East Asian Peace Conference against War and Nuclear Proliferation

26 – 27 May 2007, Seoul, Korea

A call for the building of international solidarity for peace in East Asia

1. Background

October 9, 2006, North Korea's nuclear test made clear the urgent need to defuse the Cold War tensions which cast their shadow over the Korean peninsula. Shortly after, the United States' guarantee of continued nuclear deterrence SCM (Korea-U.S. Security Consultive Meeting) on October 20, which guaranteed continued deterrence against North Korea offered through the U.S. nuclear umbrella gave rise to serious concern that the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons will increase and the threat of nuclear war might again become a reality. We should not fail to notice that the fundamental root of the North Korea nuclear weapons issue lies in the still-existing cold war order on the Korean peninsula; that is, in the relations of confrontation that have persisted between North Korea and the U.S. and North Korea and Japan even after the end of the Cold War in other areas of the world. All discussions concerning the question of North Korea's nuclear program must begin from this premise.

Since the United States first formed it's military government over Korea in 1945 at the conclusion of WWII, it has used the Korean peninsula as a testing ground for its nuclear strategy and a site at which to prepare and train for an actual nuclear war. Since then, the U.S. has continuously strengthened its capacity and strategy for perpetrating nuclear war, a project which has persisted even after the end of the Cold War. In 2002, it announced the possibility of a preemptive nuclear strike against North Korea and its intention to develop new nuclear weapons in its Nuclear Posture Review statement.  By propelling the Missile Defense system, which connects Korea, Japan and Taiwan, the U.S. has reinforced the worship of nuclear power.  The U.S.'s nuclear unilateralism has stimulated the desire to possess nuclear weapon in East Asian countries.

On February 13, 2006, in the middle of heightening tensions in East Asia, the fifth round of six party talks brought agreement on measures for the implementation of the joint statement reached at the conclusion of the fourth round on September 19, 2005. This agreement is truly significant for having defused the immediate crisis, for promoting reconciliation and collaboration, and for laying out a concrete plan of action and timetable to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis in the long term. Indeed, it has raised hopes that peace on the Korean peninsula and in East Asia might actually be achieved to a previously unfelt degree.

Perhaps most important, U.S. policy towards North Korea has changed in the wake of the agreement creating a foundation for the defusion of the confrontation between the two countries and the building of mutual trust, which could pave the way to peace on the Korean peninsula and in East Asia. The Bush administration has come to recognize that the issue at hand is not merely a problem of nuclear weapons, but a problem concerning North Korea, the Korean peninsula and East Asia as a whole. Therefore it has come to see solving the North Korea nuclear problem as a means for changing geopolitics in East Asia. Of course, it is known by all that active effort on the part of North Korea will be of enormous help in this process.

According to the agreement, North Korea will shut down and seal its nuclear facilities within 60 days and will be provided with 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil in exchange. In the following two months, the U.S. will begin the process of removing North Korea from its list of terror-sponsoring states and of lifting economic restrictions placed on North Korea under the Trading with the Enemy Act. The statement also calls for the establishment of five working-groups on (1) denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, (2) North Korea-U.S. relations (3) North Korea-Japan relations, (4) economic and energy cooperation and (5) peace and security in Northeast Asia.

The possibility of rapid progress in the relationship between North Korea and the U.S., the restoration of South-North relations, and an inter-Korea summit and summit talks between North Korea and other nations has brought much optimism in the wake of the 2.13 agreement. Despite this fact, however, the U.S. policy of regarding North Korea with hostility has not been repealed and there is no guarantee that North Korea will do away with its nuclear program. The desire for nuclear weapons possession by Japan, Taiwan and other nations also poses a difficult obstacle that must be overcome.

In particular, the reality that East Asian countries are currently building up their military power calls into question the wisdom of an overly optimistic evaluation of the six-party talks. In fact, it is unclear whether the six-party talks will really prove to be a mechanism for ending proliferation and creating a denuclearized zone in East Asia. This is because the talks do nothing to challenge the nuclear power and strategy of the United States nor the nuclear programs of other East Asian countries which are currently underway. On top of this, the triangular military alliance between Korea, the U.S. and Japan is growing stronger and the U.S. is working to increase the strength of its forces stationed in East Asia. Given that many countries around the world seek to possess nuclear weapons the possibility that the U.S. will provoke a war in response remains. The continuation of U.S. unilateralism has the potential to bring an intensification of military conflicts around the world, including in East Asia.

In light of this situation, we, as an 'anti-war, anti-nuclear proliferation and peace movement,'  must come together to initiate collective action in East Asia. Our activities should include:

1. Joint actions demanding irreversible measures for denuclearization in East Asia.

2. Joint actions against U.S. military re-deployment in East Asia, reinforcement of East Asian military alliances centered on the United States, and expansion of U.S. military bases.

3. Joint actions against all kinds of militarism.

The global anti-war movement is growing, sparked by U.S. terror, and movements for peace and against war and nuclear proliferation in East Asian countries are actively involved in struggles against each government's support for war, troop dispatches, and so forth. In South Korea,   general understanding of the  Korea-U.S. military alliance and war is undergoing a transformation. In recent years, a popular 'anti-war, anti-nuclear proliferation and peace movement' has been growing through the struggle for the closure of the U.S. international bombing range at Maehyangni, the revision of the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) and against the dispatch of troops to Iraq.

