Category Archives: Human Rights Abuses
Deepest Condolences for American Student Warmbier
STATEMENT
Deepest Condolences for American Student Warmbier
Mr. Otto Warmbier, the US student released in coma by North Korea last week after 18 months in detention, died on June 19, according to AFP news on June 20, 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Warmbier
LFNKR sincerely prays for the repose of his soul and we offer heartfelt sympathy and condolences to his family and to the US people.
Why one young lady escaped from North Korea
On May 12, 2017, Yong-mee Lee was invited to Tokyo University to present a speech to the students.
Yong-mee Lee is one of the North Korean refugees whom LFNKR (Life Funds for North Korean Refugees) has helped to safely reach Japan and resettle here. We are very happy to see the growing number of resettled North Korean refugees now helping LFNKR. They are actively participating in our activities to raise awareness of the difficulties still faced by the North Korean people. The following speech was presented by Yong-mee Lee.
Former NK Defector Speaks at One World Festival
Refugee Tells Her Story
Koh Jeong Mee talks about tortures she has experienced.
On Feb. sixth and seventh LFNKR participated in the One World Festival held in Osaka, Japan to help boost the public’s awareness of the many human rights abuses that continue in North Korea.
At the yearly One World Festival, NGO/NPOs, international institutions, local administration and companies involved in international cooperation gather together to tell about their activities, and to hold symposia and panel discussions on such issues as peace, human rights and the environment.
The following is a brief summary of the report prepared by Mr. K.G., a member of LFNKR. It describes the testimony presented by Ms. Koh Jeong Mee, a former NK defector.
Still more proof of outrageous crimes against humanity
Following January’s fourth nuclear test, North Korea launched yet another missile on Feb. 7 despite strong and repeated criticism by the international community.
According to South Korean government estimates, the money spent by the North Korean government on the development of nuclear missiles totals somewhere between 2.8 and 3.2 billion US dollars. This much money would buy 9,330,000 to 10,660,000 tons of corn, enough to feed every person in North Korea for 31 to 36 months.
Meanwhile, North Korea still depends on food aid from other countries, including Russia and China.
These facts demonstrate the magnitude of the North Korean government’s crimes against humanity. The government of that country should, by rights, be standing trial before the International Criminal Court.
URGENT APPEAL
On the Human Rights Situation in North Korea
February 6, 2016
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January of this year despite the suffering of its people. Although North Korea claims that it was a hydrogen bomb, questions remain due to the nature of the seismic activity associated with the blast.
The North Korean government announced that the hydrogen bomb test “firmly protects the sovereignty of the country and the dignity of the nation…and reliably safeguards the peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional security” and even now is going ahead with missile launches.
Terror in a Solitary Confinement Cell
The MC’s height is 165cm (5.5ft). This illustrates the small size of the cell.
LFNKR On Dec. 5, jointly hosted a seminar as one of the events held during the first week of December to help promote public awareness of the North Korean human rights issue. The seminar was titled “Terror of Whistle Blowers in a Solitary Confinement Cell.” To emphasize what it was really like, LFNKR specially created two full-size punishment cells not just for display but also to give participants the experience of being in the cages.
We invited Mr. Jeong Kwang-il, who has experienced being locked up in one of the punishment cells, to talk about the confinement and one of the tortures called “pigeon torture.” In the pigeon torture, a person’s hands are tied behind their back and handcuffed so that they can neither stand nor sit.
Mr. Jeong explains excruciating postures in the cage
Mr. Jeong Kwang-il is Director of No Chains for North Korea and the Director of Human Rights Investigations for North Korea Watch. He was confined in Yodok Concentration Camp, one of North Korea’s most notorious camps.
Read about his experiences in Yodok:
Many North Koreans are tortured and sent to the concentration camps without trial, just as Mr. Jeong was.
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
From Hiroshi Kato, Executive Director,
Life Funds for North Korean Refugees
Wishing all of you health and prosperity in the New Year
It appears that North Korea has succeeded in establishing a three-generation political dynasty. However, the UN has passed resolutions condemning the North’s human rights abuses, calling them grave, widespread, systematic abuses that amount to crimes against humanity. The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution critical of the DPRK with the support of 119 countries.
Public Eye Turning Away from North Korea’s Abuses
Translated From a Recent Issue of the LFNKR Newsletter
Tragedy Awaits Withdrawal from Activities for Human Rights in North Korea
By Ken Kato — ICNK Affiliate-Director, Human Rights in Asia
Milgram’s Experiment
TO~ everyone dedicated to maintaining human rights activities for the North Korean people: