voice to their grief and rage at having been robbed of their land first by the Japanese Army, then by an American military airfield and now again by the American Army. What then, is the reason for such cruel and merciless treatment?
This morning, while the trial took place, police close of the courtroom and violently block residents and even Director Kim’s family from entering. If we only look at this cowardly way in which the trial was carried out, is it not clear what the real reason is?
Today’s trial was the result of the current administration’s policy of using force and violence to push forward the expansion of the US military base which itself is meant for nothing other than war. We can only see it as a façade behind which the Noh Moohyun government is hiding. For the residents who have fought with great determination for over three years against the government’s oppression, threats and attempts at cooption, Director Kim’s sentence is a bitter fruit to swallow. It is nothing other a means by which to hold him hostage, a cruel way of threatening the residents and speeding up the process of driving them off their land to make way for the base expansion. Anyone with common sense can see this fact clearly.
However, if the government believes that by keeping Director Kim imprisoned it has found away to break the residents’ will, it is greatly mistaken. These are people who have fought harder and harder each day against governmental oppression and violence. They have stood firm, never wavering in the struggle to protect the land. For each one of the last 800 days, they have lit candles of peace to save the life-giving earth. In the name of Director Kim Ji-Tae and of all people who love peace, we strongly condemn the inhumane, politically motivated trial and make the following demands of the Noh Moohyun government:
Stop the savage oppression of the residents and release Kim Ji-Tae immediately!
Stop the unilateral US military base expansion immediately and commit to full renegotiation with the residents!
In order to bring about the speedy release of Ji-Tae Kim and achieve the residents sincere aspiration to save the land which they have tilled their whole lives, KCPT will strengthen our solidarity and use every means possible to carry out this struggle along side them. We will win this fight, whatever the costs. With united strength we will, with out fail, stop the US military base expansion.
November 3, 2006
Pan-S. Korean Solution Committee against the US Base Extension in Pyongtaek
|
|
