Statement of 59 civil groups from 29 countries

Nov 6 2013

 

 

The elderly, not an enemy of the State but residents of the Mother Earth,

confronting with unjust state authorities in Miryang, the Republic of Korea

<Photo, To block the construction of the tower No126, local people do tent struggle. Oct 26 2013, Miryang Korea. Photo Yeyong CHOI>

 

 

We, undersigned civil society organizations, express our grave concerns on the situation of Miryang villagers who have struggled against the construction of 765kV transmission towers in their village to protect their right to environment, health and land. Elderly villagers of Miryang in the Republic of Korea have confronted with around 3,000 police officers since 1 October 2013 after Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCO) resumed construction of 765kV transmission towers.

 

 

The elderly of Miryang have been mentally and physically injured during the protest, and Mr. Sanghong LEE, the Secretary General of Gyeongju Korean Federation for Environmental Movement(KFEM)/Friends of the Earth Korea(FoE Korea) who supported villagers’ struggle has detained on 3 October 2013 during his protest. Fortunately, he was released on 25 October 2013 because his habeas corpus claim was accepted by the court.

 

 

Mr. Jinho PARK, a male villager aged 57, was arrested on 16 October 2013 and have detained since then. He was driving his tractor for farming and accidently, the tractor grazed a police officer, which made him fell down on the ground. As a result, Mr. Park was arrested and detained under the violation of Punishment of Violence Act.

 

 

The Miryang villagers have restarted their fighting because the construction was unilaterally resumed by KEPCO despite their fierce opposition on 1 October 2013. Villagers in Miryang have opposed the construction of 765kV power transmission towers since 2005. During the struggle, tragic incident also happened. In January 2012, a 74-year old farmer immolated himself after witnessing construction at his farmland and the construction has been temporarily stopped since then.

 

 

Local villagers mostly in their 70s or 80s who want to spend the rest of life farming as they used to live have opposed the KEPCO’s construction of the 765kV power transmission towers because of adverse effects of electromagnetic waves on human health and agricultural crops. It is evident that the construction of 765kV power transmission tower violates Miryang villagers’ right to health, environment and land.

 

 

In 2005, KEPCO announced the plan to construct 161 power transmission towers in Ulju, Gijang, Yangsan, Miryang, Changnyeong and nearby areas, in order to connect 765kV transmission cables of 90.5km from Singori Nuclear Power Plants to Northern Gyeongnam electricity substation. The aim of the construction is to transmit electricity that will be generated by Singori Nuclear Power Plants to Daegu metropolitan area.

 

 

In November 2007, the government of the Republic of Korea approved the plan at Miryang where 69 towers will be built but only 127 out of 21,069 villagers (0.6% of total villagers) were aware of the government’s plan. The local villagers who became to learn about this later have established 'Miryang People’s Association against Construction of 765kV Transmission Tower’and have strongly opposed the construction while living in tents in mountain.

 

<Photo, A 765kV tower and people already set up in Dangjin, milled west of South Korea. The height of the tallest tower in Miryang will be 147meters.>

 

 

Miryang villagers are outraged that KEPCO persistently ignores adverse impact of the electromagnetic waves from high voltage transmission towers on human health and neglects free, prior and informed consent into the decision making process.

 

 

According to the nationwide telephone survey of 1,000 citizens conducted by KFEM/FoE Korea, Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health, and the laboratory of Graduate School of Public Health in Seoul National University, 66.1% sympathizes with opposing activities of Miryang villagers and only 17.6% do not. This shows that 6 or 7 out of 10 people support Miryang villagers who are confronting with KEPCO.

 

 

We supports Miryang villagers struggle against police force for more than 30 days as well as opposing actions for more than 8 years to ask proper decision making process and protect their right to health and right to environment in their area. In respects to the current confrontation, we call on the government of the Republic of Korea and KEPCO to

 

 

1.          Immediately stop the construction of 765kV transmission towers in Miryang and start a genuine dialogue with Miryang villagers for risk communication.

 

 

2.          Withdraw excessive police forces at the protest site and protect and promote human rights of villagers and environmental defenders including their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, right to health, environment and land.

 

 

3.          Immediately release all human rights defenders including villagers who were arrested during their peaceful protest against construction of 765kV transmission towers and drop all the charges against human rights defenders.

Endorsement

 

 

1. Amigos da Terra Brasil, Brazil

2. Amigos de la Tierra Espana, Spain

3. Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, USA

4. Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Regional

5. Asia Network for Right of Occupational and Environmental Victim, Regional

6. Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples, Regional

7. Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, Regional

8. Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association(BELA), Bangladesh

9. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), India

10. Brazilian Asbestos Exposed People Association, Brazil

11. Center for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia

12. Centre for Environmental Justice, Sri Lanka

13. CESTA, El Salvador

14. COECOCEIBA, Costa Rica

15. Dignity International, International

16. Friends of the Earth Canada, Canada

17. Friends of the Earth Croatia, Croatia

18. Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland(EWNI), United Kingdom

19. Friends of the Earth Europe, Regional

20. Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels, Belgium

21. Freinds of the Earth International, International

22. Friends of the Earth Japan, Japan

23. Friends of the Earth Malta, Malta

24. Friends of the Earth Togo, Togo

25. Friends of the Earth U.S., USA

26. Globe International, Mongolia

27. Greenpeace East Asia, Regional

28. Henri Pezerat, France

29. Hnuti DUHA, Czech Republic

30. HSC, India

31. Human Security Alliance, Regional

32. Imparsial, Indonesia

33. INFORM Human Rights Documentation Center, Sri Lanka

34. Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development(IOHSAD), Philippines

35. International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, United Kingdom

36. Italy Afeva, Italy

37. Japan Occupational Safety and Health Resource Center, Japan

38. Justiça Ambiental, Mozambique

39. Labor Education and Service Network, Regional

40. Law&Society Trust, Sri Lanka

41. Local Initiative OSH Network, Indonesia

42. National Association of Professional Environmentalists(NAPE), Uganda

43. Occupational Health and Safety United Food and Commercial Workers BC, Canada

44. Odhikar, Bangladesh

45. OEHNI, India

46. Pax Romana ICMICA, International

47. Peoples Trg & Res.Center, India

48. PILIPINA Legal Resources Center(PLRC), Philippines

49. Pro Natura, Switzerland

50. RightOnCanada, Canada

51. Sahabat Alam Malaysia(SAM), Malaysia

52. salem-News.com, United Kingdom

53. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Malaysia

54. Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Taiwan

55. Taiwan Association for Victims of Occupational Injuries, Taiwan

56. Volgograd-Ecopress' Infprmation Centre, Russia

57. WALHI, Indonesia

58. World Information Service on Energy, International

59. Young Friends of the Earth Europe, Regional