Joint Statement of IPCNKR
     (International Parliamentarians' Coalition
     for North Korean Refugees and Human
     Rights)


The concept of human rights surpasses the concept of nation states, and exists to guarantee various rights. Accordingly, no nations are authorized to arbitrarily decide the level of human rights given to their people. Furthermore, nation states should monitor each other and continuously work together to encourage the protection of human rights.

Based on the above concept, we have founded a coalition comprising lawmakers from nation states believing in the importance of protecting human rights. The nation states include South Korea, the United States of America, Japan, the United Kingdom and Mongolia.

Current estimates put the number of North Korean refugees in the range of 100,000 to 400,000. They are defecting from their own country to neighboring countries in the Far East area to survive and to seek freedom. If the North Korean defectors are repatriated, they are sure to face maltreatment, pain and deprivation.

Hence, the International Parliamentarians' Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR) will make the following efforts to protect the human rights of the North Korean refugees:

First, we will do our best to improve the general circumstances of North Korea in order to reduce the number of refugees;

Second, we will make every possible effort to assure that the North Korean refugees are formally certified as refugees by the United Nations;

Third, we will make every possible effort to set up a resettlement residential town in a third country;

Fourth, we will make every possible effort to stop repatriation of the refugees to North Korea if they are arrested by the security agents in the neighboring countries. We will make every possible effort to assure the North Korean refugees are given the opportunity to select the final destination country where they wish to settle. We will also exert efforts to help the refugees adapt themselves to their new environment.

The IPCNKR will exert international-scale efforts to protect the human rights of North Korean refugees, with the objective of overcoming differences in national interests, factions or ideologies.


ACTION PLAN

The International Parliamentarians' Coalition for the North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR) will make diligent and continuous efforts to provide North Korean refugees with humanitarian aid to reduce the number of North Korean refugees.

The IPCNKR will do its best to urge the United Nations to formally grant refugee status to North Korean refugees. To fulfill this goal, the members of the IPCNKR will visit the offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and relevant countries so as to urge the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) and the governments of countries involved with the issue to protect North Korean refugees. The IPCNKR will make every possible effort to gain free access for North Korean refugees to UNHCR offices, and to prevent any country from repatriating the refugees to their country where they face massive maltreatment.

The IPCNKR will establish the Committee for Building a Resettlement Camp for North Korean Refugees (tentative name) to set up a refugee camp for the North Korean refugees.

The IPCNKR will pass a joint resolution by the relevant governments in the area to obtain a consensus on the status of North Korean refugees among the involved governments. The IPCNKR will do its best to successfully achieve joint enactment to secure financial means for North Korean refugees in the countries. The IPCNKR will periodically organize and dispatch a fact-finding mission to survey the situations of North Korean refugees.

The IPCNKR will release periodic newsletters to the public to keep people abreast of the most up-to-date situation of North Korean refugees and the efforts and activities of IPCNKR. The members of the IPCNKR will do their utmost to convey the good cause of the IPCNKR to the lawmakers in other countries.

(Members of IPCNKR)

Japan
Masaharu Nakagawa
Democratic Party, Member of the House of Representatives
Shu Watanabe
Democratic Party, Member of the House of Representatives
Kazuya Shinba
Democratic Party, Member of the House of Councilors

The United States of America
Ed Royce
Republican Party, Congress member
Xavier Becerra
Democratic Party, Congress member
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party, Congress member
Madeleine Bordallo
Democratic Party, Congress member

United Kingdom
Baroness Cox
Member of the House of Lords

Mongolia
Gundalai Lamjay
Democratic Party, Diet member

South Korea
Hwang Woo Yea
Grand National Party, Diet member
Yang Jung Kyu
Grand National Party, Diet member
Lee Kang Too
Grand National Party, Diet member
Ahn Sang Soo
Grand National Party, Diet member
Chung Woo Taik
Millennium Democratic Party, Diet member
Maeng Hyung Kyu
Grand National Party, Diet member
Yoo Jay-Kun
Millennium Democratic Party, Diet member
An Dae Ryun
United Liberal Democrat Party, Diet member
Choung Byoung Gug
Grand National Party, Diet member
Kim Kyung Cheon
Millennium Democratic Party, Diet member
Ko Heung Kil
Grand National Party, Diet member
Lee Won Chang
Grand National Party, Diet member
Yoon Yea Joon
Grand National Party, Diet member
Lee Ju Young
Grand National Party, Diet member
Yoo Han Yul
Grand National Party, Diet member
Park Myung Hwan
Grand National Party, Diet member
Cho Woong Kyu
Grand National Party, Diet member
Kim Young Sun
Grand National Party, Diet member
Nam Kyung Pil
Grand National Party, Diet member
Ahn Young Keun
Grand National Party, Diet member
Cho Bae Sook
Millennium Democratic Party, Diet member
Jeon Jae Hee
Grand National Party, Diet member
Kwon Youngse
Grand National Party, Diet member
Suh Sang Suhp
Grand National Party, Diet member

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