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NEWS & LETTERS, April-May 2006Pyeongtaek farmersDaechuri, South Korea--9:30 a.m., March 15. Two backhoes begin gutting the rice paddies on the far side of the fields. Nearly one thousand riot police stand at the edge of the field, armed with batons and shields. Thousands more are posted around the periphery of the village. An untold number wait at adjacent Camp Humphreys Army base, while hundreds monitor street intersections and key access points to the area, preventing any tractors or farming equipment to arrive for the March 17 spring cultivation. As the supporters realize that the destruction has already begun, they race down the long narrow concrete path that divides the vast fields. Protestors immediately surround the machines, who halt their excavating so as not to crush anyone. Someone climbs on top of the giant arm and secures himself to it. Elderly women lie down in front of the massive treads while people attempt to get inside the cab of the backhoe. Unable to continue the digging, the machines stand idle. The residents of Daechuri have feared this moment for years, the day their land would be transformed into dead earth, a mere platform for the U.S. military to expand its operational base. Suddenly the backhoes begin moving again, but instead of continuing their excavation, they begin refilling the pits with the dirt that they had just removed. Elation passes through the crowd upon seeing the workers disobey orders and follow their hearts. Then the military riot police move into action, cutting off all sides. They occupy two bridges to prevent any more protestors in the village from joining. For a while there is a stand-off. An 80-year-old woman feints and is taken to the hospital. Police begin to arrest people. Many protestors resist and are beaten down. Elderly villagers hurl mud at the police. Some cut through the fence and set small fires on the army base. The struggle continues for hours with neither side gaining or losing much ground Before nightfall, the police backed off, the day had been won, the fields still exist. Forty people are arrested. Many are injured, with broken wrists and ankles. At least two are still hospitalized in serious condition. Injured, exhausted, and running low on supplies and reinforcements, the residents of Daechuri and supporters of the Peace Village fear what will come tomorrow. Find out more from the Pan-S. Korea solution committee against U.S. base extension in Pyeongtaek (http://antigizi.or.kr/english/) and Save the Pyeongtaek Farmers! (http://www.saveptfarmers.org) --Supporter |
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