2018 Statement

We have come together for our fifth annual international peace camp, Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace of the Sea. First held in Gangjeong Village in 2014, our peace camp has subsequently met in Okinawa, Taiwan, and Ishigaki. We have worked toward the goal of making our shared waters into a sea of peace while striving toward the vision of making our islands and surrounding region into a demilitarized zone, where all military bases should be removed. Our group represents bonds of solidarity and friendship which transcend differences in language, age, gender, citizenship, and background. While embracing our vibrant diversity, we are united in our commitment to protect peace for life and democracy, which are confronted by state violence, military base construction, environmental destruction, reckless militarization, over-development, and the inequality between rich and poor.

The theme for the 2018 Jeju camp is "We are Gureombi." Gureombi rock was a wetland habitat which formed the coastline of Gangjeong Village. It was a precious place for the villagers and many creatures. Though Gureombi now lies suffocated under the concrete of the navy base, we believe Gureombi will one day be reclaimed, and it remains an important collective symbol and source of resilience for our struggle.

We are from the islands that have joined together in solidarity through our peace camp—Jeju, Okinawa, Ishigaki, Taiwan, and Hawaiʻi—and we also include friends from elsewhere: Korea, Japan, Ireland, Hong Kong, Canada and the US. We have gathered here on Jeju Island and have learned about the history of Japanese Imperialism; WWII-era legacies of war at Alddreu Airfield; and the trauma of the Jeju 4.3 Uprising and Massacres of civilians beginning in 1948 under the US Military Government. We have also visited Gangjeong and Seongsan to gain a greater understanding about their struggles against the Jeju Navy Base and Second Airport / Airbase project. We have joined together for kayaking, dancing, “human chain” direct actions, and the early-morning reflective ritual of 100 bows. We have also learned about the situations of our respective islands – sharing stories, ideas, and inspiration for what we can do together now and in the future.

At this time the bi-annual RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) maritime warfare exercises are taking place, with 26 Nations now complicit in violating the neutrality of the Hawaiian Kingdom. We acknowledge the illegal military occupation of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States since 1893, properly referred to as the Hawaiian Kingdom. We further acknowledge the struggle of the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) people for their national independence and Aloha ʻĀina (their love for the land). We express our mutual resistance to the destruction of all sacred places, Pōhakuloa, Kahoʻolawe and Mauna Kea to name but a few.

Last year our Peace Camp took place on Ishigaki Island, where the issue of base construction raises urgent concerns. If we allow a missile base to be built on Ishigaki and other islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago, they will be targets of attack in the event of war. Nevertheless, the consent for a new base was granted by the local government in July 2018, meaning the base construction plan may be accelerated. In addition, we are deeply concerned about reckless blatant exploitation of nature. Ishigaki was recently rated as the world’s No.1 tourist destination, and with droves of tourists expected, many resort developments are underway with little consideration to the inevitable environmental impacts and contamination.

People around the world have joined Okinawans in opposing the militarization of their islands, but the Japanese Government has not listened to their voices. The government is nearing completion of US helipads in Takae, in Higashi Village of Northern Okinawa, and is moving forward with the construction of a new US base in Henoko, Nago City. Since last year, many accidents have occurred involving US military aircraft. Local residents have demanded increased protection of their safety and dear life, but US military aircraft continue to fly over neighborhoods and schools, creating ongoing risks.

In Taiwan, a relative indifference toward the peace movement explains why the public has paid little attention to the construction of installations at Taidong and at Neihu in Taipei, which have potential military uses, and has neglected the tragic history of soldiers conscripted to fight abroad. However, we can shift public attitudes through education and advocacy for Taiwan to reduce military spending and to refuse participation in military exercises with the US. As the saying goes, no one is an outsider; what we wish to achieve is not only Taiwan's peace, but also the peace of Asia and the world.

Hong Kong is now a well-known international city, but in fact, the name and concept of "Hong Kong" arose when it became a British colony in 1841. Later, due to its geographic advantage, Hong Kong became a transit point for military use and has passively participated in many wars. This is a forgotten past. Most of the Hong Kong people today have no idea of the city’s historical connection to the region’s militarization.

As we meet in Jeju, we applaud the original decision of the Gangjeong Village Association in March 2018 to oppose bringing warships for a large-scale militaristic event in October, a decision that was regrettably overturned through an objectionable and irregular process. Like THAAD deployment in Soseong-ri, Seongju, Korea, the continued preparations for a Fleet Review go against the spirit of the April 27, 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Meeting. The so-called International Fleet Review will bring greater suffering to Jeju residents through widespread damage to the island’s delicate ecology, an unacceptable risk caused by the expected arrival of up to 100 warships, and it would violate the spirit of the April 27 Inter-Korean Summit Meeting. Tragically, it will accelerate the militarization of Jeju and betrays its identity as an Island of World Peace. We also stand in solidarity with Seongsan residents who are opposing the proposed building of an air force base under the guise of a second Jeju airport, which will intensify the degradation of the island’s environment and jeopardize the island’s future through overdevelopment and further militarization.

Despite these grave challenges, we celebrate our strengths, including our vision, our hope, and our passion for bringing about a peaceful world. As an Island of World Peace, we hope Jeju would welcome those who flee from violence such as the war in Yemen. We are encouraged by the ongoing progress in our movements, which have been effective in raising consciousness of our struggle and bringing about positive change. The Henoko anti-base movement recently saw a hopeful development when the Governor of Okinawa announced his plan to rescind a controversial landfill permit. This means a halt to the government’s plans to dump gravel and soil into the ocean of Henoko, which would have begun in mid-August, and we will continue to demand the cancellation of the new base construction and to resist further militarization of Okinawa. Also, we hope to draw strength from the widespread anti-nuclear movement in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere in Northeast Asia, as anti-nuclear activists are also committed to protecting the environmental conditions necessary for all life to thrive.Lastly, we applaud United Nations Independent Expert, Dr. Alfred M. deZayas of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for his official acknowledgement via memorandum of the fraudulent annexation and ongoing illegal military occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

If we do not protect the natural world, it will be unable to sustain us. True security lies in peace and the health of the environment. Militarism will bring only destruction of nature and our lives. The sea is the bridge which connects us in solidarity for peace and co-existence. Our tenacious practice of peace through time can make change. We reject regionalism and patriarchy through education, conversation and understanding among people with different backgrounds. Learning from one another, we embrace the power of prayer, imagination, creativity, and stand in unity and non-violence. We stand in solidarity with the people resisting militarization on islands around the world.

We demand an end to militarism.

We demand a halt of the RIMPAC maritime warfare exercises.

We demand the cancellation of the International Fleet Review.

We demand an end to the wrongful remilitarization of Jeju Island.

We demand the cancellation of base construction in Takae, Henoko, Yonaguni and the proposed bases at Miyako, Ishigaki, Amami-oshima and the Second Jeju Airport.

We demand a stop to overdevelopment.

We demand the honoring of human dignity, international law, and a politics of conscience to uphold the rights of the people of our islands and beyond.