Korean Prostitution Chapter 5

Chapter V Networking in order to Prevent American Military Crimes

1. Human Rights & Domestic Networking

The individuals, in the case of the military town, are the prostitutes, Amerasian children, and other residents that are affected by the U.S. military presence in South Korea. Therefore, as Yu Jin Jeong proposes in her essay, "The Act of Making Peace"1), the base of the NGO movement must focus upon what these individuals needs. Furthermore, Cynthia Enloe proposes that although the people affected by militarism are both men and women, distinctions between the two genders, must be acknowledged. Hence scholars, activists and society as a whole will realize the full extent of the affect of militarism and sexual discrimination. Once this base is firmly established, NGOs must inform society regarding the injustices and human rights abuses by the U.S. military in the military towns. The future success of NGO activities in the military towns is reliant upon the effectiveness of both domestic and foreign activities and networking. On the domestic level this process involves a union between the community based NGOs and the civil society NGOs. Although the main purpose of activism is to combat the human rights violations against the military town prostitutes and the Amerasian children, in view of the fact that the American military presence affects the entirety of Korean society, the end must encompass the goal of complete reform of the U.S. military's socio-political activities abroad.

In the international arena, domestic activities of NGOs can be supplemented through exchange of information, techniques, and scholarship. In addition, through the networking of similar organizations located throughout the world, South Korea can gain international allies, thereby alerting the outside world concerning injustices perpetrated by the American military in South Korea. The following section will explore the future of domestic and international activities of the NGOs engaged with issues concerning the military towns.

At the outset, in the domestic arena, efforts must be taken to insure the welfare and protection of human rights of the prostitutes and children that reside in the military towns. Therefore, the NGO must establish a base within the military towns. From this foundation, a staff with expert knowledge, experience, solid theoretical rationalization, and independence are needed to successfully promote effective social activism within the military towns. Residents of the military towns need concrete programs providing, counseling, childcare, medical care, work training and most importantly, these women need to become self-sufficient. In order to obtain these goals, through direct involvement in NGO activities, staff members must commit to maintain an environment, which promotes equality, friendship, trust and self-sufficiency among the military town residents. Thereby, these women can become empowered, and protect themselves against the injustices incurred while living in the military towns. Empowerment includes direct participation in NGO social activism and the ability report misconduct by the U.S. military and be insured justice.

In addition, staff must know why, how and for whom social activism is intended. In other words, the staff must be dedicated to the goal of participating in social activities exclusively on behalf of the women and children of the military town. In order to facilitate this relationship between the staff of the NGO and the residents of the military town, the NGO must sever all connections with large organizations, such as the Church or the government. These goals can be accomplished through the focus upon feminism and more specifically the protection of individuals' human rights within military towns.

Once a base for CB-NGO activism is firmly established, through experience, observation, and understanding, these organizations must educate South Korean society about the military towns. This process entails two possible methods, 1) networking between CS and CB NGOs and 2) expansion of a CB- NGO to include CS-NGO activities. The base of NGO activism is initialized at the community level, and later through CS-NGO activism these issues become public. Although ideological differences and approaches to activism are often irreconcilable, the main goal of these NGOs is to improve the living conditions and protection of the human rights of the women and children in the military towns. As Kim Hyon-son suggests, Although methods of approaching activism in the military towns may differ, in the face of tremendous deficiencies, NGO social activism of any nature is welcome.2) Therefore, despite disagreements, these organizations invariably attempt to avoid conflict. Compromise facilitates cooperation, especially between organizations with similar theoretical backgrounds, such as Saewoomtuh and the National Campaign. Through exchange between the CB-NGO and CS-NGOs, and direct experience of staff members, the theoretical base of the CS-NGOs in Korea, National Campaign, has gradually shifted, to be more compatible with CB-NGO, Saewoomtuh. In the future, increased communication concerning the socio-political environment of the military towns and relations with the U.S. military will facilitate the development of NGO social activism in South Korea.

2. International NGO Coalitions: Okinawa

In addition to exchange and cooperation on the domestic level, NGOs have gradually branched out in the field of international networking. As stated before, due to the involvedness of CB-NGO activities, members of these organizations have had difficulty participating in activities outside the military towns. Nevertheless, Saewoomtuh has made various attempts to facilitate networking with similar organizations from around the world. In addition, the National Campaign has made a concerted effort to promote international networking. Both Saewoomtuh and National Campaign have ties with the East Asia-US Women's Network Against Militarism. In addition, the National Campaign has extended the international communication through a series of exchanges with NGOs in Okinawa.

The East Asian Women's Network Against Militarism3) is a coalition of CB/CS-NGOs and religious organizations, which promotes institution of progressive policy reform and communication between NGOs in Asia, the Pacific and U.S. This organization was founded in 1995, as a merger between NGOs and religious organizations: the Asia Resource Center, the Korea Church Coalition, the Campaign to Oppose the Return of the Khmer Rouge (CORKR), and the Church Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.4) The first summit was held in May of 1997 in Okinawa, at which time the Women's Network provided funds for Saewoomtuh's representative, Kim Hyon-son, the National Campaign representative Yu Jin Jeong, and Durae-Bang's Kim Myong Boon(�����) to attend the conference. After attending this Conference Yu Jin Jeong of the National Campaign stated that the experience resulted in a significant alteration of her views concerning military town activism. Before attending the summit Yu Jin Jeong accepted the nationalist student movements ideological approach to societal issues. However, after meeting and sharing experiences with various NGOs, she realized the extent of the U.S. military's affects throughout the world.5) In an interview in the National Campaign's newsletter, Yu Jin Jeong said, Before the summit, we weren't aware of the affects of the American military upon the rest of the world, however after meeting in Okinawa we realized that the human rights violations which occur in South Korea, are repeated throughout the world.6) The international summit represented an opportunity for Korean military town NGOs to interact with similar organizations globally and better understand socio political implications of U.S. military international relations.

On October 8th 1998, the second summit convened in Washington D.C., Yu Jin Jeong, of the National Campaign, Kim Hyon-son of Saewoomtuh and Yu, Yong Nim of Durae-Bang also attended. Various organization with similar goals throughout the world attended this event, participants also included, members from the Philippines, Okinawa, the mainland of Japan and the United States. The title of this summit was "Redefining Security for Women and Children" and the summit lasted for four days. This summit covered issues, such as, violence of U.S. military against local women and children, the abandonment of Amerasian children by U.S. soldiers, and environmental pollution by the U.S. military. In addition, participants discussed issues concerning unequal treaties erected between the U.S. and Japan, Korea and the Philippines. Based on the information collected during this summit, sponsors presented a list of seven demands to members of Congress outlining the amendments needed in the U.S. policy regarding the East Asian region.

7) The East Asian Women's Network Against Militarism8) next project is titled the International Women's Summit: Redefining Security and will be held in synchronization with the G-8 Summit in Okinawa on July 21-23, 2000.9) Participants include NGOs from around the world; Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, who contribute to activism associated with topics regarding the repercussions of American military stationed overseas, such as Anti-militarism and violence committed by U.S. personnel against local women and children. The East Asian Women's Network will provide airfare to four NGO staff members from South Korea and the Philippines. In addition, as Kim Dong Shim points out, as networking becomes more consolidated, and the number of participants from South Korea increases, the effectiveness of these international conferences will increase. 10)

This summit has six main goals: 1) publicize issues concerning militarism, especially regarding Okinawan women's activism and opposition to U.S. military presence 2) analyze and discuss issues concerning militarism and connections with world economic systems, especially with regards to women, 3) redefining the security needs within the East Asian region, based on women's experiences, 4) consolidate connections and networking between NGOs concerned with analogous issues, 5) promote interaction and exchange between these NGOs, which extend beyond the summit in Okinawa, and 6) develop more effective forms of communication between NGOs. 11)

