justicefornorthkorea's Xanga

Friday, July 06, 2007

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 07:47:56 GMT

Since 1995, North Korea has suffered from a devastating famine induced by the nexus of climatic events (both floods and droughts) and overzealous agricultural and economic policies. Since inception, the famine has killed upwards of 2 million North Koreans, or roughly 10% of the aggregate population. Confirmation is difficult, however, because of the exodus of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from North Korea, stymied in their efforts and too frustrated with the government’s corrupt and inhuman practices. In 1998, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) withdrew from North Korea, followed by Oxfam in 1999 and CARE in 2000.

In 1998, the World Food Program (WFP) conducted a study of child malnutrition in North Korea. The results showed that 15.6% of children were wasted and 63.8% were stunted. In its current report on North Korea, the WFP estimates that approximately 55% of North Koreans are malnourished, with the heaviest concentration in the Sino border provinces. Residents of these provinces bore the brunt of the famine; mortality in some villages was as high as 20-25%.

Exacerbating the crisis, residents of these provinces are generally relegated to the hostile class and, accordingly, receive the least — if anything at all — from North Korea’s inequitable food rationing system. By comparison, residents of Pyongyang and members of the military (i.e., the core class) remain reasonably well fed, often by siphoning off or diverting international aid. Consequently, in 2000, Action Against Hunger became at least the fifth major international NGO to suspend operations in North Korea, citing the DPRK’s failure to (i) provide a transparent food distribution system and (ii) grant access to the country’s most vulnerable people.

Notwithstanding these concerns, international aid has poured into North Korea since the famine began, through food donations administered principally by the WFP and energy assistance through the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO). The United States has been the largest donor over this period (with the possible exception of China, whose contributions are unknown), providing more than $1 billion of assistance from 1995-2003.

The final insult to the hostile and wavering classes is that they are also subject to arbitrary and extrajudicial punishment. In a recent report by David Hawk, an estimated 150,000-200,000 North Koreans (generally from the hostile and wavering classes) are currently imprisoned in Soviet-style “gulags,” or forced labor camps, where they are held for “trumped-up political ‘crimes,’ such as reading a foreign newspaper, singing a South Korean pop song, or ‘insulting the authority’ of the North Korean leadership.” Stemming from North Korea’s Confucian roots, up to three generations of a purged political prisoner’s relatives, and those otherwise guilty by association (such as neighbors or all the residents of the same apartment block), may also be sentenced to a lifetime of hard “slave” labor with no judicial process whatsoever.

Taken from: Seoul Train
-- Abraham

Concentrations of Inhumanity

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:31:34 GMT

The report on concentrations of inhumanity distinguishes between commonplace human rights violations such as miscarriages of justice, more serious “consistent patterns of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,” and human rights violations that are so egregious that they rise to the level of “crimes against humanity,” “war crimes,” or “genocide.”

It analyzes, according to the provisions of the international law defining crimes against humanity, the unique phenomena of repression associated with the core element of the North Korean gulag: the kwan-li-so political penal labor encampments where as many as 200,000 persons, including both suspected wrong-doers and wrong-thinkers, and up to three generations of their family members, are imprisoned without trial and subjected to forced labor under extremely severe conditions.

In the report, David Hawk calls for two immediate measures: 1) for the international community to recognize the severe human rights abuses in North Korea as crimes against humanity; and 2) for the North Korean government to begin the measures necessary to bring the kwan-li-so labor camps into compliance with international norms, and amend the practices that run afoul of standards set forth by international law.

All information was taken from nkfreedomhouse.org. A full copy of the report can be obtained by the link below.
http://www.nkfreedomhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/concentrations-of-inhumanity-english.doc

-paul

Is there a Human Rights Problem in North Korea?

