ANSWER Coalition stands with Pyeongtaek, South Korean farmers

The writer presented the following statement at a New York City meeting featuring Korean activist Go You-Kyong of the South Korean Solution Committee Against U.S. Military Extension in Pyeongtaek. The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) co-sponsored and participated in forums in cities across the country highlighting the Pyeongtaek struggle.

Go You-Kyong, comrades from the Korean community and supporters, sisters and brothers:

On behalf of the ANSWER Coalition, I would like to welcome you to New York

as you tour the country to explain the reality of the U.S. military presence in your country. We stand with you in your struggle to resist the expansion of the Pentagon bases in Pyeongtaek and to drive the imperialist troops out of Korea.

For over 50 years, the Korean people in the south have been held hostage to U.S. imperialist plans to dominate Asia and the rest of the world. The rights of Koreans have been trampled by the 37,000 U.S. troops stationed there and by the lackey governments that host them against the people’s will.

Today, the presence of those troops is the biggest threat to peace on the Korean peninsula and in Asia. They should be withdrawn immediately!

For years, generals in the Pentagon have dreamed that the Korean people’s desire for peace, reunification and genuine independence would die off. But the humble farmers of Pyeongtaek have shown that the people are still willing to fight and defend their interests. We are all inspired by your courageous and determined struggle, and we pledge to do our part in building solidarity with your struggle.

Solidarity with the Korean struggle 

Sisters and brothers, U.S. imperialism is desperately trying to expand its domination of the world’s people and resources. Tonight, the U.S. proxy Israeli government is carrying out a brutal campaign to crush the people of Lebanon, Palestine and the Arab world. U.S. soldiers are unleashing terror, massacres and death squads across Iraq to try to subjugate the Iraqi people’s just resistance.

We in the ANSWER Coalition are working every day to widen the people’s resistance to U.S. imperialism on every front and in every way. We are mobilizing for a national march in Washington on Aug. 12 to defend the people of Palestine and Lebanon. We are coordinating national actions against the war in Iraq on Oct. 28.

In the midst of all these struggles, we are inspired by the resistance of the Pyeongtaek farmers. Their struggle is a model for working people and all progressives around the world. We are honored to salute their resistance and to offer our solidarity.

The greatest act of solidarity that progressive activists in the United States can show is to work to end the U.S. imperialist occupation of Korea; to force the U.S. military to withdraw all U.S. troops so that the Korean people can work together for peace, social justice and reunification.