Domestic and overseas civic organizations campaigning for the rights of North Koreans have urged the South Korean government to include the North Korean regime¡¯s human rights violations in the agenda for the upcoming summit between President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
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Activists working for the human rights of North Korean people at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon.
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In a statement at a press conference Tuyesday, they said the North Korean regime ¡°violates the human rights of North Koreans like frequently carrying out public executions as well as punishing and torturing North Korean defectors who are repatriated.¡± They said leaving the issues out of the agenda for the October summit would go ¡°against humanitarian principle and the nation.¡± The South Korean government ¡°would cause a public outcry and international criticism if it avoids tackling human rights violations in the North, recognizes the legitimacy of the North Korean regime and agrees to provide economic aid without public consent at the summit¡± in the name of replacing the truce that still officially halts hostilities with a permanent peace.
The groups appealed to the government at least to put pressure on North Korea to cease public executions and punishment of repatriated North Korean defectors. They also called for the abolition of North Korean concentration camps for political prisoners, the repatriation of South Korean prisoners of war and South Koreans abducted by North Korea in the 1960s, and religious freedom for North Koreans. Kim Sang-chul, the chairman of Save North Korea, said if the South Korean government declines to accept the groups¡¯ demands, they will continue to fight ¡°by legal and appropriate means.¡±
The event was attended by German human right activist Norbert Vollertsen, Seo Kyung-suk, a co-representative of Teachers' Christian Fellowship, Lee Hun, the director of Lawyers for Citizens, Song Boo-geun, the leader of the Commission to Help North Korea Refugees, Kim Sung-ho, an executive director of the Rainbow Foundation, Choi Sung-yong, president of the Family Assembly Abducted to North Korea, and Do Hee-youn, secretary general of the Citizen's Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees.
Suzanne Scholte, president of the Defense Forum Foundation, and Song Yun-bok, secretary general of Society to Help Returnees to North Korea in Japan, also signed the statement.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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