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 19:31:40 GMT

“Those in North Korea who say that there are no human rights problems are being sincere. People in the North do not realize that public executions or punishments without trial are violations of human rights.”
~ HWANG Jang Yop, North Korean defector

The truth is that human rights violations are rampant in North Korea. For example:

Over 200,000 people are imprisoned in North Korea’s vast gulag;
Punishment against entire families (multigenerational) is used to respond to real or suspected political dissent;
Imprisoned women are often forced to abort fetuses and prisoners are routinely executed in public, often in the presence of children;

In Kim Jong Il’s oppressive state, nearly 37% of all North Korean children are chronically malnourished. ~ World Food Program, 2005

-Access to services such as health care, education and even food assistance are allocated according to social stratification, a system which is based on the family’s loyalty to the regime;
-Pluralism and civil society are nonexistent;
-Freedoms of religion and press do not exist.
-It is an act of treason to leave the country without state permission. If caught, a person can face detention, torture or even execution.

taken from http://www.nkfreedomhouse.org/

-dustin

google groups?

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:04:24 GMT

this seems like a nice way to keep in touch. lets give it a try.

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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:26:44 GMT

Success!

Thank you all for a very successful awareness event last night! We were especially positively surprised by the number of first generation Koreans that came out and showed their support for the cause. Despite not reaching our attendance goal we well surpassed our fundraising expectations! All proceeds will go directly to LiNK (www.linkglobal.org).

The following is a comment received by one UCSD student that summarizes the many positive responses we received after the event:

"Hey all, just wanted to say that the event at Hanbit tonight was awesome. I considered myself sort of educated on North Korea before this event, but was given a big dose of reality. I walked away learning and feeling a lot more than I did previous tonight. Plus, it reaffirmed my goals of one day working in the United Nations before going into law school. Good job, everyone :) Thanks for hosting the event." - Abe

Stay tuned for updates and pictures!

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Sat, 26 May 2007 06:39:51 GMT

San Diego North Korean Human Rights Awareness Night
hosted by JNK|Justice for North Korea

Pastor Kim, a former political prisoner from North Korea, will be speaking about his personal testimony in the North Korean prison camps.

Also, the heart-wrenching documentary on North Korean refugees, Seoul Train, will be presented. More information will be available at the event, so come out, learn, meet others who are passionate about the issue, & become part of the movement!

We're going to have reports from the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Seoul Train DVDs, and other literature available.

Refreshments will be served.

contact: mmpaek@ucsd.edu

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Thu, 17 May 2007 17:56:44 GMT

San Diego North Korean Human Rights Awareness Night

Who: EVERYONE.
What: North Korean Human Rights Abuses Awareness
Where: Hanbit Church, 7110 Engineer Rd., San Diego, CA 92111
When: Sunday, June 3rd, 2007 6PM-9PM
Info:
Justice for North Korea is hosting an awareness night for North Koreans suffering from "what many knowledgable observer as one of the worst human rights situations in the world today" -W.Post.. 1st & 2nd generation Korean Americans, and everyone interested are gathering to learn about the current crisis within NK, and what we can do about it.

The program includes:

- Testimony from a former political prisoner confined in a North Korean concentration camp.
- A partial presentation of the amazing documentary Seoul Train.
- Student Testimony
- Boochae Choom (Traditional Korean Dance Performance)(amazing...)
- Art Exhibition on North Korea

This is going to be one of the largest events happening in San Diego on North Korean Human Rights crisis. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about our cause and be part of a movement!

English and Korean translation will be available.

More updates coming soon!

An Unofficial Mission Statement

Thu, 17 May 2007 16:44:01 GMT

Justice for North Korea was birthed in response to appease the silent cries in NK. Based at the University of California San Diego, we work to 1) educate our community on the largely unknown human rights violations within NK, 2) politically advocate for change, and 3) fundraise to support front line initiatives.

Did you know...

Thu, 17 May 2007 16:33:31 GMT

- In 2005, the World Food Programme reported that 37% of all North Korean children were chronically malnourished. Chronic malnourishment, especially during developmental periods, irreparably damages the brain.

- Primary accounts from defectors and satellite photos point to at least a dozen political prison camps and thirty more forced labor camps housing over 200,000 citizens.

- Since 1995, the World Food Project has delivered four million tons of rations valued at US $1.3 billion dollars, and total food aid given by foreign countries to the DPRK amounts to over US $2 billion within the past decade. North Korea uses these rations to its own discretion; there is little monitoring allowed. The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea estimates that as much as 25%–30% of the aid does not actually go to those it is intended for.

Information quoted directly from LiNK.