Category Archives: Regis Tremblay

Chicago Peace on Earth Film Festival, Je Ju Island, Jeju, Pax Christi, Pax Tibi Productions, Peace Movement, Regis Tremblay, The Ghosts of Jeju, War

Chicago Peace on Earth Film Festival SCHEDULE!

February 4, 2014 Regis Tremblay 1 Comment

Hello dear friends,

Today, I received notice of the official schedule.

http://peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=212&Itemid=9

Saturday, March 8, noon. Awesome spot.

But there’s more good news. The founder and director of the festival emailed me when he learned that a young activist from Jeju might be joining me at the festival AND that Pope Francis would be visiting S. Korea in August. Here is what he said,

“WOW Regis!!
We certainly are excited that you and possibly one of the Young Koreans for The Ghosts of Jeju will be in attendance.
However, I am most excited that you have a screening to coincide with the Pope’s coming to South Korea. Let’s muster some powerful influence and support for the effort.”

So, if you are in or near Chicago, please, please do everything you can to attend the screening on March 8 at noon, and please encourage everyone you know to attend as well. This will do more than anything yet to bring attention to our dear friends in Gangjeong Village, and to the untold history of the U.S. in Korea.

And thanks to all of you who have contributed financially in recent days. You must know that wherever The Ghosts of Jeju goes, you go as well. Thank you for making it all possible.

Regis

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This Kind of Review Makes It All Worthwhile

February 3, 2014 Regis Tremblay 1 Comment

Hi, Holly,

After seeing the film (The Ghosts of Jeju) on Weds., I was too emotional to have comments. I don’t want you to think I was untouched by what I saw. I’ll pass on a comment I made to a friend after I arrived home. Thank you for doing your part, always. Peace and Love, Kathy

I’ve just come from a heart-rending viewing of a finely made film of the destruction and valiant protest on the Korean island of Jeju. Once a paradise of unspoiled, vibrant ocean, sacred rocks and waterfalls, an agricultural and fishing community a mere 35 x 45 miles in size, it was first attacked and destroyed during the Korean war. The residents are South Koreans, but our government ordered them destroyed and they were, by the thousands.

The continued systematic destruction of this little paradise is now being perpetrated so the US can add to their legion of bases around the world…way over 1,160 bases, worldwide, all shoving indigenous populations off, destroying their environment and homes.

The bravery and refusal to give up shown by the natives and those who come in as peace activists from many countries is beyond astounding.

After thousands were massacred by the Korean and American armies, survivors are iron-tough and willing to put their lives on the line.

My good friend Holly Graham wrote and performed a lovely song of peace for the movie and the showing tonight was hosted by her, alone. Sadly, few people responded to her invitation.

It’s now up to the few of us who did respond to do something for the good people of Jeju.

The last shred of respect I’ve clung to for the US government is gone. It would’ve taken much less than what I’ve seen tonight to free me from my self-deception.

PS After I read some of the literature, Holly, I told her about how 60% of our national budget goes to the military, leaving 10% and less for everything else. And, that a mere dot on a line graph goes to our food safety. (Going to a supermarket is like walking between two walls of poison…and it’s what most of our children are growing up on.)

Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, Je Ju Island, Pax Christi, Pax Tibi Productions, Peace Movement, Pope Francis, Regis Tremblay, Savejejunow, The Ghosts of Jeju, Veterans For Peace

The Ghosts of Jeju Needs Your Help to Carry On

January 29, 2014 Regis Tremblay Leave a comment

January 29, 2014

It is somewhat embarrassing for me to ask for financial help to keep the story of Jeju and Gangjeong Village alive, but without your help I will not be able to continue.

Many of you contributed in 2012 which enabled the trip to Jeju and the making of The Ghosts of Jeju. Without your help, the film would never have happened. People around the world and in the U.S. would not know about this important story and the untold history of the U.S. in Korea from WWII to the present day.

Over the past year, I have been able to present the film to various groups and universities from Maine to California where it has been highly acclaimed. I have been able to do this by selling copies of the film and accepting donations along the way just to cover the costs of travel. Many good people have hosted me and passed me on to others. I thank them all for their help and friendship.

Just this week The Ghosts of Jeju was named an official selection of the Peace on Earth Film Festival in Chicago. After four days at the festival (March 6-9), Professor Bruce Cumings will host the film at the University of Chicago.

The exposure of this important story does not end in Chicago. The Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space will screen the film at its annual meeting the following week in Santa Barbara, California.

The day before the meeting in Santa Barbara, the Sonoma County Museum in Santa Rosa has invited me to present the film as part of an exhibit about the April 3^rd Massacre on Jeju, though they are not able to defray travel expenses.

I have also been invited to present the film in L.A., San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Taos, and Austin that I would like to do immediately after the Global Network meeting.

Beginning with the Peace on Earth Film Festival and continuing on to the West Coast, the Untold History of the United States in Korea and the ongoing military march to dominate the planet will receive the greatest exposure to date and significantly amplify the voices of Gangjeong and peace activists all over the world, but without your help I will not be able to go to Chicago or to begin this tour.

Readers of my emails and blog know that Pope Francis will visit South Korea in August. At the request of the people of Gangjeong and Jeju, I wrote a letter to Pope Francis and sent him a copy of The Ghosts of Jeju. Right now, there is no more important place in the world for Pope Francis to go to promote peace on earth than Jeju, The Island of World Peace. A visit by the Pope would galvanize the international peace movement and attract the attention of the international media that up until now have ignored the situation on Jeju and the anti-base movement world-wide.

I have exhausted my savings making the film and presenting it, and must turn to you for help to keep this important story alive. Please do what you can.

You can contribute in one of three ways:

Checks made out to Regis Tremblay

209 River Rd – Woolwich, Maine 04579

Or online

donations to the Global Network at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/Space4Peace

In the Special Purpose box for your donation, type in “Ghosts of Jeju.” Your contribution will be tax deductible.

you can purchase a copy of the film, here:

www.theghostofjeju.wpengine.com

Your financial contributions will make a significant difference in the world-wide struggle against war, militarism, the desecration of the environment, and the abuse of human rights.

My very deep and sincere thanks for your continuing interest and support,

Regis

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Pope Francis to Visit South Korea

January 26, 2014 Regis Tremblay 3 Comments

I continue to be amazed at the influence The Ghosts of Jeju is having around the world. Today, I received a request on behalf of the people of Gangjeong Village to send a copy of the film to Pope Francis, hoping that he will visit Gangjeong Village on his planned trip to South Korea in August. It seems that the peace activists in Gangjeong have engaged in a letter writing campaign directly to Pope Francis inviting him to Gangjeong.

Here is my letter to Pope Francis that will accompany a copy of the film. I would also encourage you to write to Pope Francis.

January 26, 2014

Your Holiness Pope Francis,

The people of Gangjeong Village on Jeju Island, South Korea await your announced visit in August with great anticipation for they have been peacefully, and non-violently protesting the construction of a large naval base to accommodate the U.S. pivot to Asia.

For seven years, these farmers and fishermen, and their peace activist supporters from around the world, have been protesting seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Bishop of Jeju, Peter Kang, has supported the protest with his frequent presence, and by allowing his priests and nuns to participate.

Your Jesuit brothers in South Korea have been at the forefront of this struggle. Several have been arrested, fined, and imprisoned. During my stay there in September of 2012, I got to know them well, and I was pleased to see the Catholic Church and the Jesuit Fathers leading the struggle for peace and justice. And, busloads of Catholic nuns from all over South Korea regularly go to Gangjeong to protest and stand in solidarity with the villagers.

Daily mass is celebrated in front of the main gate to the base. Never before have I witnessed the sense of community shared by people of all faiths and backgrounds.

The struggle in Gangjeong Village is important for the Peace Movement around the world because everything is in focus there. These people are farmers and fishermen who will lose their livelihoods and their 500 year old village. They a protesting against the military and imperial expansion of the United States; they are protesting the occupation of their country by tens of thousands of American troops; they are protesting against the violation of human rights; and they are protesting against the desecration of a pristine ecosystem, home to several UNESCO world heritage sites.

Furthermore, in 2005, Jeju was declared “The Island of World Peace” because of the horrible massacres, at the hands of the U.S. Army in 1948, where as many as 60,000 men, women and children were murdered in a scorched earth campaign to wipe out opposition to the American occupation and the separation of the country at the 38^th parallel. What followed during the Korean conflict was the carpet bombing and napalming of North Korea until there were no more targets left. It was the first time that the world would see the unrestrained violence inflicted upon indigenous people fighting for freedom, self-determination, and their basic human rights.

I went to Jeju in September of 2012 to make a documentary film. I thought it would be a short story about the anti-base protest, but what I learned there inspired me to make the enclosed feature-length film, The Ghosts of Jeju, which just recently was named an official selection of the Chicago Peace on Earth Film Festival in March of this year.

The documentary has now been seen in more than a dozen countries, including Russia. It is being translated, by volunteers, into Korean, Russian, French, Japanese, and German because people who have seen it believe this story must be told.

The people of Jeju have asked me to send you a copy of the film in preparation for your visit to South Korea in hopes that you will visit Gangjeong Village to stand in solidarity with them. This film reveals the untold and hidden history of American involvement in Korea from the end of World War II to the present day. Most people in America and around the world, and most Korean people are not aware of this history, nor are they aware of the plans of the U.S. to raise tensions in Asia and to dominate by overwhelming military might.

Your Holiness, the entire world is looking to you as the most influential voice for the poor and for peace and justice around the world. A visit to Gangjeong will give hope to people everywhere who are opposing war, militarism, and the abuse of human rights.

Respectfully and with profound hope and respect for your papacy,

Regis Tremblay

Pax Tibi Productions

209 River Rd.

Woolwich, Maine 04579

USA

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Episode #3 The Spirit of Gangjeong

Video January 14, 2014 Regis Tremblay Leave a comment

We don’t have a lot of time to get it right!