Since this 'East Asian Women Network' summit is being held in Okinawa, one of the main focuses of the summit will be the Anti-military base movement by NGOs in Okinawa. The U.S. military bases occupy approximately twenty percent (297,000) acres of land, thirty-nine military bases, on the Island of Okinawa. In a referendum recorded in 1996, eighty percent of the Okinawans expressed the need for the removal or consolidation of these bases.12) In particular, On September 4th 1995 when three American GIs abducted and raped a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, the Okinawans literally rose up in arms. As reported in the November 6th 1995 edition of Time magazine, ..85,000 people, nearly 8% of Okinawa's population, joined the largest single demonstration in the island's history to call for American's removal, and polls show 80% of Okinawans support that goal.13) Since this incident, the number of NGOs in Okinawa has continually grown, addressing issues, such as environment, animal protection, anti-militarism and feminism.14)

Okinawa's NGOs have consistently grown and have effectively disputed the injustices committed by the U.S. military against the residents in the military towns. Since 1997 these NGOs have frequently facilitated networking with NGOs in South Korea, exchanging; information, scholars, and ideas. As Yu Jin Jeong states, I learned a lot from the peace activists in Okinawa. Unlike Korean anti-American nationalist activism, the Okinawans conduct activism, which promotes life. Interacting with the Okinawans provided me with the opportunity to tackle question's such as, 1) why is human life important? and 2) why does activism against American militaries presence focus upon human rights of individuals?15) Through interaction with NGOs in Okinawa, Korean NGOs have discovered a new direction for activism. Staff members realized that the nationalist goals promoting grandiose issues such as Reunification and withdrawal should no longer be put ahead of matters, such as, the human rights abuses, the environmental abuses, and the various other infringements upon peace of the South Korean individuals in the military towns.16)

1 Yu Jin Jeong , "The act of making peace, Cheju-do Human Rights Conference" (Seoul: 2000). P.388.

2 Interview with Kim Hyon-son on 18 Feb 2000.

3 Here forth abbreviated as the East Asian Women's Network.

4 East/Asian Women's Network Against Militarism South Korea, Asian Pacific Center for Justice and Peace. 6 Dec 1999.http://www.apcjp.org & http://www.apcjp.

org/womensconference_98/main.htm

5 Interview with Jeong Yu Jin on 15 March 2000.

6 Yu Jin Jeong, "Notes concerning the International Conference in Okinawa",

Issue 17, National Campaign Newsletter, June 1999. P. 9.

7 East/Asian Women's Network Against Militarism South Korea, Asian Pacific Center for Justice and Peace. 6 Dec 1999.http://www.apcjp.org http://www.apcjp.org/womens_conference_98/main.htm.

8 Here forth abbreviated as the East Asian Women's Network.

9 The participants of this meeting are Japan, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, Russia, and the European Commission. Former Prime minister explains that the G8 summit will focus upon four different topics: IT(information technology, Economic Development, Health, and Culture. Statement by former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, 28 Feb. 2000 Copyright : 2000 The Government of Japan http://www.g8kyushuokinawa.go.jp/e/theme/0228.html.

10 Interview with Kim Dong Shim on 14 April 2000.

11 E-mail from Gwynn Kirk on 25 Jan. 2000.

12 Japan Coalition on the U.S. Military Bases, "A message to the American people from Okinawan and Japanese citizens who see peace achieved without military support," The New York Times, 23 Nov. 1998

13 Edward W. Desmond, "Yankee Go Home: As Okinawan's clamor for the expulsion of U.S.bases grows, Tokyo and Washington are listening", Time Magazine, November 6, 1995, p. 14.

14 Presently NGOs in Okinawa are fighting against the construction of new helicopter base in Nago City, which is located in the Northern part of Okinawa.

15 Interview with Jeong Yu Jin on 15 April 2000

16 Yu Jin Jeong stresses that there can be no order in regarding the importance of activism. Interview on 15 April 2000.