And some things you wished they just would pass by

An interesting article, just found, The Arms Race Intrudes on Paradise.

By GLORIA STEINEM

Published: August 6, 2011

[...] Jeju isn’t called the most beautiful place on earth for nothing. Ancient volcanoes have become snow-covered peaks with pure mountain streams running down to volcanic beaches and reefs of soft coral. In between are green hills covered with wildflowers, mandarin orange groves, nutmeg forests, tea plantations and rare orchids growing wild; all existing at peace with farms, resorts and small cities. Unesco, the United Nation’s educational, scientific and cultural organization, has designated Jeju Island a world natural heritage site.[...]

 When I was invited in May to again visit Jeju, by friends in the Korean women’s movement, I could see why it attracts peace conferences, honeymooners, environmentalists, marine biologists, film crews, pilgrims and tourists. But I also visited the peace encampment, within sight of harassing police officers and waiting bulldozers. The mayor of Gangjeong, the leader of the resisters, said quietly that he and others would give their lives to stop construction. His 92-year-old mother walks down from the village to the shore every evening to make sure he is still alive.

Still, the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, a former head of a construction company who was known as “Mr. Bulldozer,” hasn’t yet had a change of heart about supporting the naval base. Indeed, he seems to have the same relationship to construction that President George W. Bush had to oil. But I fear South Korea is a tail being wagged by the Pentagon dog. In contrast, his predecessor, Mr. Roh, said before he died that he regretted only two things: sending South Korean troops to Iraq and permitting a naval base on Jeju Island.[...]

[...] my faith is in the villagers who say,

“Touch not one stone, not one flower.”

Well, mine too.
Peace.

 

Lyn


[Links:

• http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/opinion/sunday/Steinem-the-arms-race-intrudes-on-a-south-korean-paradise.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
• http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/world/asia/19base.html?pagewanted=all
•  http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=35900 - NASA images created by Robert Simmon, using Landsat data provided by the United States Geological Survey. Caption by Michon Scott. Instrument: Landsat 7 - ETM+
• http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1264]