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News Archive | LAST UPDATE June 2, 2009 | |
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| On 23 May 2009 the former President of the Republic of Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, passed away. We express our condolences, and hope that he will rest in peace. Peace Boat was founded in response to the 1982 history textbook controversy, in which the Japanese government skewed the facts of history. Since then we have been working to deepen peaceful international exchange on the grassroots level through activities including listening to the testimonies of victims of conflict and colonial rule around the world, with the basic principle that “examining one's own past will create a peaceful future.” Thus, we were paying great attention, and following with great empathy, the activities of the Korean civil society movement under the Roh administration in dealing with Korea's past as part of its moves towards democratisation. Dealing with the past of the Korean Peninsula means not only its history as a colony of Japan, but the tragedy of the Korean War, and the oppression of human rights in South Korea under the military regime. Shedding light on the truth of the human rights abuses fostered societal sympathy with the victims' pain, as well as contributing to restoration of the honour of the victims. In Japan, it is not rare for the voices of Koreans calling for the Japanese government to deal with its past to be reported as expressions of extreme nationalism based on “anti-Japanese” sentiments. However, we see these voices as representing not only a protest against the Japanese government's distortion of history, but also calls to create a peaceful, democratic society where human rights are respected for Japan, Korea and the whole of Northeast Asia. Roh Moo-hyun, through continuing the Sunshine Policy of the Kim Dae-jung era, relentless promotion of North-South dialogue, and efforts to deal with the past, symbolised the strength of Korea's peaceful, democratic and human-rights-respecting civil society. We are told that Korea, like Japan, is now facing a time of great financial crisis. We are concerned that the financial situation could influence negative views of the democratisation and civil society development that were achieved during Roh Moo-hyun's Presidency. The death of former President Roh may now be questioning whether the people of Korea, and their friends throughout Northeast Asia, will be able to further develop the priceless accomplishments achieved after the long struggle for democracy. As well as mourning the loss of former President Roh, as a citizen with a strong calling to make Northeast Asia and the world a peaceful place where human rights are respected, Peace Boat sends this message of solidarity to all of our friends working to realise the peace and democratisation of Northeast Asia and the world. Enquiries regarding this message: Peace Boat Office (Nohira) Tel:03-3363-7561 Fax:03-3363-7562/ pbglobal[a]peaceboat.gr.jp |
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