Building on the foundation of solidarity between movements in East Asian countries, the Korean anti-war, anti-nuclear proliferation and peace movement seeks to play a more active role in the struggle for the construction of peace in East Asia. The 'East Asian Peace Conference against War and Nuclear Proliferation' is meant to provide a space at which to build a common framework for understand the problems of nuclear proliferation, militarism and the strengthening of military alliances, and to inspire greater solidarity, the creation of a stable communication network and a joint plan of action for the East Asian anti-war, anti-nuclear proliferation and peace movement.

In the midst of crisis in East Asia we hope this conference will provide new hope for the anti-war, anti-nuclear proliferation and peace movement. We ask for your active participation for the purpose of building solidarity and constructing a peaceful East Asia.

Korean organizations sponsoring this call:

National Association of Professors for Democratic Society (http://professornet.org)

Nonviolent Peaceforce Corea (http://peacewave.net)

People's Solidarity for Social Progress (http://pssp.org)

Coalition for Cultural Diversity in Moving Images (http://www.screenquota.co.kr)

Peacemaking (http://peacemaking.co.kr)

Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (http://kfem.or.kr)

Asian Wide Campaign against U.S.-Japanese Domination and Aggression in Asia (AWC)-Korea

* The above is an initial list of organizations participating in the 'Korean Organizing Committee' for the conference.  Additional social movement organizations will be added to the Committee in the future. The Committee will be fully established by the middle of April.

2. Purpose of the Conference

○ To build a common framework across East Asia for understand the problems of nuclear proliferation, militarism and the strengthening of military alliances.

○ To inspire greater solidarity, the creation of a stable communication network and a joint plan of action for the East Asian anti-war, anti-nuclear proliferation and peace movement.

3. Basic Schedule

1) Outline

Dates: May 26 (Sat.) ~ 27 (Sun.), 2007

Venue: unconfirmed (a university or international conference hall)

2) Program (draft)

May 26 (Sat.)

10:00-11:00 Preceding Event (film screening)

11:00-12:00 Opening Ceremony

12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-15:00 Plenary I

15:30-18:00 Plenary II

18:00-20:00 Welcoming Dinner

May 27 (Sun.)

09:00-11:00 Workshops

11:30-12:00 Closing ceremony

3) Invitation

- Japanese movements against war, nuclear proliferation and peace

- Movements in other Asian countries

- Activists and academics from within Korea, the United States and other countries

4. Structure of the Organizing Committee

○ Organizing Committee

- The Organizing Committee consists of the Korean Organizing Committee and the International Committee.

○ International Committee

- The International Committee consists of organizations and individuals outside of Korea who are participating the conference. The International Committee cooperates with the Korean Organizing Committee on the plan and the declaration for the conference. After the conference, the International Committee will be the basis for the international network.

○ Korean Organizing Committee

- Representatives Committee (co-chairs): consists of individuals and representatives of Korean organizations.

- Executive Committee (executive directors): consists of executive directors of Korean organizations. The Executive Committee will appoint a few members to facilitate the smooth running of the committee.

- Planning Committee (planning directors): responsible for constituting and managing teams to oversee the International Committee, the plenaries, the workshops, the demonstration and the peace tour. The International Committee Team produces and distributes the international call and takes charge of the International Committee. The Plenary Team produces materials for a joint Korean presentation. The Workshop Team organizes and coordinates the workshops. Each team  is made up of all the organizations and individuals who wish to participate.

- Secretariat (general secretary) : responsible for organizing, fund raising, public information.

○ Sponsors

- Sponsors are those organizations and individuals who agree with the concept of the conference, but are not participants.

5. How to Participate

1) Participation

- Every organization and individual who agrees with the plan above may participate in the conference, send a solidarity message and/or endorse the joint declaration adopted at the end of the conference (see below).

- Please send representatives and participate in the plenaries, workshops, demonstration, and peace tour.

* Cost

- Participants are expected to raise their own fund to cover the cost of participation (airfare and  accommodations).

- If you require financial support, please inform the Secretariat and we will do our best to assist you.

2) Solidarity Message

- In the case that you cannot participate in the conference, please send a message of solidarity.

- Solidarity messages will be acknowledged during the conference and be published in the conference publication. (eac2007@jinbo.net)

3) Joint Declaration

- A Joint Declaration will be made during the closing ceremony. Regardless of whether you are able to participate in the conference our not, please endorse the declaration. We encourage active support for the formulation of this declaration.

EAST ASIAN PEACE CONFERENCE

against WAR & NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION

26 – 27 May 2007, Seoul, Korea

REGISTRATION FORM

▪ FIRST NAME:                         ▪ FAMILY NAME:

▪ SEX:

▪ ORGANIZATION (If applicable):

▪ BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION (If applicable):

▪ DESIGNATION/ACTIVITY (If applicable):

▪ COUNTRY:

▪ CITY/TOWN:

▪ E-MAIL ADDRESS:

▪ ORGANIZATION’S URL OR HOME PAGE (If applicable):

▪ TEL:              ▪ FAX:

▪ MOBILE PHONE:

▪ VISA APPLICATION (If needed)

▫ Name on Passport:

▫ Passport Number:

▪ SPECIAL REQUEST (If any):

* Contact : eac2007@jinbo.net