LATEST NEWS FROM JEJU

This morning we have learned that Sung-Hee Choi's trial has been postponed again. It is now scheduled for July 15. It is startling that she remains in jail while awaiting trial, especially considering she was arrested for holding one end of a banner. It seems obvious to me that the South Korean government considers her international solidarity work to be problematic enough that they want to keep her in jail during this pre-trial period. Quite a compliment to her but unusually cruel as well.

We also got word this morning that the $2,900 that I wired to Gangjeong village yesterday to help purchase another inflatable boat has been received. With the exception of $500, all of those funds were donated by the Global Network and our members. Thanks to all of you who contributed. We will look forward to seeing a photo of the new boat soon.

The Global Network yesterday purchased a plane ticket for Matt Hoey (Massachusetts) to be our next board member to travel to Gangjeong village on Jeju Island. He will go in late July and stay there for two weeks. He is very excited and has been doing great work on the Facebook page that MacGregor Eddy first created.

We have received an invitation from the Gangjeong leaders to hold our 20th anniversary Global Network space organizing conference in their village in 2012. At our recent meeting in Andover we agreed to do so and suggested we come soon after the first of the year. Today we heard that late February would be a good time. Our boards will have to discuss the exact timing. It would be great to bring the Global Network leaders to Jeju Island.

Yesterday I read that Yang Yoon-Mo is slowly eating more solid food after his 70 day hunger strike that nearly killed him. Plans seem to be for him to move to a Buddhist center at some point to further his recovery process.

I've lately been seeing articles about Jeju Island appear in many movement publications. It is good to see that word is spreading far and wide. More of this is still needed. In addition, more peace groups need to send people to visit Gangjeong village. The construction of the Navy base there will surely be a trigger for a wider arms race in the Asia-Pacific region. People need to experience this calamity first hand.