평화군축센터 미분류 2004-03-04   526

The Korean Civil Society Expresses a Grave Concern over the North Korean Freedom Act of 2003

On March 2, 2004, around one hundred South Korean NGOs, human rights activists, and lawyers came together to discuss the North Korean Freedom Act of 2003 that is in the legislative process in the United States Congress, in Seoul, Korea. They express a deep concern over the potential risk the North Korean Freedom Act may pose to the human rights situation in North Korea, and peace in the Korean Peninsula.

Basic Perspective

We, the participants, recognize the dire situation in North Korea where the people’s right to food have been violated due to the severe food shortage since 1995. There have been reports of human rights abuse in North Korea by those who have left the country; consequently, we are very concerned about the potential human rights situation in North Korea. At the same time, we believe that a practical and reasonable approach should be pursued to address such concerns.

We, raise a common concern that the North Korean human rights issues must be addressed from a well-balanced perspective, and it should not be used to serve political purpose. We agree that the right to food of the North Korean people must be given a priority, and humanitarian assistance should not be used as a political tool.

When discussing the human rights in the Korean Peninsula, it should also be reminded that maintaining a peaceful coexistence of South and North Korea must be assumed. We believe that assisting the economic reconstruction of North Korea will pave the way for improving human rights conditions in North Korea.

In reviewing the North Korean Freedom Act, we have following comments presently:

Our Observation on the North Korean Freedom Act of 2003

Regarding Part 2: discusses the United States assistance to encourage a massive flow of North Korean defectors and to support their settlement in the United States. However, such a massive flow may only increase social instability in North Korea without improving the actual conditions of North Korean human rights. Since the outflow of North Korean refugees is originally driven by the food shortage, building refugee camps or coordinating a massive flight without resolving the food crisis would not solve the fundamental problem.

Regarding Part 3: Providing around the clock broadcasting to North Korea and distributing radios to North Koreans will likely to contribute to negative atmosphere in the diplomatic negotiations that are underway.

Regarding Part 4: the North Korean human rights issues in any negotiations between the United States and North Korea will likely to create negative effects on the ongoing efforts to make a peaceful resolution of the nuclear problem in Korea Peninsula.

The South Korean civil society comprised of various NGOs and human rights organizations is committed to give a careful account of discussion on the North Korean Freedom Act of 2003 in the U.S. Congress and plans to deliver its position in more concrete terms in the near future.

Signed:

Lawyers for a Democratic Society, SARANGBANG Group for Human Rights, Good Friends, Peace and Disarmament of the PSPD(Peoples Solidarity for Participatory Democracy), Catholic Human Rights Committee in Korea, The Human Rights Committee The National Council of Churches in Korea, Civil Network for A Peaceful Korea, Korea Reunification Alliance for 6.15 Joint Declaration attainment and Peace in Korea

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