June, 25 2010, 11:52am EDT
On the 60th Anniversary of an Ongoing War, with Signs of Present-Day Increased US Military Buildup, Veterans of the Korean War Call for a Real Peace Treaty
ST. LOUIS, MO
The rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula prove again the
urgent need to achieve permanent peace in Korea. Veterans For Peace
(VFP) continues to call for the replacement of the outdated Armistice
Agreement with a true peace treaty.
Enlisting at 18 and having served in the Korean War, VFP member Woody
Powell says, "As a combatant in 1952-53, I am in total disagreement with
my government's policy in the Far East, part of which is the deliberate
continuation of a sixty-year-old war against a hopelessly impoverished
North Korea. It saddens and terrifies me to see the expansion of U.S.
military bases throughout South Korea, at Pyong-Taek, Cheju Island,
Mugeon-ri, in direct opposition to the will of the South Koreans
themselves." Powell was an Airman First Class in the 58th Air Police,
K-9 Unit, from Berkeley, CA.
With numerous skirmishes over the years involving both Koreas, and on
the anniversary of the U.S. war in Korea, the Korea Peace Campaign of
Veterans For Peace urges not only military restraint by both Koreas, but
the cessation of additional U.S.- ROK naval exercises and other
military buildups in the Korean Peninsula.
While President Obama directed the U. S. military to coordinate with
South Korea, "to insure readiness against other future aggression," in
May, according to Reuters, Veterans For Peace calls upon the parties to
restrain from public discussions on "military preparedness and response
to aggression" while entering into discussions that would result in a
permanent understanding, a lasting peace agreement, and a reunification
of the two Koreas.
Veterans For Peace President Mike Ferner says, "The recent unfortunate
sinking of the South Korean warship, Cheonan, should not be used as an
excuse by any parties to renew the armed conflict that the armistice was
supposed to address on July 27, 1953. Rivers of blood, mountains of
pain and a permanent war economy in the U.S. are the true costs of this
conflict. This sad anniversary renews VFP's commitment to abolish war
as an instrument of national policy."
As we observe the 60th anniversary of the Korean War of 1950-1953 today,
it is time to end this tragic war, not re-ignite it. We urge all
concerned parties in the Korean War--both Koreas, the United States, and
China--to begin negotiations for a peace treaty and an official end to
the war.
Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices. We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars.
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