The farming towns of Doduri and
Daechuri will never reap their
famous rice harvests again, if
the United States military
continues with the planned
expansion of its Camp
Humphreys Army base.  This
concentration of U.S. troops in
the Pyeongtaek region of South
Korea will destroy the farming
communities of Daechuri,
Doduri, and others.  Over 500
households and thousands of
residents live within the zoned
areas.
The rice farmers have chosen to
resist the occupation of their
homeland and stand up to the
Korean government and the
United States military.  Facing
the imminent onslaught of
bulldozers, riot police, and two
nation's militaries, the farmers
of Pyeongtaek have decided to
risk imprisionment and death
before they will willingly
surrender their homes and their
way of life. These peaceful
villagers have fought the
expansion of the base and the
theft of their land through all
possible legal means while being
deceived and ignored.

On February 7th, 2006, the
farmers, having realized that
the Korean government was not
listening to their pleas and
would not help them, declared
autonomy and renounced their
Korean citizenship. They have
since been organizing the daily
life and the defense of their land
and community independently
of the local government.  

In March, Korean police and
army launched a series of
violent attacks on the villages,
ripping up rice fields and
destroying their irrigation
system.  
In May a massive police and
military attack managed to
fence off villagers' fields with
razor wire. Police also destroyed
a local elementary school that
had been converted into a
museum and community
center. Riot police officers,
soldiers, and hired thugs beat
and arrested hundreds of
villagers and supporters,
including village leader Kim Ji-
tae.  
Both Amnesty International and
the National Human Rights
Commission of Korea (a
government oversight body)
denounced the arrests and the
violence against villagers.

Since the May attack, Korean
soldiers and police have
maintained a permanent
occupation of most of the  fields,
preventing village residents
from planting and harvesting
their crops. Police have
established permanent
checkpoints on the roads to the
villages. Residents must present
their ID cards in order to enter,
and supporters are often turned
back at the checkpoints.

During the most recent attack,
on September 13, thousands of
riot police invaded and occupied
the  villages. Police demolition
equipment managed to wipe out
more than 60 empty houses, the
“Human Rights House,” and a
few houses occupied by
supporters. The vastly
outnumbered villagers and
supporters did everything
possible to stop the police attack.
By scaling the roofs of houses
slated for demolition, they
managed to stop the police from
destroying many of the houses
that the Ministry of Defense had
threatened to destroy.
The Pyeongtaek villagers have
reaffirmed their resistance to the
base at the nightly candlelight
vigils, now in their third year.   
As the Ministry of Defense's
threaten imminent eviction,
villagers continue to work in
their gardens, harvest the few
rice fields that haven't been
fenced off with razor wire, and
organize the defense of their
land. Villagers hope that their
resistance on the ground, the
continued support of Korean
social movements, and solidarity
from abroad will be enough to
stop the base expansion and save
their land.
Opposition to the U.S.
Military in South Korea
has come from many
parts of society.
Among the concerns
about U.S. bases, the
issues of forced
prostitution and
human trafficking and
environmental
degradation stand out.
save the pyeongtaek farmers