Lessons to be learnt from Jeju.

Two weeks ago our director told us three interns that we had to be prepared for flying jeju on 20^th , 21^st  and 22^nd. The day 20^th arrived. We went to the Guwangu airport by a taxi. The flight was delayed. But finally, we group of 33 including me safely arrived in Jeju airport.

About Jeju

‘’According to Seong Kyoung ryung (Hallim University) Jeju island gifted by God. Every Jeju visitor may feel that the island is beautiful and marvellous like the gift from the God in heaven. Recently a lot of Asians including Koreans and Chinese come to Jeju the beauty regardless of seasons and days and this causes Jeju International Airport to be one of the busiest airports in the world with more than 70,000 passengers a day on average. ‘’

 

Before going to our accommodation, we have visited Jeju 4, 3 peace memorial hall. It was a good opportunity for me to see this. It tells a lesson how Jeju people be very developed. Both physically and mentally. They not forget the history. They not forget it to get revenge from the foe but for the forgiveness and not repeat the massacre in future.

What happened in Jeju?

It had been happened on Date April 3, 1948 – May 1949

Target was United States Army Military Government in Korea and later Government of South Korea

The Attack type was Rebellion. Deaths          14,000–30,000, or one fifth of population killed from all fighting

The Perpetrators         Pak Hon-Yong.

The Motive Protest against oppression by national police employed by the US military government and the election that was held only in South Korea.

We had attended the 6^th Jeju 4,3 Peace Forum. We listened to many lectures and discussions. Its theme was overcoming the Past Truth Healing and Reconciliation – Jeju and the World in Comparison. The lectures attended from the USA , Germany, Palestine and Cambodia. It was a bundle of knowledge that we can take it to our home countries.

Comparing Jeju to Sri Lanka.

During the tour in Jeju I always remember my country and what was happened and what we can learnt from Jeju. In the southern part of Sri Lanka two uprisings had been taken place and the thirty year of war which was won by Rajapaksha regime in 2009 May.

 Now in Sri Lanka a discussion on reconciliation going on. In this discussion history is not included or neglect to sometimes willingness not to included it. We cannot achieve peace by destroying the history. That is the most precious thing that we can learnt from Jeju. In Sri Lanka now peace is restrained but human rights violations are occurred in the almost all part of the island. Torture happens all most all the police stations in this very moment also. The new government who called the government of good governance yet to address to these violations seriously. Sri Lanka has very good laws written beautifully on law books. In practice, all become a farce. Judiciary is a corrupt institution. The police behave as making the court a rubber stamp. Every occasion the police use the court and make a fabrication of charge. In Sri Lanka Justice denied not only because of delayed but too because of corrupt practices of who always engage in the justice system.

 These injustices must be explored to the world. In Jeju experience all atrocities should be disclosed to the world. Like Sri Lanka Jeju is an island. Unfortunately, in Sri Lanka situation most of the people don’t like to make their bad explore to the world. They want to hide the tear some history. This thing is being done by the peace makers too.

Truth

This is a very important factor in Jeju – ‘’The National Committee for Investigation of the Truth about the Jeju 4.3 Events (4.3 Committee) was a truth commission in South Korea established in 2000. The commission aimed to investigate the Jeju 4.3 events, which refers to a "series of armed uprisings and counterinsurgency that occurred between 1948 and 1954 on Jeju island, the largest island in the southernmost part of South Korea."[1] Announcing 14,028 victims, the first report of the commission was published in 2003, following an official apology by President Roh Moo-hyun, and his participation in a memorial service held in commemoration of the events, in 2006. However the commission continued to be in operation through 2009, carrying out various reparation projects as well as the screening of victims, thus making it the lengthiest truth commission in history.’’ – Wikipedia.

Religion and Jeju

In Sri Lanka the main religion is Buddhism. ‘’Now I would like to close the lecture with the saying of Buddha. He said the greed ignorance and hatred are 3 poisons which make human heart ill and most of all the hatred is the strongest poison which destroys the interpersonal relation and community. Focusing on the point Buddha stressed that the hatred would be relived only by love that can restore the interpersonal relation and community destroyed by the hatred and would bring the peace in the world where all the things are connected by the principal of relationship. Surprisingly the lesson is exactly the same with the Psalm 85, verse 10. Love and faithfulness meet together righteousness and peace kiss each other.

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Based on the lessons from Buddha and God I would Jeju people would keep the sorrow of the Jeju 4-3 Incident but overcome the sorrow and move toward the precious values and tasks. Then I would like Jeju people to use the sorrow and pain as the driving force to save Korea and world. Finally I hope Jeju people take victory and realize era where the sorrow becomes joy’’- Seong Kyoung – Ryung (Hallim University)

Jeju is an example to the whole world specially to third world countries.

Harshi C. Perera