The grave human rights and refugees situation in North Korea is addressed at the 6th International Conference that opened in Seoul this week. The Human Rights House Foundation is present, and will co-host the next year´s conference with the Egil Rafto Human Rights House in Bergen. (16-FEB-05)

The UN Commission on Human Rights once again adopted the North Korean Human Rights Resolution in 2004. However, the systematic violations of the human rights of North Koreans, including the illegal trafficking of women and children and the repatriation of refugees, show no signs of substantial improvements.

The Citizen?s Alliance for North Korean Human Rights will hold the 6th International Conference.

Human Rights House Network involved
Executive Director Maria Dahle and Project Manager Niels Jacob Harbitz from the Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) are attending the 6th International Conference on the Human Rights and Refugees in North Korea,  in Seoul, South Korea 14-16 February.
– Our presence at the conference is to be seen as part of our preparations to co-host next year?s conference with the Egil Rafto Human Rights House in Bergen, says Dahle.

Last year?s conference was co-hosted by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, who has established a Human Rights House in Warsaw. The Human Rights House Network is getting increasingly involved, not only in arranging these conferences, but in working more generally as well to improve the human rights situation in North Korea.

-Recognition from the MFA
The Egil Rafto Human Rights House in Bergen has followed the situation for years, and awarded the 2000 Rafto Prize to South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, not the least for his efforts to bring human rights and democracy to the entire Korean peninsula. Now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recognised this work through covering the travel and accommodation expenses for two delegates from Bergen and two from Oslo to attend the conference in Seoul. HRH is grateful for this, and sees it as a first indication that Norwegian authorities not only appreciate the NGO community?s efforts to improve the human rights situation in North Korea, but welcomes the idea of hosting next year?s big annual event on the issue.

Asked Norway to focus on North Korea in the UN
North Korea is among six countries that seventeen organizations from the Norwegian NGO Forum, including HRH, have recommended that the Norwegian Government should focus on in this year?s meeting in the UN Human Rights Commission.

Read the recommendation from the Norwegian NGO Forum below

Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea

In 2003 and 2004 the Commission passed resolutions on North Korea. It expressed “deep concern about reports of systemic, widespread and grave violations of human rights“ and called on North Korea to respect basic human rights. In 2004, the Commission created a Special Rapporteur mandate. Unfortunately the Special Rapporteur has not been able to visit.

The Democratic People?s Republic of Korea has one of the world?s most repressive regimes; a small elite rules ruthlessly. The government controls virtually all aspects of political, social and economic life. Political dissent is a treasonable offence and there is officially only one political party and essentially no free elections. Basic services, such as health care and education are allotted according to perceived political loyalty.

There is no freedom of press, expression, religion or belief. There are upwards of 200,000 political prisoners in prisons and labour camps. There are many independent reports of beatings, torture, forced labour and execution of inmates from these prisons and camps.

Many North Koreans attempt to flee their country. The vast majority, cross the northern border into the People´s Republic of China. There are an estimated 30,000 to 300,000 North Korean refugees in northeast the People´s Republic of China. China?s policy is to forcibly return these refugees, labelling them economic immigrants. the People´s Republic of China expelled the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from this region in 1999. NGOs and individuals in the area who attempt to help North Korean refugees, face harassment, fines and imprisonment at the hands of Chinese authorities. Refugees who were returned to North Korea are considered defectors and risk prolonged detention, interrogation, torture and in some cases execution. Returned refugees suspected of contacts with South Koreans or Christian aid workers are especially singled out for strict punishment. 

We believe that all relevant UN mechanisms should be employed to address the situation, including the plight of the refugees.
We call on the Norwegian government to:

  • address the Commission regarding the situation in the DPRK and support the adoption of a resolution on the human rights situation in DPRK, to include inter alia, 
  • the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights situation in DPRK;
  • strong condemnation of China?s policy towards refugees from DPRK;
     a call for protection of NGOs and others working for North Korean refugees in the People´s Republic of China.
  • request all relevant Special Mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights to report on and analyse the situation for North Korean refugees in the People´s Republic of China.
  • encourage the Special Rapporteur on DPRK and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to liaise with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to develop a strategy to gain access to North Korean refugees in the north-eastern region of the People´s Republic of China bordering North Korea. This should be done, inter alia, by encouraging the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to use its mandate to request binding arbitration with the Chinese government. 
     
    Download the NGO Forum Recommendations