Je Ju Island, Jeju, Obama, Pax Tibi Productions, Peace Movement, Regis Tremblay, Savejejunow, social justice, The Ghosts of Jeju, War

The Spirit of Gangjeong #2

December 16, 2013 Regis Tremblay Leave a comment

In this edition of The Spirit of Gangjeong I bring you the latest news from the village: prisoners released from jail, those still in jail, the fraudulent Rep. of Korea national election and subsequent demands by the Catholic priests association for Pres. Park to resign, and the creative new protest taking place in Gangjeong.

Je Ju Island, Jeju, Pax Tibi Productions, Peace Movement, Regis Tremblay, Savejejunow, The Ghosts of Jeju, War

New Series: The Spirit of Gangjeong

November 29, 2013 Regis Tremblay Leave a comment

This is the introduction to a new series called The Spirit of Gangjeong. It is sort of a sequel to the Ghosts of Jeju. I have created this series to keep the focus on the courageous, peaceful people of Gangjeong who are protesting against war, militarism, the denial of human rights, and the destruction of the environment.

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Korean Priest Speaks Truth to Power – “Enemy of the State”

November 28, 2013 Regis Tremblay Leave a comment

Reverend Park Chang-shin, a Roman Catholic priest in South Korea is being called an “enemy of the state” for remarks he made during a special mass on November 22, calling on President Park Geun-hye to resign.

A little background is necessary. Park Geun-hye is the daughter of the last ruthless dictator to rule S. Korea. Both her father and mother were assassinated. She rose to power through the Korean National Assembly and ran for president in 2012.

It has since come to light that the Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) rigged the election which Ms. Park won.

The Catholic priests of S. Korea have called for her to resign.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Rather than address the allegations of a rigged election, President Park Geun-hye has turned her wrath on casual remarks Fr. Park Chang-shin made at the end of his homily on November 22 when he asked the assembled faithful, “What is North Korea supposed to do if the US and South Korea continue their military drills around disputed territory?” When the congregation replied, “shoot,” Fr. Park said, “of course they’re going to shoot. That was what the Yeonpyeong Island shelling was about.”

Because of this remark, conservative organizations and President Park’s government are lodging complaints that Fr. Park Chang-shin violated the National Security Law with his comments. President Park Geun-hye said, “we will not tolerate behavior that hurts the public’s trust or divides the people.” Accusations of “communist and North sympathizers” that date back to the April 3rd rebellion on Jeju in 1947-48, and subsequent rebellions and protests against the governments in S.Korea are being leveled again against Fr. Park Chang-shin, and the peaceful, non-violent protesters in Gangjeong Village who are opposing the construction of a large naval base to accommodate Obama’s “pivot to Asia.”

That “National Security Law” has been been used to silence protestors and anyone daring to speak about the atrocities committed on Jeju and in the southwestern part of Korea prior to the Korean conflict, and to this day, Korean people fear government reprisal if they speak out against the government. I have found this to be true even with Korean-Americans and Korean nationals living and working in America today. On my tours screening The Ghosts of Jeju, I have met numerous Korean people who have thanked me for bringing to light the truth about their history, but have indicated how fearful THEY still are about speaking out against the government.

One Korean national told me that the Korean CIA has been know to track down Korean dissidents in other countries who disappear without a trace. Others worry about family members back in South Korea who will be persecuted because they speak out.

Back to Fr. Park Shin-Chang’s comments about the North being provoked and intimidated for decades by annual joint U.S. and Republic of Korea military drills off the coast of North Korea, and the massing of tens of thousands of U.S. military forces, missiles, fighter jets, drones on more than 30 bases along the DMZ and throughout South Korea. He is absolutely correct and had the courage to express this FACT which most in South Korea are afraid to do.

My friend, Bruce Gagnon in a recent blog, asked what would the U.S. do if another country staged war games off the East and West Coasts of the United States, and what would the U.S. do if missiles were stationed on Cuba and the Caribbean islands, and drones, and spy planes were flown up and down our borders? America would declare all-out war immediately.

So, how is it that the school-yard bully, America, gets away with doing this to N. Korea? How is it that it is in the interests of freedom, democracy and protecting shipping lanes, the U.S. places missiles, advanced radar, satellite links, and thousands of U.S. troops on over a 1,000 bases to surround China and Russia and it not be considered an act of war?

I stand with Fr. Park and the hundreds of South Korean Catholics, Protestants, and Buddhists who are protesting against the violation of human rights, injustice, and the criminal abuses of a government run by Samsung and the military.

The so-called democratic governments in South Korea and the U.S.A. no longer represent the people so it is up to the people to overturn those tyrannical governments and replace them with governments that reflect the needs and hopes of the people.

That, by the way, is written into our beloved Declaration of Independence.

I am so proud of and indebted to the priests and courageous people of South Korea and Gangjeong Village for being on the front lines against the evils of capitalism, militarism, the violation of human rights, and the destruction of the environment.

Solidarity!