Amerikan military poisons environment in Korea

By a Massachusetts prisoner and MIM

Once again imperialist Amerika has made manifest the disregard it 
has for human life abroad. In February the Han River, a main 
source of drinking water for Seoul's 12 million inhabitants was 
poisoned with about 20 gallons of formaldehyde by chauvinist 
Amerikan soldiers stationed in south Korea.

Activists protested and demanded a public apology by the 8th Army 
commander and they also demanded that disciplinary action be taken 
against those directly responsible and the resignation of u.s. 
forces Korea commander General Thomas A. Schwartz.

Lt. General Daniel J. Petrosky, the 8th army commander said in a 
public statement to south Koreans, "I officially express to you my 
deepest apology for the incident," claiming that the military will 
take "appropriate corrective action." But rather than take an 
appropriate action, like pulling out the u.s. occupying troops, 
officials issued statements claiming that the formaldehyde was 
treated in the sewage system and was diluted with waste water 
before being dumped in the Han. They also say the chemical caused 
no harm to public health. But even if no immediate adverse effects 
have been discovered yet, as Korean environmentalists point out, 
the chemical is hazardous to people's health and can lead to 
cancer over long exposure.

According to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between south 
Korea and the united $tates, the u.s. does not have to partake in 
environmental clean-up of their bases. Locals are not afforded 
information pertaining to military contamination, and without u.s. 
military consent Korean officials cannot release said information. 
Military personnel will not confirm or deny the existence of 
nuclear and or chemical weapons in south Korea. But observations 
by local residents suggest that these weapons exist. 

U.$. troops have been stationed in south Korea since the war in 
1950-53. The u.s. has over 37,000 troops and 120-180 military 
bases across south Korea. In addition to reinforcing the 
subjugated status of south Korea as a neo-colony of the united 
states, U.$. operations have had a negative effect on wimmin and 
children. The wimmin are forced into prostitution, to service 
military personnel. Rape is a usual occurrence and most of the 
time no action is taken against the perpetrators. The wimmin fear 
public humiliation and are regularly intimidated into silence. The 
children these wimmin have by the military men are usually viewed 
as pariahs by their counterparts. They are usually discriminated 
against and grow up poor and without options available to other 
Koreans. Those with Black fathers get this treatment twofold.

The children born to Amerikan troops get no support from 
government officials, u.s. or Korean. The only support these 
children and their mothers get comes from organizations such as Du 
Rae Bank, Koran Women's Hot Line, Korea Church Women United, 
National Campaign to Eradicate Crime by U.S. Troops in Korea, and 
Sae Woom Tuh. These groups work to empower these wimmin and teach 
them new skills to become self-reliant. The organizations also 
offer educational programs to teach the youth about their 
situation. But reformist actions that help individual victims of 
u.s. imperialism will not solve the problem. Wimmin continue to be 
raped, the environment continues to be destroyed, and south Korea 
is still forced to serve its imperialist master. This is why MIM 
says that revolutionary organizing is the only real solution to 
the exploitation and oppression of imperialism.

U.$. troops are protected from prosecution from crimes committed 
against Korean people under the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1953, 
updated by the Status of Forces Act, 1967. Under this agreement 
troops live free of rent, they are immune from criminal 
prosecution and they are not responsible for cleaning up 
contamination their operations cause. Because of this treaty u.s. 
troops get away with the most heinous of crimes such as rape, 
sexual abuse, murder and much more. If they do get sanctioned it 
is minor like a transfer to another post or other light 
punishments. But, despite recent calls by south Korean president 
Kim Dae Jung for the u.$. military to clean up its act, the south 
Korean government is not pushing to solve these problems. The laws 
passed are in favor of u.s. troops. Without the overthrow of u.s. 
imperialism countries like south Korea will continue to be pawns 
used by u.s. imperialism.