Joining the Debate
[Updated] Now this is what I’m talking about when I say that the South Korean right needs to join the public debate about North Korea instead of hiding behind morally and intellectually lazy censorship. Here is the full text of the letter, followed by Rep. Hwang’s press release:
Letter of ProtestTo Mr. Li Zhaoxing, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China [OFK Update: A wel-informed source tells me Mr. Li is actually the Foreign Minister. Oops.]:
In August 2005, the Chinese government notified the Korean government of its intention of forcefully repatriating to North Korea seven refugees who requested safe passage into South Korea after entering the Korean International School in Yantai of Shandong Province.
This is a clear breach of the refugees’ human rights by the Chinese government. The National Assembly Human Rights Forum of the Republic of Korea, as a whole, and the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for the North Korean Refugees and Human Rights, as a whole, are very upset by this. In addition, eight North Korean refugees entered Ewha Korean International School in Qingdao on October 11 and are currently requesting safe passage into South Korea.
The National Assembly Human Rights Forum of the Republic of Korea, as a whole, and the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for the North Korean Refugees and Human Rights, as a whole, request that the Chinese government honor the hopes of the North Korea refugees at Ewha Korean International School in Qingdao who are seeking safe passage to South Korea and not forcefully repatriate them, in accordance to the principle of respecting human rights. 11th October 2005 National Human Rights Forum of the Republic of Korea: Gong Sung-jin, Kwon Chul-Hyun, Kim Kwang-Won, Kim Gi-Hyoen, KimSuk-Joon, Kim Seon-Mi, Kim Yeong-Deok, Kim Young-Sun, Kim Jae-Won, Kim Hee-Jung, Maeng Hyung-Kyu, Park Chan-Sook, Ahn Sang-Soo, Ahn Young-Keun, Eom Ho-Sung, Yoo Jeong-Bok, Yu Phil-U, Lee Seong-Kweun, Lee Eun-Young, Lee Jae-Oh, Lee Ju-Ho, Chung Mong-Joon, Choi Yeon-Hee, Huh Cheon, Hwang Woo-Yea.
International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR): Doug Parkinson, Alan Cadman(Australia), Ada Barriga(Bolivia), Bryon Wilfert(Canada), Carlos avendano(Costa Rica), Oden Marichal(Cuba), Dagoberto Rodriguez Adames(Domonican Republic), Roger Helmer, Charles Tannock(EU), Carlos Guerrero Dumani(Guatemala), IstvanSzent-Ivanyi(Hungary), Hideki Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Nakai, Ichita Yamamoto, Isshu Sugawara, Kansei Nakano, Kazuya Shimba, Keishu Tanaka, Kimiaki Matsuzaki, Masahur Nakagawa, Masamitsu Naito, Masayoshi Nataniya, Shigeo Ohmae, Shinkun Haku, Shu Watanabe, Takeaki Matsumoto, Yoshihide Suga, Yoshinori Suematsu, Yoshitake Kimata, Yoshitsugu Harada, Yukio Hatoyama, Yukihisa Fujita, Yuko Mori, Yutaka Kobayashi(Japan), Bat-Erdeniin Batbayar, Gundalai Lamjav, Ragchaa Badamdamdin(Mongolia), Delia Arellano(Nicaragua), AGUSTIN ESCUDE(Panama), Walter Alejos(Peru), Heung-Kil Ko, Youngse Kwon, Gi-Hyeon Kim, Moon-Soo Kim, Sun-Mi Kim, Yeong-Deok Kim, Young-Sun Kim, Jae-Won Kim, Hee-Jung Kim, Kyung-Pil Nam, Hyung-Kyu Maeng, Chan-Suk Park, Sang-Soo Ahn, Young-Keun Ahn, Jay-Kun Yoo, Kang-Too Lee, Jae-Hee Jeon, Byoung-Gug Choung, Bae-Sook Cho, Woo-Yea Hwang,(Republic of Korea), Kenneth Meshoe(South Africa), Baroness Cox(United Kingdom), Adam Schiff, Adam H. Putnam, Bobby L. Rush, David Dreier, Del. Madeleine, Dennis Hastert [OFK: Rep. Hastert is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives], Ed Royce, Kay Granger, Thomas M. Reynolds, Tom Cole, Xavier Becerra,(USA),
Rep. Hwang’s press release:
Protest Letter from the National Assembly Human Rights Forum and the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights Sent to the Chinese Embassy
October 11, 2005
Seoul
The National Assembly Human Rights Forum of the Republic of Korea, as a whole, and the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR), as a whole, sent a letter of protest to the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, insisting that the Chinese Government not forcefully repatriate the eight North Korean refugees who entered the Ewha Korean International School in Qingdao, China in search of safe passage to South Korea.
The letter criticized China for forcefully repatriating on September 29th seven refugees to North Korea that sought refuge at the Korean International School in Yantai of Shandong Province, China in the hope of fleeing to South Korea.
The National Assembly Human Rights Forum of the Republic of Korea is a non-partisan discussion venue on human rights issues. Currently chaired by National Assemblyman Woo-Yea Hwang, this forum meets on a regular basis throughout the year to conduct seminars with Members of the National Assembly, government officials, scholars, experts, and activists. These seminars are open to the public.
The International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR) gathers members of parliament from various nations to address the current humanitarian crisis of North Korea refugees that are spread throughout the globe. Most recently, IPCNKR held its 2nd General Meeting on August 1st, 2005 in Tokyo, Japan where over 40 lawmakers from South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and the US as well as over 70 representatives from 13 NGOs participated. Established in 2003, IPCNKR is jointly chaired by National Assemblyman Woo-Yea Hwang (ROK), Representative Masaharu Nakagawa (Japan), and Congressman Ed Royce (US).
. . . .The Honorable Woo-Yea Hwang, LL.D. is serving his third term as a Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. He represents Yeonsu District in Incheon City. He is the current Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee, the current Chairman of the National Assembly Human Rights Forum, and Standing Cochairman of the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR).
Thanks to Michael Choi from Rep. Hwang Woo-Yea’s office (mikechoi@assembly.go.kr). Rep. Hwang essentially built this international coalition, and today, it’s working to pass human rights legislation in Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea. In the case of Mongolia, I have some basis to suspect that Rep. Hwang’s efforts have had some impact. I could see it on the ambassador’s face.
I hope to have much more to say about Rep. Hwang in the near future. Also, Rep. Hwang did not find this to be a fashionable cause only recently. He’s been talking about human rights in North Korea since 2001, when Nobel fever was pandemic. A former Judge and Navy Judge Advocate, Hwang is the South Korean movement’s chief scholar and diplomat.
This is a good start, but someone needs to bring this message to the hearts of Korean people everywhere.